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It’s shaping up to be quite a good week for Cooper Koch, who just received his first Emmy nomination this morning for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. Not only is he ecstatic about the news, the nomination came as a bit of an early present for him. “Today’s the greatest day and it’s my birthday tomorrow,” says Koch. “That’s the best birthday present in the entire world.”

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story is the second season of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology series for Netflix, centering on the 1989 murders of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny), who were killed by their sons Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Koch). The season was nominated for 11 Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

The role was a “dream come true” for Koch, as someone who was invested in the ongoing case.

Cooper Koch has landed his first-ever Emmy nomination for his lead role as Erik Menendez in Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, but the news is a tad bittersweet for the actor who was hoping to hear the names of his co-stars Ari Graynor and Nicholas Alexander Chavez called along with his as the nominees for the 2025 Emmys were announced Tuesday morning.

“I talked to Ari; I’m devastated that she didn’t get it,” Koch tells The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s the one sort of bummer from today that she didn’t get it. Same thing with Nicholas. I think both of them really deserved to be on there, so I’m super bummed that they didn’t get nominated.”

Chavez portrayed Lyle Menendez in the Netflix series and Graynor played Erik’s lead defense attorney, Leslie Abramson. Despite the snubs for the two stars,...

With 91 submissions, this year's Best Limited/Movie Directing category at the Emmys will have six finalists when the nominations are announced Tuesday.

There are two series that were directed by a single person and thus had to submit the entire projects: Adolescence, directed by Philip Barantini, and Disclaimer, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Both are virtually guaranteed to make the Emmy lineup. The Netflix psychological crime drama, whose episodes are each filmed in one single take, is currently projected to win Best Limited Series, while the Apple TV+ program has the four-time Oscar winner behind the camera, and is filled with striking images and beautiful cinematography.

Alfonso CuarónRob Latour/Variety

For the other contending limited series, the submissions have ranged from one (Dying for Sex and Say Nothing) to four installments (The Penguin and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story). While single submissions are a wise strategy to prevent splitting the vote,...

Who will have the write stuff at the Emmys? When it comes to Best Limited Series/Movie Writing, it becomes a bit of a numbers game.

With 71 submissions, this year's Best Limited Series/Movie Writing category will have just five finalists when the nominations are announced Tuesday. This is only the second time since the expansion to the popular vote that this category will result in five nominees; the first since 2020. Last year, for example, there were six nominees, with Baby Reindeer ultimately prevailing.

In the limited-series race, there are several shows with writers who scripted all their episodes and thus must enter their entire series: Adolescence by Jack Thorne and star Stephen Graham, Disclaimer by Alfonso Cuarón, and Dope Thief by Peter Craig. With Adolescence being the front-runner to win Best Limited since its premiere, the Netflix psychological crime drama is a lock for a writing bid. The other two,...

Over the past two months of Emmy campaigning, Gold Derby has spoken with several contenders in all categories. Now with voting underway ahead of the July 15 unveiling of the nominees, we have compiled 11 interviews for stars vying for Best Limited/Movie Actress, including: Jessica Biel (The Better Sister), Kaitlyn Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar), Meghann Fahy (Sirens), Meagan Good (Terry McMillan Presents Forever), Ari Graynor (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story), Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Lola Petticrew (Say Nothing), Natalie Portman (Lady in the Lake), Amanda Seyfried (Long Bright River), Phoebe-Rae Taylor (Out of My Mind), and Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex).

Read on for highlights from each interviews and links to watch our full video Q&As.

Jessica Biel (The Better Sister)

Biel plays Chloe, the estranged sibling of Nicky (Elizabeth Banks), who are forced to come together after someone they know is murdered on the Prime Video series.

Rashida Jones is known as a powerhouse creator in the Hollywood industry. She has acted in several iconic, Emmy-nominated series and projects, including The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Silo. This Emmy season, she wowed audiences with one of the best performances of her career in the science-fiction anthology series Black Mirror. Jones played a lead in the episode “Common People”; however, her acting in this role is anything but ordinary.

Despite this impressive body of work, Jones has never won an Emmy and has only received one nomination for producing the Netflix documentary Hot Girls Wanted in 2015. However, as a creator, Jones has reached some impressive heights. In 2018, the documentary about her father, iconic music producer Quincy Jones, titled Quincy, which she codirected with Alan Hicks, won a Grammy for Best Music Film. In 2024, her short documentary Swim Lesson was shortlisted for the Oscars.

