Resident Evil Requiem has emerged after a years-long wait as a triumphant symphony of action and horror, with critics and players praising the deep gunplay, heartfelt story, and in particular, strong performances by Leon Kennedy actor Nick Apostolides, Victor Gideon actor Antony Byrne, and burgeoning Resident Evil star and Grace Ashcroft actor Angela Sant'Albano.
As I catch up with Sant'Albano to talk about her approach to the role, she tells me Apostolides' intense love for the Resident Evil franchise was at least partly to thank for the game having so many impassioned performances.
"Nick had so much Resident Evil knowledge, the lore, he just knew everything," says Sant'Albano. "A little thing would pop up when they were kind of explaining the story arc to us, and he would go, 'Oh, that links back to RE 4 in this little scene.' And he just was able to give us all more knowledge to help us kind of build this world."
While Sant'Albano is very obviously a talented performer who tells me she spent a long time researching and preparing for the role, she also says Apostolides, as "the face of the franchise," was exceedingly "supportive, generous, and committed."
"Him being such a fan of Resident Evil already meant that, when you have a real fan of the franchise in the room with you, you just care so much more," adds Sant'Albano. "You're like, 'Oh my God, we've got to deliver, like, we have to do this right, because if there are millions of Nicks out there who adore this franchise just as much as he does, we cannot let them down.' So I think him bringing that fandom into the room was really, really special."
I definitely picked up on that when I interviewed Apostolides earlier this week. It shouldn't come as any surprise when the man is known for showing up to conventions in full Leon Kennedy cosplay, but as someone who's had the chance to talk directly with the actor, trust me when I say Capcom couldn't have picked a better Leon to carry the torch in this modern era of RE.
