Nick Apostolides has played Leon Kennedy for nearly seven years. He first took on the role in the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, but Resident Evil Requiem is his first time playing Kennedy in a new story rather than a retelling of an older one. In Requiem, Kennedy is 20 years older than he was in Resident Evil 4. He’s a bit more grizzled in his 50s, with more distinct stubble that's flecked with grey. His hair is a little grey, too—salt and pepper—but still in his iconic, floppy '90s style. Everyone's hot for aged-up Kennedy.
Capcom put in the work, after all. Requiem director Koshi Nakanishi said in a recent interview with Automaton that the women on staff were "pretty strict" when it came to his design. "They would point out and comment on even the finest details like the wrinkles on his neck," he said. "Throughout the development process, Leon was thoroughly refined, and I think we managed to come through with a design that would make anyone’s heart throb." Of course, it's not only his looks, but his demeanor, movement, and voice, too.
Kennedy edits and memes are all over TikTok, even from the official PlayStation account, which posted a thirst video of the Requiem character set to Usher's "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)." Some are set to music, too, but many include snippets of Apostolides' voice acting—particularly Kennedy's grunts and moans.
Apostolides, who is both the voice and motion capture actor for Kennedy in Requiem, sees it all. "The second I open social media, my feed is filled with all that stuff because Requiem is probably the hottest game in the industry right now," he told Aftermath in an interview, days after he finished playing through the game with his brother.
"What I'm seeing online is not only his looks," Apostolides said. "I mean, his looks have always been a thing, The '90s hair never goes away. But in this version, because of his age and what happens with his voice, I added so many—things were just more labored in this project for him. Every time he's opening a door, breaking open a cabinet with his hatchet, it's all the effort grunts that I've been hearing so many funny things about, a lot of memes and edits."
Apostolides demonstrated the "effort grunts" that so many of Requiem's players have been enamored by. "That wasn't in my mind when I was doing it," he said, alluding to the sexy sounds. "But I can see the genius behind it, the retroactive genius behind it."
Asked how he feels about the public's devoted attraction to Kennedy, Apostolides laughed. "Things could be worse," he said. "It's an honor to walk in someone's shoes like that, a character this attractive. Guys like him, girls like him. He's been around a long time, I just got lucky to step into his shoes. He's pretty good looking in his old age. You've got to say, if I look that good in like eight years, I'll be happy."
