Cooper Koch revealed what Lyle Menéndez told him after his Emmy nomination.
Nominations for the 2025 Emmy Awards were announced on Tuesday, July 15, with Koch, 29, receiving a nod in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series category for his performance as Erik Menéndez in Netflix’s Monsters.
“I spoke to Lyle today. He called to send his congrats and was very, very sweet,” Koch revealed on Entertainment Weekly’s “The Awardist” podcast. “He was jealous that I was at Wimbledon this weekend. He was just so, so sweet …. and they’re doing really well.”
Koch admitted he was “so nervous” about the nominations, adding, “It’s just a terrible morning. You’re so anxious and you’re just playing that game with yourself, ‘You know what? It’s OK either way. It’s OK. I’m going to die one day and no one’s going to remember or care if I had an Emmy nomination or not.’”
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The actor concluded: “[But the] best part about this whole thing was just getting the opportunity to be a part of this show and tell this story and just embody this person who I just care so deeply about.”
Monsters premiered in September 2024, revisiting the Menéndez family’s drama. In the months since, Koch has publicly supported Erik, 54, and Lyle, 57, who were sentenced to life in prison for the 1989 murder of their parents. The brothers have claimed they killed their mother and father in self-defense following years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
“I was so moved and I believed them immediately. It was then that I found all the similarities and I became quite obsessed with the case and with their story,” Koch told GQ Australia in December 2024. “I was taping and taping, auditioning and auditioning, for seven years. Then finally you get the one that is supposed to happen.”
Koch revealed he was so interested in playing Erik that he auditioned for multiple projects related to the Menéndez brothers.
“The reason why he’s been with me for so long is because I auditioned to play him seven years ago for the Law & Order series and for the Lifetime movie,” he said, referring to 2017’s Law & Order True Crime and Menendez: Blood Brothers.
According to Koch, he nearly landed the role both times. “I got to the final rounds in both and I ultimately didn’t get it. But I felt like I had to play this part,” he recalled. “I got the audition [for Monsters] and I watched the trial videos for the first time.”
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More recently, Koch spoke out after Erik and Lyle were resentenced to 50 years to life.
“I’m so grateful that that happened,” Koch told Variety in May. “And so is Erik, I spoke to him yesterday and he is so excited.”
Koch said “the most inspiring” thing he heard from Erik included his plans for life outside of prison following a decision from the parole board.
“He is going to be an advocate for other people who have L.W.O.P, which is life without parole,” Koch explained about Erik’s hopes to make “a lot of change” in the prison system. “His life is going to surround making change in the prison system, and I just think that is so beautiful.”
