Nicholas Alexander Chavez, star of Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story, has said he understands why the real Erik Menendez is unhappy with the hit Netflix series.
Chavez told USA Today that he has “sympathy and empathy” for Menendez, who claimed that Ryan Murphy’s drama is “vile and appalling” in its portrayal of the Menendez’s murder of their parents in August 1989. “I can only respond with sympathy and empathy in that I can only imagine how difficult it is to have the most traumatic moment of your life put up there on the screen for everyone to see,” said Chavez, who plays Lyle in the nine-part series.
Erik Menendez’s statement about Monsters, shared on social media by his wife Tammi Menendez, was particularly critical of the depiction of Lyle.
He said it was “a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.” Speaking at the premiere of Grotesquerie, Chavez explained the work that went into his role, including reading books, watching documentaries, and reviewing court footage. “With the court TV footage, you’re getting a glimpse into what was happening in that time, but the show aims to fill out a lot more details than just the courtroom scenes,” he said.
Read more on deadline.com