Jones’s connection to Black Mirror...

Close friends and former collaborators Ari Graynor and Sarah Paulson are two showstopping performers with a common milestone: They’ve both played tough-as-nails attorneys at the center of a Ryan Murphy–produced anthology series. Back in 2016, Paulson turned in an Emmy-winning performance as prosecutor Marcia Clark in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. Now, in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Graynor transforms into defense lawyer Leslie Abramson, who represented one of the two California brothers convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents in the now-infamous trial.

Graynor is a force to be reckoned with as a tenacious attorney handling the pressure of a much-publicized trial. The pressure on the actor is especially high in Episode 5, “The Hurt Man,” a continuous 33-minute scene captured in a single, unbroken shot. In it, Erik, played by Golden Globe Award nominee Cooper Koch, recounts the disturbing details of his childhood...

Music supervisor is a job that is part professional music nerd, part aural detective and part crate-digging business affairs exec. 5 Songs is a Deadline series that highlights the work of these below the line workers through songs and stories.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story chronicles the case of the real-life brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez.

While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed – and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole – that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.

The series stars Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Nicolas Chavez as Lyle as well as Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny as their murdered parents. Ari Graynor plays...

Marcia Clark and Leslie Abramson may have been on opposite sides of the legal aisle, but the women who played them on TV — Sarah Paulson and Ari Graynor — are actually close friends. It stands to reason — beyond those impossibly curly wigs, they’re both magna cum laude graduates of Ryan Murphy Acting University, trained in bringing humanity and depth to their real-life counterparts, and upending long-held public perception.

"I learned a lot about how what we see we cannot take at face value, even when we think we know a story, we really know so little of it," says Graynor, who’s contending for a leading actress nomination for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. "I think this was such a massive reminder about the speed with which there is immense judgment and feelings of assurance of knowing exactly what someone is, what something is, and it never being the full story.

Editor’s note: Deadline’s It Starts on the Page (Limited) features 10 standout limited or anthology series scripts in 2025 Emmy contention.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second installment in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime Netflix anthology, re-examines the 1996 conviction of Lyle and Erik Menendez for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. The narrative presents a stark contrast: the prosecution’s claim of a cold-blooded pursuit of the family fortune versus the brothers’ unwavering assertion that their actions were driven by fear stemming from years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse by their parents. The series doesn’t shy away from exploring the intricacies of the brothers’ unusually close bond, further investigating the possibility that years of molestation led to incest.

Episode 5, “The Hurt Man,” centers entirely on Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) as he recounts the horrific abuse he suffered from his father,...

When Cooper Koch finally played Erik Menendez in Netflix’s “Monsters,” it was a true full-circle moment for the actor, who has literally been auditioning to play the part for eight years.

“My second audition ever was for the ‘Law & Order’ series about them in 2017,” Koch said in his Variety Actors on Actors interview with Sam Nivola. “And then I also had an audition for the Lifetime movie that they were doing the same year. I just felt this insane cosmic thing that was like, ‘I have to play this part.’ And this immense empathy.”

California-native Koch even went to the same Calabasas high school that Menendez attended before moving to Beverly Hills.

“There are all these weird parallels,” he said.

Erik and his brother Lyle Menendez were convicted in 1995 of the 1989 murder of their parents, Kitty and José, in the living room of the family’s Beverly Hills mansion.

Cooper Koch believes he was fated to play Erik Menendez — even if it took almost a decade for it to happen. Years before the latest installment in Netflix’s “Monster” anthology series, the actor had unsuccessfully auditioned for the same role in two previous television retellings: NBC’s “Law & Order: True Crime” and Lifetime’s “Menendez: Blood Brothers,” both released in 2017. He felt compassion for Erik and his brother, Lyle, so when he heard about “Monsters,” he was determined to land the part.

“I was getting another chance to be a part of telling their story,” Koch said. “Having it come back around, it was just kismet. I was like, ‘Ok, this is my time to get this job.’”

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” dramatizes the infamous 1989 parricides of José and Kitty Menendez (Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny) and the media circus surrounding the murder trials of Lyle and Erik,...

