In a huge blow to his loved ones and fans of the popular survival horror series, Paul Haddad, the voice actor of the original Resident Evil 2's Leon Kennedy has passed away. Haddad's legacy as a thespian lives on not only through his timeless role as a video game icon, but also through his many other acting credits.
Paul Haddad was born in Birhmingham, England on May 20, 1963, and the English-born Canadian later returned to Quebec with his family. There, he studied acting at McGill University and and the National Theater School of Canada in Montreal, graduating in 1988. From 1986 until his passing, Haddad appeared in several live-action TV and movie productions, and found particular success in video game and animation voice work, which led to his role as Quicksilver and other characters in the 1992 X-Men cartoon. He later starred alongside fellow Canadian Alyson Court (Claire Redfield) in the 1998 hit PS1 hit Resident Evil 2, playing the unforgettable part of rookie cop Leon Kennedy as he survives a zombie apocalypse in the infamous Raccoon City Police Station. He didn't reprise the role in future games, but he helped shape a character that remains a fan favorite to this day.
Paul Haddad's most recent work was as The Cleaner in Daymare: 1998, a nostalgic ode to Resident Evil 2, which released for PC in September 2019 and is slated for launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 28, 2020. On April 17, Daymare: 1998 developer Invader Studios shared the shocking news of Haddad having passed away two days prior in a heartfelt tweet, stating, "Paul Haddad, our dear friend and icon among the RE community, has passed away recently." The solemn goodbye concluded, "Rest in Peace Paul... You will live forever in our hearts." Others in the gaming industry and Resident Evil fan community were quick to share their emotional farewells, including Limited Run Games' Alex Aniel, Resident Evil YouTuber The Sphere Hunter, and Teppen developer GungHo Online. Read their responses below:
There's no doubt that Haddad's beloved performance as Leon Kennedy has stayed with many players of the original Resident Evil 2, whose massive success in 1998 helped introduce a new generation to survival horror by making the modern remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 possible. Before his death, Haddad shared with fans that he had previously suffered from laryngeal cancer, surviving but permanently damaging his vocal chords in the process. It is currently unknown if his previous cancer diagnosis was relevant to his death at 57 years of age, and no official cause of death has been shared by authorities or his estate at this time.
Paul Haddad may be gone from the acting world he so loved and helped to define, but his legacy lives on in the seeds he planted in legendary characters like Leon Kennedy. From the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 2 remake to the series' rumored future innovations, his voice and those it inspired will continue to echo on throughout the annals of gaming history.
Sources: Invader Studios, Alex Aniel, The Sphere Hunter, PlayTEPPEN