Nicholas Alexander Chavez plays Lyle in Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images, Netflix)
Monsters star Nicolas Chavez has opened up about why Lyle Menendez was forced by his overbearing father to wear a wig to hide his hair loss.
Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez is a fictionalized retelling of a famous true crime case that made headlines in the ’90s. Chavez plays Lyle, and gay star Cooper Koch plays his brother Eric.
Chavez has now spoken about focusing on what he calls Lyle’s “mask” that was forced upon him when his hair started falling out.
“I thought of this wig as some kind of mask,” Chavez told Deadline.
“It’s not something he imposes on himself. It’s imposed by his father and the standards of perfection that Lyle has to live up to. It’s a mask that hides the deeply wounded inner child that comes to the surface in episode four. .”
Nicolas Chavez (left) and Cooper Koch (right) as Lyle and Eric Menendez. (Netflix)
Chavez has done a lot of research on the Menendez family, considering that they live in Los Angeles (their parents owned a mansion in Beverly Hills), and from “other people who have had direct contact with them.” He said he was able to obtain information.
He went on to say: “It was really interesting because some people I met said they could see Lyle wearing something. And when you wear a piece, there’s a certain behavior that goes with it. You tilt your head in a very specific way, perhaps unconsciously, to maintain distance from the person you are talking to.
Why did Lyle Menendez lose his hair?
In episode 4, “Kill or Be Killed,” viewers learn that Lyle Menendez was allegedly sexually abused by his father. While taking a shower, Lyle Menendez noticed that his hair was falling out, prompting his father to take him in to have a wig put on him.
The old man tells Lyle that he needs to have “good hair” to succeed in business and move into politics. When his son asked, “What should I do if I don’t want to wear a wig?” the chief replied, “What should I do if I don’t want to wear a wig?” You’re wearing a wig, so that’s what it’s going to be like. ”
Chavez believed that the hair loss was probably caused by the stress Lyle was under, although it was not made clear in the series. The actor’s actual hair was styled like a wig.
In one scene, Lyle’s mother rips off his wig, and Eric finds out.
Viewers of the series, which ended airing earlier this month, accused Murphy of not only glorifying true crime but also sexualizing the relationship between the brothers.
While Eric has spoken out about his portrayal being “inaccurate,” Murphy said he has “no interest” in speaking to his brother, who is serving a life sentence for the 1989 murders of their parents.
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