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story stars Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez had no idea just how much of an impact the show would have on pop culture — and in the real world — when they took on the roles of the convicted killers.

"The fact that this show reframed or repositioned a 30-year-old case in a way that made people rethink how they thought about it, that's just, it's so, so special," Chavez told Gold Derby at an FYC event for the series at West Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center.

The second season of Ryan Murphy’s Monsters anthology dominated the conversation both online and offline when it premiered on Netflix last fall, introducing a new generation to the Menendez brothers’ brutal 1989 killing of their parents in their Beverly Hills home. The series also reignited interest in the pair’s court case — culminating in the brothers’ May 13 resentencing...

Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch are stepping out to promote their Netflix series.

The actors attended the FYC event for their show Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story on Tuesday (May 20) held at the Pacific Designer Center in West Hollywood, Calif.

Joining them at the event was there co-star Ari Graynor along with co-showrunner Ian Brennan.

While walking the red carpet, Cooper, 28, revealed that he just spoke with his real-life counterpart Erik after a judge ruled that he and brother Lyle could be re-sentenced in their murder case.

Keep reading to find out more…“I’m so grateful that that happened,” Cooper told Variety. “And so is Erik, I spoke to him yesterday and he is so excited.”

Copoer went on to say that “the most inspiring” thing he heard from Erik was his passion for what he plans on doing if he gets released from prison, which...

Cooper Koch, who starred as Erik Menendez in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” opened up about his conversation with his real-life counterpart after a Los Angeles judge recently reduced the life sentences of the Menendez brothers.

“I’m so grateful that that happened,” Koch said of the resentencing at a “Monsters” FYC event Tuesday. “And so is Erik [Menendez], I spoke to him yesterday and he is so excited.”

Cooper Koch on the Menendez brothers’ resentencing: “I actually spoke to Erik yesterday.” pic.twitter.com/1jUpNVePhD

— Variety (@Variety) May 21, 2025

Koch went on to say that “the most inspiring” thing he heard from Erik Menendez was his passion for what he plans to do after he gets out, which includes working towards “a lot of change in the prison system.”

“He is going to be an advocate for other people who have L.W.O.P, which is life without parole,...

Netflix will submit eight cast members from Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story for Emmy consideration, Gold Derby has learned.

Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez will both submit in Best Limited Series/Movie Actor for playing the troubled teens who murdered their parents following years of alleged sexual abuse. Meanwhile, Ari Graynor as Erik's lawyer Leslie Abramson will compete in Best Limited Series/Movie Actress, as we previously reported.

In the featured categories, Javier Bardem as father, José Menendez, Nathan Lane as journalist Dominick Dunne, and Dallas Roberts as therapist Jerome Oziel have been entered in Best Limited Series/Movie Supporting Actor, while Leslie Grossman as mistress Judalon Smyth and Chloë Sevigny as mother Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez have been submitted in Best Limited Series/Movie Supporting Actress.

According to Gold Derby's Emmy odds, Monsters is in fifth place for Best Limited Series,...

A new month and a new Emmy contender? Awards Magnet hosts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng are here to discuss Tina Fey's new series The Four Seasons, category changes, and more.

Adapted from the 1981 Alan Alda film of the same name, The Four Seasons, all eight episodes of which hit Netflix on Thursday, follows three couples as they vacation together throughout the four seasons of the year. It's currently in ninth place in Gold Derby's Best Comedy Series odds, no doubt buoyed by the names attached. Fey, who co-created the show with Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fisher, stars alongside Steve Carell, Will Forte, and Colman Domingo. Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, and Erika Henningsen round out the cast. But will its late release and solid but not spectacular reviews hinder its chances?

See 'Awards Magnet': The Emmy implications after Joel's death on 'The Last of Us'

At one point, The Four Seasons...

Two of the stars of The Last of Us are on the rise this week in Gold Derby's Emmy predictions.

Pedro Pascal, whose beloved character Joel had a brutal run-in with a golf club in the second episode of Season 2, has jumped from fourth place to third place in Best Drama Actor. Meanwhile, series newcomer Isabela Merced, who plays the free-spirited zombie apocalypse survivor Dina, has ascended from ninth place to eighth place in Best Drama Supporting Actress. This would be Pascal's fourth career Emmy bid after receiving three in 2023 for The Last of Us, Saturday Night Live, and Patagonia; Merced is seeking her first nomination.

