The Definitive List: All The Actors Who Have Portrayed The Menendez Brothers, From The 90s To Ryan Murphy's Monsters

The Menendez brothers' case, a shocking true crime saga of parricide in Beverly Hills, has captivated the public imagination for over three decades, leading to a continuous stream of dramatic adaptations. As of late 2024 and heading into 2025, the conversation has been reignited by the massive success of Ryan Murphy's Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which introduced a new generation of actors to the infamous roles. This latest portrayal has brought unprecedented scrutiny to the lives of the actors tasked with embodying the convicted killers, Lyle and Erik Menendez.

The intensity of the Menendez narrative—the brutal murder of parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, the subsequent spending spree, the televised trials, and the defense based on years of alleged abuse—demands a powerful performance. The actors who step into these roles must navigate the complex public perception of the brothers, who are seen by some as cold-blooded murderers and by others as tragic victims. The current stars, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, have become the most talked-about portrayers since the original TV movies of the 1990s, cementing their place in the true crime canon.

The New Faces of Parricide: Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch (Full Biography)

The most recent and high-profile dramatization of the Menendez case is Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which premiered in 2024. The series cast two relatively young actors, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, who have quickly become synonymous with the roles. Their performances, alongside veteran actors like Chloë Sevigny and Javier Bardem (as Kitty and Jose Menendez), have brought a fresh, intense focus to the brothers’ story.

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Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez

• Full Name: Nicholas Alexander Chavez
• Born: September 6, 1999
• Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
• Role: Joseph Lyle Menendez (the older brother)
• Career Highlights: Chavez is best known for his role as Spencer Cassadine on the long-running ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, which he played from 2021 to 2024. His work on the soap earned him a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series.
• Filmography Snapshot:
  • Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (TV Miniseries, 2024)
  • General Hospital (TV Series, 2021–2024)
  • Crushed (TV Movie, 2022)
  • Grotesquerie (TV Series, Upcoming)
• Notable Context: Chavez’s portrayal of Lyle, who was 21 at the time of the murders, captures the character's initial arrogance and later emotional breakdown during the trial.

Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez

• Full Name: Cooper Joseph Koch
• Born: July 16, 1996
• Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Role: Erik Galen Menendez (the younger brother)
• Career Highlights: Koch’s role as Erik Menendez is widely considered his breakout performance. Before Monsters, he was known for his work in independent films and TV.
• Filmography Snapshot:
  • Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (TV Miniseries, 2024)
  • Swallowed (Film, 2022)
  • They/Them (Film, 2022)
  • Power Book II: Ghost (TV Series, 2020)
  • A New York Christmas Wedding (TV Movie, 2020)
• Notable Context: Koch, who is an openly gay actor, brought a nuanced and widely praised intensity to the role of Erik, who was 18 at the time of the parricide. His performance has been noted for its emotional depth, especially in depicting Erik's trauma and confession to his therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel.

A Legacy of Portrayals: The Full List of Menendez Brothers Actors

The tragic Menendez story has been a focal point for true crime dramatisations almost since the day of the murders in 1989. The intense media scrutiny and the shocking nature of the case led to several high-profile TV movies and miniseries in the 1990s and 2010s. These earlier adaptations set the stage for the current Netflix phenomenon, each offering a distinct take on the brothers and the events that led to their life sentences.

The Original 90s TV Movie: Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (1994)

Produced while the actual trial was still unfolding, this 1994 CBS television movie was one of the first major fictionalized accounts, released just five years after the murders. It focused heavily on the immediate aftermath and the initial media frenzy.

• Lyle Menendez: Damian Chapa
  • Chapa, known for his role in Blood in, Blood Out, portrayed Lyle, capturing the older brother's initial composure and later unraveling.
• Erik Menendez: Travis Fine
  • Fine, a character actor, played the younger Erik Menendez, whose confession was a central part of the case.
• Notable Supporting Cast: Edward James Olmos (Jose Menendez) and Beverly D'Angelo (Kitty Menendez).

The 2017 Miniseries: Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders

Dick Wolf’s anthology series took a procedural approach to the case, focusing heavily on the legal aspects and the courtroom drama, particularly the role of defense attorney Leslie Abramson (played by Edie Falco).

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• Lyle Menendez: Miles Gaston Villanueva
  • Villanueva, known for roles on The Young and the Restless and Nancy Drew, played Lyle, emphasizing the intensity and desperation of the elder brother during the trials.
• Erik Menendez: Gus Halper
  • Halper, who later appeared in Fear the Walking Dead, was cast as Erik, focusing on the emotional fragility that led to his eventual breakdown and confession.

The Unseen Preparation: How Actors Navigate the True Crime Controversy

Portraying figures as controversial as the Menendez brothers—convicted of parricide but claiming self-defense due to sexual and emotional abuse—requires a unique level of preparation. The actors must grapple with the dual nature of their characters: murderers in the eyes of the law, yet victims in their own narrative. This challenge is central to achieving topical authority and a fresh perspective on the decades-old case.

For the Monsters series, both Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch immersed themselves in the extensive documentation of the case. They studied courtroom transcripts, documentary footage, and the famous 911 call. Cooper Koch, in particular, has made headlines for his vocal support of the brothers' abuse claims, even reportedly checking in on Erik Menendez's adopted family. This level of personal investment highlights the ethical tightrope actors must walk in true crime, where the real-life subjects are still incarcerated and the victims’ families are still grieving.

A key entity in the narrative is defense attorney Leslie Abramson, who became a media personality in her own right. In the 2024 series, she is portrayed by Ari Graynor, while Edie Falco took on the role in the 2017 series. The actors playing Abramson often serve as the audience's moral compass, guiding viewers through the complex legal and emotional arguments of the defense, which are critical LSI keywords in any Menendez discussion: abuse defense, mistrial, and jury deadlock.

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The enduring fascination with the Menendez brothers lies in the ambiguity of their motive and the shocking contrast between their privileged Beverly Hills upbringing and their heinous crime. Each new set of actors, from Damian Chapa and Travis Fine to Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, brings a new lens to this ambiguity, ensuring that the true crime narrative—and the debate over their guilt versus victimhood—remains a powerful cultural entity for years to come.