Following the recent harassment of Ada Wong’s Resident Evil 4 remake voice actor, Leon S. Kennedy voice actor Nick Apostolides has expressed his thoughts on fandom poisoning. Apostolides joined the Resident Evil cast in 2019 when he first voiced Leon in the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Months before the release of the Resident Evil 4 remake, many fans already seemed skeptical of the many changes Capcom made to the game. One of these was the recasting of some characters, notably Ada Wong, voiced by Lily Gao. While many thought Gao was the perfect choice for Ada, others were not happy with her performance.
Harmful comments and online harassment against Gao intensified after the remake of Resident Evil 4 was released in March, prompting her to delete almost all of her Instagram posts. In response to the incident, her partner Apostolides told The Gamer that he advised Gao to ignore the trolls and assured her that she had her back. He also sympathized with her, as many fans also had mixed feelings about his performance as Leon in the Resident Evil 2 remake. Apostolides told The Gamer, “I told her, first of all you can’t take it seriously. Anytime you play a beloved character, people are going to have their opinion. If people are unhappy, that’s going to be the loudest Voice. It’s not that you don’t have support, it’s just that the people who really need to have a voice online are Twitter trolls and they’ll make it clear to you that they don’t like you.
Apostolides Acknowledging that everyone is entitled to their own opinion about their performance in Resident Evil or any project for that matter, but frankly DM actors just to insult their fans seem to be living sad lives. On social media, many are still showing their support and love to Gao, who still hasn’t posted or responded to the negative criticism she’s received.
Resident Evil 4 Remake received positive reviews from players and critics alike, noting that gameplay and graphics improvements enhanced the experience. While that may be the case, it’s also unfortunate to see some fans treat Kao simply because they don’t like her performance. Successful video game franchises like Resident Evil usually have a loyal fan base who want every element to be perfect. However, if they don’t get their way, this can lead to unnecessary animosity toward those involved.
One can only hope Gao finds the encouragement and support of those closest to her, including her Resident Evil 4 remake family.
Resident Evil 4 is out now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.