Series lead Bella Ramsey is still in second place in Best Drama Actress, behind only Kathy Bates (Matlock), who has claimed the No. 1 position since we began tracking the 2025 Emmys. Ramsey's defiant character Ellie must now learn how to survive without her father figure in her life.

Leslie Abramson — or at least her TV surrogate — is stepping into the spotlight.

Ari Graynor, who plays the defense attorney in Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, will be submitting as Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for the upcoming Emmy Awards, Gold Derby has learned exclusively.

Graynor stars opposite Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny, Cooper Koch, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, in the true-crime anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, chronicling the murders of José and Kitty Menendez at the hands of their sons, Lyle (Chavez) and Erik (Koch).

Like many series this season, Monsters experimented with single-take episodes to tremendous success — critics called it "a standout — earning Graynor raves as well. In Episode 5, titled "The Hurt Man," she's seen only from the back as she talks to Erik about the abuse he endured at the hands of his parents.

"It was...

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2025 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 12 to June 23, with the official Emmy nominations announced Tuesday, July 15. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 18 and ends the night of August 27. The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 14, and air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.

The State of the Race

Can only one episode win a performer an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie? That’s one of the main questions for the category this year, and one could argue both sides. With only four episodes, “Adolescence” is running the Limited Series conversation much in the same way fellow British Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” did last year.

Cooper Koch is embracing the fame and media frenzy that came his way after portraying Erik Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

"The attention and the validation — just hearing so many people like the show and were moved by the performance is amazing. I feel so lucky and grateful," Koch tells Gold Derby (watch the video interview above).

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season of the true-crime anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. This season centers on the 1989 parricides of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny) by their sons, Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Koch).

Koch credits the Emmy-winning first season, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, for paving the way for audiences to embrace Monsters. "A lot of people watched that show and were fascinated by what he [Ryan Murphy] was doing with this series. I knew...

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Hacks is a comedy-drama series created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky. The Max series revolves around the toxic professional relationship between Deborah Vance, a once legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedian and Ava Daniels, a down-on-her-luck young comedy writer, as they work together to get Deborah her respect and career back. Hacks stars Jean Smart, Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Megan Stalter, Paul W. Downs, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Kaitlin Olson, and Christopher McDonald. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, unlikely friendship, and compelling characters in Hacks, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Crashing (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – HBO

Crashing is a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama series created by Pete Holmes. The HBO series follows Pete Holmes, a comedian who struggles to pursue his stand-up comedy career after his wife cheats on him,...

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is a controversial series — and for good reason. The show is flawed at best, with tedious pacing and borderline offensive creative decisions. There is, however, one shining light that almost everyone can agree is impressive: Episode 5, “The Hurt Man,” which features an emotional conversation between Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) and lawyer Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor) and is done in one 36-minute take.

"I have something I was wondering if you could look into..." Apple TV has unveiled the main official trailer for Surface - Season 2, the continuation of the thriller series created by writer Veronica West. The first season launched in 2022 and features Gugu Mbatha-Raw - following her in her quest to rebuild her life after a suicide attempt, and her struggle to understand all the things that led up to that moment. Season 2 brings back Gugu Mbatha-Raw and this time she heads across the pond to the UK. Desperate to uncover the truth about her mother's death, Sophie must infiltrate London's most powerful and secretive family. From Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, comes the second chapter of this tense mystery with Mbatha-Raw, Phil Dunster, Frieda Pinto, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Stephan James, Ari Graynor, Millie Brady, François Arnaud, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Partnering with a dogged journalist, Sophie takes on the untouchable Huntley family...

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Breakups are one of the most painful and heartbreaking parts of everyday life; most of the time, they are important and inescapable. It still doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get over one, and that’s our main reason behind compiling this list, which consists of some of the most heart-touching or heartbreaking movies that will help you get over your breakup.

Celeste & Jesse Forever (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures Classics

Celeste & Jesse Forever is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lee Toland Krieger from a screenplay co-written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. The 2012 film follows Celeste and Jesse, who are ending their marriage but still care about each other and spend much of their time together. However, when Jesse meets someone else, Celeste finds it hard to move on.

Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual abuse.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story follows real-life killers, Lyle and Erik Menéndez, who murdered their parents in the late 1980s, and similar to the cast of Monster season 1, the list of actors in The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is impressive. The Netflix biographical crime anthology TV show is the second installment in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's Monster series. Jeffrey Dahmer was at the center of the award-winning first season of Monster (Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), while season 2, which premieres on September 19, 2024, covers Lyle and Erik Menéndez.

Monster season 2 tells the true story of the Menéndez brothers' crimes and lives, including Lyle and Erik's actions before, during, and after the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, in 1989. Their case fascinated the nation, especially during their trial when their motives were debated. So, it makes...

When Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storydebuted in September 2024, it was clear right away that Episode 5 would be a standout of the season that would be talked about for a long time.

Clocking in at 33 minutes, “The Hurt Man,” written by co-creator Brennan, is noticeably shorter than the eight other episodes, and remarkably, it’s all shot in one take without any cuts or creative editing. It consists of one intimate conversation between Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) and his defense attorney, Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor), as he details the alleged abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents, José and Kitty (played by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny), before he and his brother Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) brutally murdered them.

In an interview with Tudum in September, just a week after Monsters debuted on Netflix, co-creator Murphy said, “It’s already a...

Shailene Woodley made her Broadway debut with a ton of celebs in the audience supporting her!

The Emmy-nominated actress took her opening night bow in the new play Cult of Love on Thursday night (December 12) at the Hayes Theater in New York City.

Shailene is starring in the play alongside Zachary Quinto, Barbie Ferreira, Chris Lowell, Molly Bernard, and more.

Here’s the play’s synopsis: “It’s the holiday season for the Dahl family! The four adult children return to their childhood home with partners in tow. The Dahl traditions include singing carols in harmony at the drop of a hat, but the gathering is anything but harmonious. Old conflicts resurface, new issues battled, and dinner is taking absolutely forever to be served. Will the love the Dahls have for each other be enough to get them through, or will this be their last Christmas together?”

Cult of Love...

Netflix hit Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has roared into awards season. The limited series received a total of three nominations for the 2025 Golden Globes, which were announced in Los Angeles on Monday as the fate of the real-life Menendez brothers remains in the hands of the city’s new top law enforcer.

Monsters is nominated for one of the year’s top TV awards — best limited series, anthology series or motion picture made for television. And two of the show’s stars, both of whom saw consistent raves for their performances, received acting nominations: newcomer Cooper Koch, who portrays Erik Menendez in the series, nominated for best performance by a male actor in the limited series category and, for his chilling performance as patriarch José Menendez, veteran actor Javier Bardem was nominated for best male actor in a supporting role for a limited, anthology series or motion picture made for television.

On Friday December 6 2024, NBC broadcasts The Kelly Clarkson Show!

Season 6 Episode 51 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” promises to be an exciting mix of music, dance, and fun. Kelly Clarkson will kick off the show with her popular segment, Kellyoke, where she will perform a cover of the song “Moves.” Fans can look forward to her unique take on this catchy tune, showcasing her powerful voice and energetic style.

In this episode, Taye Diggs and Tyler Posey will join Kelly on the couch. Both actors are known for their charm and charisma, and they will discuss their latest project, “The Real Full Monty.” Viewers can expect some lighthearted conversation and plenty of laughs as they share behind-the-scenes stories.

Ari Graynor will also make an appearance, bringing her own brand of humor and insight to the show. Additionally, Robert Hartwell will be featured, likely adding some flair to the episode.

It's time to just say it: 2024 was a great year for Netflix shows and movies. Whether you'd like to admit it or not, the streaming service released some of the year's most talked about and most watched content that had far reaching impacts beyond our own personal reviews. Netflix has constantly driven pop culture forward, but this year more than ever, the streamer was the driving force.

Part of what made Netflix's shows and movies so massively popular in 2024, beyond the compelling stories and bingeable nature of the content, was the performances of the talented stars. There were revelatory performances by newcomers and dependably amazing performances by established stars we know and love. In equal measure, they made these shows the ones worth bingeing in 2024.

While we would love to spotlight every single actor and actress that left us stunned this year, there are three particular performances that stand out...

Surface is returning for its second season early next year. Apple TV+ renewed the drama for eight episodes in December 2022, but its return was delayed due to the industry strikes of 2023.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Stephan James, Ari Graynor, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, François Arnaud, and Millie Brady star in the thriller series. It follows a woman trying to piece her life together after she suffers a traumatic brain injury. Season two is set in London.

