Resident Evil Requiem, the latest mainline title in Capcom's survival horror franchise, is out now on the Switch 2. It tells an intimate tale that takes us right back to where it all started: Raccoon City. Joining us on the journey, of course, is series veteran Leon Kennedy, who's dealing with a deadly infection of his very own.
Last week, we sat down to speak with Nick Apostolides, who, after his excellent portrayals as Leon in Resident Evil 2 and 4, returns as everybody's favourite loveable agent. We discuss his approach to playing a much older Leon, how it feels for the character to finally wield his own chainsaw, and more.
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Nintendo Life: How does it feel to be back in the shoes of Leon Kennedy for Resident Evil Requiem?
Nick Apostolides: It's one of the greatest feelings ever in my life. This has only happened a handful of times. This moment right before, it's kind of like waiting for Christmas morning to come as a kid. And it's very exciting because in my life, this is a very beloved franchise and I get to collaborate on it. I mean, how cool is that?
And we're coming back. This version of Leon's going to be really interesting. And this game right now is getting a lot of love, a lot of hype, a lot of attention. And I think it's going to be a killer this year.
How different was it performing for a brand-new title instead of a remake? Was there any heightened pressure?
I felt a lot of pressure with this one. And that's because it was the first time I'd portrayed this guy where I really wasn't sure of the direction we wanted to take him when we started the project.
With my past projects, they were remakes, and so the source material was already there, we were updating it. This is totally new, it was uncharted territory. And we were even figuring out what we wanted Leon to be like during production.
He went through changes, his arc went through changes, and so just kind of going with the flow and really adhering to the canon that already existed about this guy between Resident Evil 4 in the lore, which was about 2005, to now in every mission that he's been on. Just taking into consideration everything that he's seen, everything that has happened to him, and then baking that into this version of what we see. And that's what we were focused on.
The game's director, Koshi Nakanishi, mentioned during a showcase that the team attempted to build a true survival horror starring Leon before pivoting to dual protagonists. Were you brought on board after this?
Well, I don't know at what point that was the plan. I don't know what month, what year. All I can say is that we started filming around February 2024, and at that point, the story was roughly where it is today.
As a fan I've been aware of Leon's PTSD for so many years. And this is the first time that I really got to lay into it and just let that come through and wear my heart on my sleeve.
You've played Leon at three very distinct moments in his life. What was your approach in portraying an aged version of the character plagued by guilt in Requiem?
I was very familiar with the tone of the past two games. And because we were all finding it this time around the tone, I really just had to think about subtle differences and changes I could implement in my portrayal. I took his age into consideration, the toll all of his career has taken on him, his psyche, his body.
And also, more importantly — I would say most importantly — the weight and the gravity of returning to Raccoon City where it all began. And that had to take a toll, and that had to register in my eyes. That was the most important focus.
As a fan I've been aware of Leon's PTSD for so many years. And this is the first time that I really got to lay into it and just let that come through and wear my heart on my sleeve. It was dark. You know, I had to do a lot of mental prep for a lot of those sessions, a lot of those scenes, putting yourself in a dark place. That's my method as an actor. And in ways it was therapeutic, cathartic, and also heavy and difficult and challenging.
Speaking of Raccoon City, how did it feel going back to where it all began for you?
I'll tell you right now, the first time when we sat down at the roundtable and we were given a PowerPoint about the broad strokes of this game and the plot, where we were going, the set pieces, when they told me that we're going back to Raccoon City to revisit the past and actually step foot into the RPD station, I got goosebumps. I literally got goosebumps. I was like, we're going back. And they just kind of winked, yep, we're going back.
That is the reaction that I had as a fan. And then as the actor, the professional, you're like, "Okay, we have to go back to Raccoon City. How are we going to do this?" Yeah, it's been a journey. I got goosebumps when it was revealed in the very last trailer that was shown. And I'm just extremely excited to play this.
And how liberating was it to see Leon finally wield his own chainsaw?
Very cool. I got to play a very, very early section of a build about a year and a half ago. And that's when I learned that, yes, you can pick up a chainsaw and use it. And it was fun.
I think I literally said "My turn!", and I cut up some zombies and I knew this was going to be wild. It's going to be crazy.
I hope that we see more missions with Grace.
I'd like to talk about Angela Sant'Albano, who plays Grace Ashcroft in the game. How was it working with Angela?
Angela is just amazing. She's a highly trained actress. I think she's going to get a lot of attention from this game. Her role was demanding. She delivered every single day, every single take. I don't think she's going to have a bad moment in the game. And I think the character as a whole is going to be beloved.
I hope that we see more missions with Grace. And I think Capcom is always trying to tee up new protagonists, new antagonists, and just keep moving the franchise forward. And so I hope Angela returns one day. I think she's going to be a great character, a great addition to the series.
As a newcomer to the series, did you give her any tips or background on the lore?
I don't think it's important that people know the specifics about a franchise other than if we were in a scene together and there was something that was very important to know about how something might affect Leon in his past. That was the most important thing for me.
But other than that, she's a professional. She's an incredible performer. I gave her advice that I would maybe give myself all these years back. I said, "Trust yourself. Trust your acting instincts. Just play the reality of it all. Be truthful and know that the team will take your performance and implement it in the best way possible."
And I think just giving each other support every single day, because those days were physical, they were long, they were hard. Just being there, just being a human to talk to, vent to if we needed to. I think that was the most important part.
There's been some debate amongst fans as to how relevant the original cast of characters are after all these years, mainly because they've grown so efficient at dealing with threats. Capcom seems to have struck a good balance in Requiem with dual protagonists. Do you think this is the future of the series?
I really don't know what their plan is moving forward. But I would put money on the fact that they're always going to be trying new things and pioneering new game styles. And they never stop taking risks. In the past, they just kept on changing it up. And they're not afraid to have a gamble with a AAA title when there's a lot riding on the line, even financially, and they just try weird things.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard was a giant risk. There were none of our favourite protagonists. It was first-person, slowing down the action, and a lot of people were worried about that. That game was fantastic, and a lot of people think it revived the series, and it kind of course-corrected where Capcom was going with Resident Evil, but that's because they tried something different. They went back to the beginning with modernised graphics and storytelling and game mechanics, and I think when I play this, I think I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it. And let's see what they do in the future.
There's consistently a lot of talk about more potential remakes from Capcom. Hypothetically, if a remake of Resident Evil 6 cropped up in the future, would you want to be a part of it?
If they asked me, I would be honoured.
Which classic RE characters would you like to see team up with Leon in a future entry?
I have a quick answer for that one: Sheva Alomar from Resident Evil 5. She's an incredible protagonist, underrated, and only utilised, I think, one time. She's great.
Finally, you also starred in a recent Resident Evil x Porsche commercial for the game. Did you actually get to drive it?
I didn't get to drive that model because it's a functioning car, but it's still very much a model – it's not street legal. I got to drive many of the cars that it was based on, which is the Porsche Cayenne GT Turbo. And I'll just say that that vehicle is, whew, that's a performance beast. We got to rip that around the track in Leipzig, Germany, at the test track at Porsche. And that's where we filmed part of the promo. Yeah, but not the real model. I got to sit in it, though.
A huge thanks to Nick for taking the time to speak with us. Resident Evil Requiem is out now for the Switch 2.