It's not an exaggeration to say had a very good year.
Now a member of Ryan Murphy's unofficial acting troupe, he starred in two of the creator's new series. First came the Golden Globe-nominated 鈥淢onsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,鈥� for Netflix. Chavez played Lyle, the elder of two brothers serving a lifetime prison sentence for killing their parents, Jose and Kitty, in 1989.
Chavez recognizes some parts of the series are 鈥渞eally, really difficult to digest鈥� but points out that 鈥淢onsters鈥� shows multiple sides to the story. The brothers have said they killed their parents out of self-defense, following sexual abuse by their father.
鈥淭o my knowledge, it鈥檚 the first TV show about the Menendez brothers that鈥檚 told in that format,鈥� said Chavez, who prepared by watching old court footage. (The drama 鈥� and a new documentary 鈥� reignited public interest in the case, and Los Angeles County prosecutors' request to resentence the brothers.)
It was toward the end of filming 鈥淢onsters鈥� that Murphy invited Chavez to join Niecy Nash in 鈥淕rotesquerie,鈥� a double act that earned him a spot as one of
鈥淚 was just so excited that he thought of me,鈥� said Chavez of the opportunity. 鈥淚 had studied Season 1 of 鈥楳onsters.鈥欌�� The opportunity to act with Nash, says Chavez, 鈥渨as really kind of a wonderful way for me to close the loop.鈥� To get into character as Father Charlie, Chavez would listen to music: 鈥淒on鈥檛 Do Anything Illegal鈥� by was on his playlist.
Even before the Murphyverse, the 25-year-old had a loyal following from his work on A小蓝视频鈥檚 鈥淕eneral Hospital,鈥� TV鈥檚 longest-running soap. Chavez was selling cars during the pandemic when he auditioned for and got a part on the daytime show. He played Spencer Cassadine, a grandson of A year later, he won the 2022 Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding younger performer in a drama series.
Of the training that actors get from soap operas, Chavez said the series helped him: 鈥淚t鈥檚 no joke when they talk about the memorization. I think that my heaviest day on set was something like 85 pages.鈥�
A career in acting wasn't on Chavez's radar until he played Atticus Finch in his high school production of 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird.鈥�
鈥淚 just really, really enjoyed myself,鈥� recalled Chavez. 鈥淚 felt really free and present and immersed in the moment. It felt like I was doing the thing that I was put on earth to do.鈥�
He remembers being told afterward by teachers that he should pursue acting as a career. Their encouragement stuck with him: 鈥淣ot many kids in Denver got told this. It鈥檚 not really a part of the infrastructure the way that it is in LA or maybe in New York.鈥�
who played Erik Menendez in 鈥淢onsters,鈥� credits Chavez鈥檚 layered performance in the series. He recalls a scene when his character confesses to the crimes in a therapy session. Lyle bursts through the door to stop him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 sort of pleading with the doctor like, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to be OK, right? You can鈥檛 tell anyone,鈥欌�� Koch said. 鈥淎fter we cut, me and Nick and our director of photography, Jason McCormick, sort of huddled up outside and we just started crying. It was so beautiful. And I really, really saw his (Lyle鈥檚) humanity and the lion mask kind of come off and he became this wounded child. It was so, so beautiful to witness.鈥�
Next, Chavez has a role in the 鈥淚 Know What You Did Last Summer鈥� reboot. He also says he would like to get cast in a comedy. More than anything, he just wants to be on set working.
鈥淢y life feels whole and complete between the words 鈥榓ction鈥� and 鈥榗ut.鈥� I live for those moments,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think that is the purpose of my entire existence. I can鈥檛 wait to see what the future holds.鈥�
___
For more on AP鈥檚 2024 class of Breakthrough Entertainers, visit
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