Read More…...

When Ari Graynor first read “Monsters” Episode 5, her first reaction was to put the script away for as long as possible.

“I was sort of like shaking for 48 hours,” said the actor who plays Leslie Abramson in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s series about Lyle and Erik Menendez. “I… felt nauseous, and was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to do this,’ and put it down for a really long time. I knew how special it was and I just felt intimidated by the weight of it, the responsibility of it.”

Episode 5, “The Hurt Man” is one unbroken take of Erik (Cooper Koch) describing the physical and sexual abuse he endured at the hands of his father, José (Javier Bardem). The episode was written by Brennan and directed by Michael Uppendahl, and the focus of a recent conversation with IndieWire at the SAG-AFTRA foundation in New York.

Netflix has submitted a total of 32 TV programs for awards consideration at the upcoming Golden Globes, and 20 for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Gold Derby has learned exclusively.

Some of the streamer’s notable TV titles include Season 2 of “Squid Game,” the survival thriller starring Emmy and SAG winner Lee Jung-jae; popular new comedy “Nobody Wants This,” about an agnostic woman (Kristen Bell) and an unconventional rabbi (Adam Brody); and “Baby Reindeer,” the buzzy limited series that recently set the Emmys on fire, going home with six trophies. See the full list of submissions below, broken down by show.

Note that the Golden Globes have lead actor and lead actress categories that are separated by TV genres (drama/comedy/limited), but that the supporting actor and supporting actress races encapsulate all genres. As of last year, the organization also now offers an award for the best stand-up comedy special on television.

Cooper Koch received so much praise for his peformance in episode five of Netflix’s Monsters and he just reunited with scene partner Ari Graynor!

The two actors participated in a SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations event as part of their FYC awards campaign on Monday (November 11) in New York City.

While the Emmys won’t happen until September 2025, the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and the SAG Awards will all celebrate television in the next few months.

Episode five of Monsters features Cooper‘s character Erik Menendez in a prison interview with his defense attorney Leslie Abramson, who was trying to learn his side of the story. The episode was shot in one take with only Cooper in the frame as the camera slowly zooms in on his face.

Cooper was joined by other castmates at an L.A. event last week!

Love it or hate it — and responses run the gamut — “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” was one of the biggest, buzziest TV shows of 2024.

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s second installment of the “Monster” anthology (following the first season about Jeffrey Dahmer) dives deep into the story of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez (played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch), who shot and killed their parents in 1989 and told the jury that they were protecting themselves after years of abuse.

Following a November 10 screening of Episode 1 “Blame it on the Rain,” in New York City, cast members Chavez, Koch, Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny, Nathan Lane, and Ari Graynor sat down for a discussion about their roles and about bringing this complex story to life.

“I went into it with the what I believe was the truth of the situation, and that is that they killed their parents out of fear,...

Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster is going from the soccer pitch to a college campus for HBO’s upcoming comedy series, starring Steve Carell. The untitled project hails from Bill Lawrence, Matt Tarses (Scrubs), and Warner Bros. TV. Details about Dunster’s role as a series regular remains a mystery. Dunster played the hot-headed Striker Jamie Tartt for AFC Richmond in Ted Lasso, a critical darling and feelgood comedy series about a college football coach who heads to London to manage a struggling English Premier League soccer team.

HBO’s untitled comedy series starring Steve Carell and Phil Dunster unfolds on a college campus where an author (Carell) struggles with a complicated relationship with his daughter. Lawrence and Tarses, who teamed-up for the hit medical comedy series Scrubs, wrote the premiere episode. The duo also produces the project alongside Carell, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer through Doozer Productions. The 10-episode...

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” made its Netflix premiere on September 19, launching the case of two brothers convicted of murdering their parents back in the national spotlight after 35 years. The limited series was created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, and stars Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch as the titular characters.

Chronicling the abuse they suffered at the hands of their father, Jose Menendez (played by Javier Bardem), and their mother Kitty Menendez (played by Chloe Sevigny), the series sparked new debate about male survivors of sexual abuse, and if justice had really been served when Lyle and Erik were sentenced to life in prison following the brutal shooting.

