Maggie Robertson is one of the most popular actors in the video games industry today, shooting to fame after playing the role of Lady Dimitrescu in 2021’s Resident Evil Village. With a background in theatrical acting, there was no better person to play the audacious character dubbed by the internet as “Tall Vampire Lady”.
I had the opportunity to chat with Maggie about the Lady Dimitrescu character, becoming a face of Resident Evil, the loss of a dear friend, and a bond formed with her adopted dog Maggie (I kid you not).
The launch of the next game in the iconic survival horror series from Capcom, Resident Evil Requiem, is just a couple of short months away. Maggie has become an ambassador for the franchise, helping to promote the game and starring in YouTube videos such as ‘Road to Requiem’.
Becoming an Ambassador of Resident Evil
“When Capcom reached out and asked me if I wanted to help promote Resident Evil Requiem, I said, ‘Yes, 100% I would love to. Tell me what to do and where to go.’ I was so grateful when they reached out,” Maggie told me. “It’s so cool to be asked to do this, and I think we’re starting to see a shift where publishers are asking actors who starred in their projects to help promote their games.”
“Actors are starting to be utilised in the promotion of video games in the way that we see actors promote their movies and TV shows. It’s very gratifying to see that shift happen because it is a symbiotic relationship. We help each other. We’re always in games we’re involved with anyway, so if we can make that an official partnership, I think it makes the outreach even better.”
In the recent ‘Road to Requiem’ video, Maggie is presented in a room that looks very reminiscent of where Resident Evil Requiem protagonist Grace Ashcroft works, an FBI agency. Maggie’s iteration of the room is very dark, with a few illuminations; it’s all very dramatic and ultimately, fun.
“They’re extremely well produced,” Maggie said of the project. “The set was so cool in person as well, and everyone who touched the project, the marketing team, the director, everybody did such a great job, and we all had a lot of fun. There was a lot of silliness on set with me, as per usual. Then I had to put on a serious face for the show. But not too serious. You’ve gotta laugh with everything whenever you can, because life is stressful enough as it is.”
The Phenomenon That is Lady Dimitrescu
Long before the release of Resident Evil Village, the moment the video game community set eyes on Lady Dimitrescu, let’s just say that fans went a bit wild for our 9ft 6in voluptuous vampiric character, and I wondered if Maggie had any inkling that the community was going to take to Lady D as much as they did.
“Absolutely not,” she began. “I had no clue. There was so much ignorance on my part going into that process, working on that game, because it was the very first game I ever worked on, and I didn’t grow up a gamer, so I had no concept of what video games could offer me in terms of a career.
“Lady Dimitrescu blew everything out of the park. It was such a shock and a surprise, and because it was also my first game, honestly, my internal monologue was just, ‘Don’t f**k it up.’ That was the only thought process that I had during the recording of that game. I just wanted to do the best job I could. Not to make a fool out of myself. Pay attention, because I’m learning and absorbing everything I can.”
Without giving too much away, many fans, including me, feel that Lady Dimitrescu’s role in Resident Evil Village may have been a little short-lived.
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“Honestly, I never thought of it like that. I knew going in that she wasn’t going to be the final boss, and I never expected her to have more of a role. I knew within this container, she was going to have her scenes, and eventually, it ended. Happy days,” she recalled. “I get this feedback a lot from fans, but from my perspective, it doesn’t feel like a loss. It feels like a win.
“We took a character that was only in the game for a finite period of time, and we were able to create something so extraordinary that it spoke to fans all over the world and continues to have a lasting legacy and impact all over. So, rather than a deficit, I see it as an amazing achievement of, ‘Wow, we did that with a character that wasn’t in the game for that long, and she wasn’t the final boss, she wasn’t the big villain,’ and yet, she made such a big impact. That’s what you want as a performer, your audience wanting more.”
I met Maggie at a meet and greet a couple of years ago where she signed my Resident Evil Village steelbook case with “Richard, you stupid man-thing,” which was very Lady Dimitrescu-inspired. I loved it, and it was obvious watching her interact with fans how important the community is to her.
“In video games, because there are long-form narratives and audiences are spending so much time with your characters, you can have a big impact on people’s lives, and you can see what it means to those people at conventions. It’s very humbling, rewarding and overwhelming, in a lot of ways. I get to meet the fans and hear their stories. It’s a huge honour,” Maggie explained.
As iconic as Lady Dimitrescu is, she wasn’t alone in her big gothic castle. She had three daughters: Bela played by Bekka Prewitt, Daniela played by Nicole Tompkins, and Cassandra, played by Jeanette Maus.
The Loss of a Friend
Sadly, just a few months before the release of Resident Evil Village, the game’s cast and creatives were hit with the devastating news that Jeanette Maus had passed away on 24 January 2021, aged just 39, following a brave battle with colon cancer. Jeanette never got to enjoy the success of Resident Evil Village and the impact that her character had on the community.
“It was such a bittersweet moment when the game came out because the cast and crew were still reeling from the news of Jeanette’s passing, and yet, we were also experiencing the huge high of Resident Evil Village’s success,” Maggie said. “We had a huge high and a huge low at the same time. It felt weird celebrating the accomplishment of the game’s launch.
“When Bekka, Nicole, and I would do our trio signs for fans, we always felt the missing piece was Jeanette. She was such an absolute joy to work with. She was so charismatic and funny, and always made people feel welcome, which I think are very unique skills to have. It doesn’t matter who you are, at your weirdest, at your worst, at your best, you always felt welcome. Jeanette was such a rare quality of person. We all miss her a lot.”
Reflecting on Life Outside of Resident Evil and Video Games
“My dog is the light of my life. I gave birth to her. Yes, I’m one of those crazy animal moms who consider their dog to be their child,” rejoiced Maggie. “I love everything about her. She’s this bearded, curmudgeonly-looking, scrappy girl. Yet, she’s still so young and looks 80 years old. She’s got a big beard, big bushy eyebrows like Gandalf and has tufty hair on the top of her head. God, she’s so odd-looking, and I love her.”
Maggie’s dog has an interesting backstory. Maggie, the pooch, is an adopted street dog, and after having little interest in owning a dog, a friend brought this wonderful ball of fluff to human Maggie’s attention. Maggie had no choice but to adopt this dog, who is also named Maggie. Talk about fate!
“My friend, Nicole Tompkins, found a listing on social media featuring Maggie abandoned on the side of the road, and she asked me, ‘Do you need a dog?’ and I was like, ‘Nope, I do not need a dog’. I travel too much. They’re too expensive, absolutely not. Maggie was a puppy, and if I were to adopt a dog, I’d want it to be a senior dog. Then, a few days later, Nicole sent me the listing again, and we found out that her foster parent had named her Maggie,” she explained.
“Nicole then sends me another message saying, ‘This dog literally has your name on it, and you’re going to come with me to see her this weekend,’ and I said, ‘Ok,’ and the rest, as they say, is history.”
From that moment on, Maggie became a dog mom of the gorgeous Maggie.
