Cooper Koch has expressed his deep affection for the incarcerated individual he portrayed, revealing that he genuinely cares for Erik Menendez and deemed their prison encounter as a positive experience.
The actor, who takes on the role of Erik in Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” shared insights with Deadline during the Motion Picture Academy Gala on Saturday night, stating his interaction with Erik was “fulfilling.”
Cooper mentioned that gearing up for his role as Erik was akin to preparing for an actual meeting with him, as he cultivated a sense of trust and compassion for Menendez during extensive preparation sessions.
As you might recall, Erik criticized ‘Monsters’ for its inaccurate depiction of his life and that of his brother Lyle. Subsequently, we reported that both brothers received a visit from Koch and Kim Kardashian shortly thereafter.
Cooper shared that he indeed received a hug from Erik while at the penitentiary where both Erik and Lyle are serving life sentences for the tragic murder of their parents 35 years ago. He later disclosed that Erik had voiced his dissatisfaction with the series prior to its release, making the critical response from him hardly unexpected.
Much like many others, including several members of the Menendez family, Kim emerged from the meeting stating that the brothers should be freed from their prison sentences.
The Los Angeles District Attorney is currently examining their case to determine whether his office will advocate for a retrial or seek to change the sentencing of the Menendez brothers, which could potentially lead to their release from incarceration.
It appears that Cooper will be eagerly awaiting to embrace the brothers back into society if they manage to gain their freedom, filled with an abundance of compassion and affection.