On Saturday, November 2, Murphy was joined by cast members Cooper Koch, Nicholas Chavez, Javier Bardem, Chloe Sevigny, Nathan Lane, and Ari Graynor for a screening and Q & A panel hosted by Variety Deputy Awards and Features Editor, Jenelle Riley.

A new Netflix series about brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989, has sparked renewed discussion of their case. The series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” explores the controversial trial and its surrounding circumstances. Show creator Ryan Murphy was not surprised that the series reignited debate, as it tells the story from multiple perspectives.

The performances of Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, who played Lyle and Erik Menendez, were praised for their ability to handle such complex roles. Their casting came after an extensive six month search led by Murphy. Filming more sensitive scenes was challenging but supported by co-stars like Ari Graynor, who plays their lawyer Leslie Abramson.

In response to the show, the Menendez brothers’ legal team filed for clemency in late October. If approved, the brothers could potentially be released as soon as mid-December. High-profile figures like Kim Kardashian...

The stars of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story reunited this weekend!

Javier Bardem, Cooper Koch, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Chloë Sevigny posed for photos while stepping out for Netflix’s Fysee Showcase for their series held at Tudum Theater on Saturday (November 2) in Los Angeles.

The actors playing the Menendez family were also joined by co-stars Nathan Lane and Ari Graynor at the event, where they spoke about bringing the historic case to the screen.

If you didn’t know, Netflix’s Fysee Showcase highlights the top contenders for awards during the upcoming awards season, with Monsters likely in contention for numerous awards at the Emmys, Golden Globes and more!

In case you missed it, see how Cooper reacted after the D.A. recommended the real life Menendez brothers get a resentencing, which has now been set for December 11th.

Browse through the gallery to see more photos of Cooper Koch,...

Ari Graynor has tears in her eyes. We had been scheduled to speak this afternoon, Oct. 24, about her role in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the Netflix miniseries that has helped reignite public fascination with the 1989 murder case in which the two brothers, 18 and 21 at the time, shot their parents to death in the family’s Beverly Hills mansion. Coincidentally, our Zoom chat is now happening at the exact moment Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is giving a press conference in which he’ll recommend a resentencing for Erik and Lyle Menendez,...

The Menendez brothers’ case, where Joseph “Lyle” Menendez and “Erik” Galen Menendez were convicted of killing their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, may have started back in 1989, but exclusive live-action documentaries and series based on those incidents are bringing all those heinous crimes committed back then into the limelight once again.

In the early 1990s, less than half a year after the Menendez parents were savagely murdered by shotguns purchased by the brothers, both Erik and Lyle were arrested. Their second trial in 1995 had them eventually convicted on two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances for lying in wait, as well as conspiracy to murder.

Erik and Lyle. | Credits: Orsf / Cca by Sa 4.0 /Wikimedia Commons.

Additionally, the penalty phase of the trial had them sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, to be served as consecutive sentences for the killings and the charges of...

This article contains mentions of sexual abuse.

Law & Order True Crime portrayed Lyle and Erik Menendez's story far better than Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story seven years prior. Since Ryan Murphy's explosive portrayal of the Menendez brothers in season 2 of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the show has been widely debated on the accuracy and creative liberties Murphy has taken. There are several details that Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story gets wrong about what really happened, suggesting that Ryan Murphy was not interested in portraying an accurate depiction.

Furthermore, the Monsters season 2 controversy was so significant that the real Menendez brothers voiced their disapproval of Ryan Murphy's portrayal of the story. The show is filled with inaccuracies, sensationalized theories, and the sexualization of abuse victims. However, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is not the only TV show to cover the tragedy.

Joey King, Kate Winslet, and Kerry Washington were among the stars celebrated with special awards at the 2024 Wif Honors event!

The star-studded evening, themed “The Power of the Collective,” took place on Thursday night (October 24) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The event is an annual benefit supporting Wif’s educational and philanthropic programs, and its advocacy for gender parity in entertainment. Other honorees at the event included Annette Bening, Michelle Buteau, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and Ellen Kuras and some of the presenters included Jane Fonda, Marion Cotillard, Janelle James, and more.

While heading up to the stage, Joey had a minor wardrobe malfunction and adorably played it off. Make sure to check out the hilarious video!

Other stars in attendance included Quinta Brunson, Jurnee Smollett, Lili Reinhart, and Lake Bell. We have a full list of the stars below!

