Javier Bardem revealed that he hesitated before accepting the role of José Menendez in the series “Monsters“, due to the uncomfortable scenes depicting the abuse that his sons, Erik and Lyle Menendez, allegedly suffered.
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The series, which retells the events of the Menendez case, was a hit on Netflix, dramatizing the murders of José and his wife, Kitty Menendez, in 1989.
Bardem explained in an interview with LADbible that he needed time to reflect before accepting the role due to the dark nature of the character, but once committed, he dedicated himself to portraying it as best he could without becoming too attached to the role.
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“I thought a lot about it, actually. It took me a while to say yes [to the role], because of that issue. Once I committed to doing it, I didn’t think about it much anymore. I just dove in, did what I had to do, and got out of it without making it a big event. That’s exactly what I needed to play him. I played him and then walked away from it because I didn’t want to stay there [as José Menendez] for too long.”
Javier also commented that, although he hasn’t personally read Erik Menendez’s criticism of the series, he believes the entire team handled the topic with great sensitivity and care.
Chloë Sevigny, who also stars in the series as Kitty Menendez, commented on how difficult it must be for the Menendez brothers to see their stories portrayed on screen, but highlighted the importance of a new Netflix documentary that allows the brothers to speak directly about the case, offering the audience the opportunity to hear their personal perspectives.
Source: LadBible | Photos: YouTube (@Netflix) | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team