Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Cast and Real-Life Character Guide

Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez follows real-life killers, Lyle and Erik Menéndez, who murdered their parents in the late 1980s, and similar to the cast of Monster season 1, the list of actors The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez It's impressive. Netflix's biographical crime anthology TV show is the second installment in the series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. Monster series. Jeffrey Dahmer was at the center of the award-winning first season of Monster (Dahmer – Monster: The Story of Jeffrey Dahmer), while season 2, which premieres on September 19, 2024, covers Lyle and Erik Menéndez.

Monster the second season tells the true story of the crimes and lives of the Menéndez brothers, including Lyle and Erik's actions before, during, and after the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, in 1989. Their case fascinated the nation, especially during the trial when their motives were debated. So it makes sense that Murphy and Brennan chose the story of the Menéndez brothers to Monster 2nd season.

Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez

Date of birth: September 6, 1999

Actor: Nicholas Alexander Chavez was born in Houston, Texas, but raised in Denver, Colorado. After high school graduation, he attended Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts for two years before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Chávez's first leading role was as a regular character on the series General Hospital. He played Spencer Cassadine on the ABC soap opera from 2021 to 2024 until being cast as Lyle Menéndez on Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez​​​​​​.

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Character: Chávez stars as Lyle Menéndez in the cast of Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez on Netflix. Lyle is the older brother (21 years old at the time) who, with Erik's help, kills his parents. After that, Lyle and Erik started spending heavily on their new inheritance. However, their glamorous life would soon come to an end when the brothers were arrested for the murders of José and Kitty Menéndez.

How does the character compare? The Netflix series Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez added several things to the story that were not based on real life. One of the biggest news is the relationship between Lyle and his younger brother, Erik. The Netflix series implies that they had an incestuous relationship, which was never proven or revealed in real life. They even testified under oath that they never had a sexual relationship with each other, but the series chose to add it to add some drama.

Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez

Date of birth: July 16, 1996

Actor: Cooper Koch was born in Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Los Angeles County, California. He attended Pace School of Performing Arts in New York, where he graduated with a degree in acting in 2018. Koch's breakout role came when he starred as Stu in the horror film Cast They/They in 2022.

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Character: Koch plays Erik Menéndez in the second season of Ryan Murphy's biographical crime anthology TV series on Netflix. Erik was just 18 when he and Lyle killed their parents, just months before his 19th birthday. Like his brother, Erik's motive for murdering José and Kitty was fear, after years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

How does the character compare?: There were scenes in Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez this changed what happened in real life. One of them happened after the murders of his parents. In the series, the brothers killed their parents and then went to see a movie, hoping that would provide an alibi. They also go to a completely fictional restaurant. Erik and his brother Lyle never left the house after they killed their parents, hoping someone would show up after the murder, although no one did.

Javier Bardem as José Menéndez

Date of birth: March 1, 1969

Actor: Javier Bardem was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, Spain. His mother, Pilar Bardem, was a Spanish actress, and many other members of his family worked in the entertainment business. So Bardem's journey to becoming an actor isn't all that surprising. Bardem's first roles were in Spanish films such as The Age of Lulu and Jamón jamónwhich also starred his future wife, Penélope Cruz. However, Bardem's breakthrough came when he starred as Reinaldo Arenas in the 2000 American film Before the night falls, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

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Character: José Menéndez, played by Bardem, is one of two murder victims in the shocking Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez on Netflix. Lyle and Erik killed their parents, José and Kitty, on August 20, 1989. During the trial, the brothers accused their father and mother of abusing them, explaining that that was why they killed them.

How does the character compare?: The biggest mystery in the entire case was whether Joseph sexually molested his children. The boys' case was based on the jury believing their father assaulted them and that they feared for their lives. However, this was left open in the series. In real life, things became more well-known in the years following the murders. Roy Roseello of the boy band Menudo claimed that José Menendez raped him when he was a teenager, and new evidence indicates that the brothers were telling the truth, opening the door to a possible opportunity for resentencing.

Chloë Sevigny as Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez

Date of birth: November 18, 1974

Actress: Chloë Sevigny was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, but raised in Connecticut. At age 17, Sevigny was discovered by a fashion editor while walking the streets of New York and thus began her modeling career. Sevigny began acting in 1995 when she starred in the controversial independent film Childrenwhich earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female in a Supporting Role. Sevigny continued his film career, but she really came to prominence with Boys don't cry in 1990. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film.

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Character: Sevigny plays Kitty Menéndez, mother of Lyle and Erik, in Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. As seen in the Netflix trailer Monsters 2nd season, the Menéndez matriarch apparently did not treat her children well. Then, one night, Lyle and Erik entered the family mansion with shotguns and began shooting at José and Kitty, killing them.

How does the character compare?: One of the biggest changes in real life came with the portrayal of Kitty Menendez. In Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendezthe brothers testified that Kitty was an enabler. They said she knew José was sexually assaulting them and did nothing to stop it. That's why they killed her too. However, in real life, Erik and Lyle testified that Kitty also abused them, something the Netflix series chose to omit, possibly making Kitty seem more tragic when she died.

Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, Cast and Supporting Characters

Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne - Dominick Dunne, played by Nathan Lane in Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendezwas one Vanity Fair writer who covered the case of the Menéndez brothers in the early 1990s. A well-known actor, some of Nathan Lane's best films are The Lion King and Beau is scared. However, Lane has starred in several TV shows, including Only murders in the buildingwhich earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2022.

Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson - Ari Graynor stars as Leslie Abramson, Erik's defense attorney, in Netflix's biographical crime series. Viewers may recognize Graynor from her roles in The Sopranos, Fringeor Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist​​​​​​.

Dallas Roberts as Dr. -Dallas Roberts' Dr. Oziel is Erik's therapist on the Ryan Murphy TV show. Before starring Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik MenendezRoberts' credits include Undead, The good wife, Chicago Policeand Glass onion: a mystery of knives.

Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth - The last star in the cast of Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez is Leslie Grossman, who plays Judalon Smyth. Judalon was romantically linked to Dr. Oziel and played a key role in Lyle and Erik's arrests. Grossman is best known for her role as Lauren in What I like about you on The WB, but she is also one of Murphy's frequent collaborators, appearing in Pinch/Fold and several seasons of American horror story​​​​​​.