Head inside to see all of the stars in attendance…...

The 2024 Wif Honors were held Thursday, October 24 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Founded in 1973 as Women In Film Los Angeles, Wif advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries to achieve parity and transform culture. Gold Derby associate editor Latasha Ford was on the red carpet to chat with honorees and invited guests as they headed into the event. Watch the each person’s interview by clicking on their name below.

Kate Winslet

Ellen Kuras

Kerry Washington

Joey King

Sherry Cola

Ari Graynor (star of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”)

Rachael Harris (star of “Mother of the Bride” and “Unfrosted”)

Emayatzy Corinealdi (star of “Reasonable Doubt”)

Natasha Ofili (first Black Deaf playable character in Marvel’s “Spider-Man 2” video game)

Sharon Lawrence

Annette Bening received the Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award for her philanthropic work with Planned Parenthood and breast cancer research,...

Ryan Murphy insists that he and his “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” co-creator Ian Brennan never imagined the Netflix series would be a major catalyst for renewed interest in the case and calls for the real Erik and Lyle Menendez to be released from prison.

“Ian and I are in absolute amazement and shock that this has happened, to be quite honest,” Murphy told me Thursday afternoon. “When we were writing the ‘Menendez Story’ — we’ve been working on this for two years — nobody was talking about the Menendez brothers. We never thought anybody ever would again.”

The siblings were conviced and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1996 for the first-degree murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989.

But as fans of the show and followers of the brothers’ cases know, a court hearing has been set for November as Los...

This installment of Ryan Murphy’s Monsters dramatizes the 1989 murder of José and Kitty Menendez.

Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of their parents’ murders in 1996. The brothers, currently serving lifetime imprisonment without possibility of parole, maintain their claim presented in court that they killed José and Kitty out of self-defense after years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

Over nine episodes, Lyle, played by Nicholas Chavez, and Erik, played by Cooper Koch, are portrayed through constantly shifting lenses and theories concerning the murders; the audience is volleyed back and forth between compassion and doubt. The show wants us to ask questions: Are the boys victims of abuse? Are they sociopaths? Did they kill out of self-defense? For money? To protect darker family secrets? The show has sparked particular controversy for implicating an incestuous relationship between the brothers.

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Who is Ari Graynor? Everything to Know About the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Star - Main Image

Ari Graynor became one of the standouts of the hit Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story thanks to her wonderful performance as Leslie Abramson, the Menendez brothers' defense attorney.

After watching the series and witnessing her impressive talent, you might want to learn more about the actress and find out which other films and TV series she has starred in.

Who is Ari Graynor?

Before starring in the hit Netflix series, Graynor starred in several films and TV series in both lead and supporting roles.

The most notable project that she starred in was when she played Cassie Feder in the Showtime series I'm Dying Up Here which ran for two seasons. She also co-starred in Cate Blanchett's limited series Mrs. America.

She also played Cameron Diaz...

Update 10/8/24: This post has been updated with details from Netflix’s “The Menendez Brothers” and Peacock’s “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.”

It’s been over 30 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez shot and killed their parents at their Beverly Hills home, but the brothers’ story continues to develop.

The murders initially shocked the country and the world, as did the boys’ claims of abuse and multiple trials. Two recent Netflix titles Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan‘s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” released September 19, and Alejandro Hartmann’s “The Menendez Brothers” documentary, released on October 7.

Hollywood loves a little dramatic embellishment, especially with true crime. Since the Menendez brothers’ first trial was broadcast on Court TV in the 1990s, even the fictionalized version uses verbatim testimony and reenactment of specific moments. There’s only so much actual fact checking that can occur when it comes to the Menendez brothers,...

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This article contains mentions of sexual abuse.

Netflix's hit show Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Ryan Murphy's follow-up to 2022's scandalous sensation Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, follows the infamous brothers from their initial plot to murder their parents until their final sentencing of life without parole. But the Menendez brothers are far from the only real-life figures dramatized onscreen, as various characters highly involved in their trial get their moments to shine.

Chief among those historical players is attorney Leslie Abramson (played by Ari Graynor), whose tenacious defense of Erik failed to free him or his brother but left a deep impression on the world about the sexual and emotional abuse they allegedly suffered at their father's hands. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story also features the perspective of Dominick Dunne (Nathan Lane), whose daughter Dominique...