I grew up doing theater and I love plays.
I just felt so grateful.
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DEADLINE:How many times did you rehearse the scene for episode 5?
Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez in episode 205 of Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story.Miles Crist/Netflix
KOCH:We actually only did one rehearsal.
At the end everybody was very moved and everyone was crying, including myself and including Ari.
Michael just looked to us and said, I dont want to touch it.
Ronald L. Soble/Los Angeles Times/Miles Crist/Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
I just want to shoot it.
DEADLINE:Didnt it scare the crap out of you to do it?
KOCH:Oh, it definitely scared the crap out of me.
But it was still super nerve-wracking.
DEADLINE:So what happened during the actual shoot?
KOCH:It was shot over two days.
There were 10 takes total, two of those having a stop and start because of camera technicalities.
The first day we did four full takes.
The second day we did four full takes, and they ended up choosing the verylasttake.
DEADLINE:Four times in one day must have been exhausting.
KOCH:I was definitely exhausted.
He said someone once told him that the best acting comes from when youre too tired to lie.
DEADLINE:Did you tear up every time?
But he came in after the first take and was like, great, keep going.
He was super supportive and gracious with me, and he knew that I could do it.
I said to Michael I need help.
Im not getting there, and I dont know what to do.
This is a new conversation altogether.
Having that direction really helped me open up and find new things in every take.
And yeah, they were different every time.
Different memories hit me in different ways.
I could not have done it without her in the slightest.
She is absolutely incredible.
And she did not do that.
She performed in every take as if the camera was in a closeup on her face as well.
DEADLINE:Have you gone back and watched that scene?
KOCH:Ive watched it a good number of times with different people.
The last time I watched it was on the Thursday when the show came out.
I watched it with my family and some of my friends.
At the very end when Erik starts getting really frustrated and saying, Im not a real person.
It brought such a cool intensity.
DEADLINE:Why did you think it was important to shoot the scene in one take?
KOCH:The viewer cant escape.
I think it just allows the viewer to not escape what hes been through.
Thats what makes it so impactful.
Was he a little jealous?
KOCH:I mean, I know I wouldve been if the roles were reversed!
But I think he definitely had his moment to showcase what happened to Lyle as well in episode four.
And then, of course, in episode seven when hes on the stand.
