Ryan Murphy is once again grabbing the headlines for his latest production based on the Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle. The duo was convicted for killing their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, back in 1989. Recently, their defense team has filed a clemency petition for them, riding on a tide of public sympathy re-ignited by Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story‘.
The project has brought back attention to the allegations that the brothers faced as well as their claims against their father, José Menendez, of physically, emotionally, and sexually abusing them. The show casts new light on why they may committed the murders, and has triggered petitions for their release. Murphy has meanwhile said that he isn’t surprised by the public reaction.
Ryan Murphy Reveals What He Anticipated With ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’
While Ryan Murphy claims his intent was not to lobby outright for the Menendez brothers’ freedom, he admits that the response to ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story‘ from the audience, particularly the young crowd, has been almost uniformly sympathetic.
“I can’t say I was unsurprised, because when we finished shooting it and I saw the episodes, I thought they were incredibly powerful on several different points of view,” Murphy said during a Netflix FYC panel. “What it did, I think, was open a conversation about that topic in a way that wasn’t there in 1989.”
Pending a case review, the Menendez brothers may be let out by as early as December 11. A-list names such as Kim Kardashian were on the list of those who pleaded for clemency. Kardashian, known as a prison reformer herself, wrote an opus for NBC News detailing her thoughts after visiting the brothers inside the prison.
“Kim called me before the show aired,” Murphy explained, “and she instantly got involved.” Reactions from the public whose opinions on the case were very strong were immediately sent to the DA and the governor’s office.
Actors From Ryan Muphy’s Show Claim They Learned A Lot From Their Experience
Both Nicholas Alexander Chavez, the actor who played Lyle, and Cooper Koch, the actor playing Erik, have also had a lot to do in changing the minds of many people. Chavez said that he was not even conversant with the case even before his audition but this rushed research helped him grasp the intricacies of the trial.
“It was a journey in the sense of what we could learn,” Chavez said, looking back on his experience. Koch echoed his sentiments, crediting his co-star Ari Graynor, who played Erik’s lawyer Leslie Abramson, for supporting him through one of the show’s most difficult scenes, which detailed Erik’s account of the abuse.
In case you missed it: “Media Turned The Brothers Into Monsters”: Kim Kardashian Defends Menendez Brothers, Demands Their Release From Prison
José Menendez is the father of the two brothers and was portrayed by Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who humorously recalled saying he did not have an audition for his role. “Thank God I did not go through any audition for this; I would have never been hired,” he said.
As the clemency request waits in review, it is clear that ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story‘ did more than tell a story — it has started a conversation about abuse, justice, and the human motivations behind such heinous crimes.
