"In this exclusive interview, Levi Chambers sits down with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny to dive into the intense journey of bringing the Menendez brothers' story to the screen. From their initial hesitations about tackling such a controversial role to confronting the stigma around narratives of abuse, they open up about the challenges and impact of telling this powerful story.
""Monsters"" is now streaming on Netflix.
About Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
This riveting true-crime drama probes the lives of the Menendez brothers, convicted of the brutal 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills.
Clips courtesy of Netflix"
""Monsters"" is now streaming on Netflix.
About Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
This riveting true-crime drama probes the lives of the Menendez brothers, convicted of the brutal 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills.
Clips courtesy of Netflix"
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PeopleTranscript
00:00Hi, I'm Levi with At Pride on Instagram. Great to see you. You're both amazing.
00:05Javier, first, Jose Menendez is often painted as the architect of his family's trauma. Based on
00:11your research, preparing for the role, how do you think his actions shaped the tragic events that
00:18unfolded? And does his story reveal anything about hidden abuse among super successful families?
00:25Well, I think, yes, he was one of the main
00:29reasons the family was dysfunctional, as we know. And I think one of the things that
00:38this show brings into the picture and to knowledge is his own trauma, Jose Menendez's
00:44own trauma that was not faced. He wasn't able to face because of his education, the way he was,
00:51the way he grew, the way he was educated as a man, right? Man is a man and cannot show emotions
01:01and cannot show any weakness. And that creates a lot of harm itself. And I think investigating
01:11that part of him and that part of the show, it's a great thing and theme to bring and share with
01:19the audience so we can talk about it. There was a lot of abuse in my home growing up.
01:28I think I was drawn to that. What do you mean by that? Well, that women marry men like their
01:36fathers. I mean, not that Jose is that at all. It's just the way he carries himself. His presence
01:42is very masculine. Yes. But does Jose hit you? Oh, no, no, no, I don't. I hit the boys once or
01:49twice. I wholeheartedly support that, by the way. And Chloe, your character, Kitty, lived in a
01:58household filled with abuse and she remained silent about a lot of it. What do you think her
02:04silence tells us about the culture of denial and complicity in abusive families? And how does this
02:10affect that aspect of her life? How does that add to the tragedy of the story?
02:17I mean, I think it tells us a lot. I think we don't see a lot of these stories. I think it's
02:22important to help kind of normalize having conversations around these stories and lessening
02:29the taboo nature and the weight that these kinds of stories sell so people feel more comfortable
02:35coming forward if they are caught up in a cycle of abuse. I think there's so much shame around it
02:42that people are also like, I feel like Kitty, you know, just also didn't have any options,
02:48didn't know where to turn. And I think that's so often the case. And it's really tragic that
02:53people are afraid to reach out because they, you know, for, I mean, a myriad of reasons, I'm sure
03:00each case is its own. But, you know, I hope the show can help people maybe see something in their
03:07own lives and realize something is maybe not right and take, you know, some action.
03:13Did either of you feel conflicted taking on this role because they are real people, it's a real
03:17story, and you're trying to portray these human beings to the best of your ability accurately?
03:24No, I wasn't conflicted. I was very grateful to do so because that's what I love about my job,
03:31to try to understand where certain things are coming from in order for us to understand a
03:40little bit more about us and our dark sides and deal with it. So, yes, the themes are very delicate,
03:50but at the same time, it's a great opportunity to move forward with it and make it more,
03:59to pay more attention to certain things that are important in our society, like abuse and
04:06the sexual abuse and the abuse in childhood, physical or emotional or psychological. Those
04:12things need a lot of attention and a lot of care. Thank you. Thank you both very much for your time
04:17today. I really appreciate it. Good luck in that cabin out there. Thank you.