Resident Evil has some of the most iconic protagonists in the video game industry. Still, with the release of Requiem, we’re introduced to a new protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, played by Angela Sant’Albano.
From Jill Valentine, to Chris Redfield and the co-star of Resident Evil Requiem, Leon. S Kennedy, Grace Ashcroft looks to claim her place amongst the fan favourites of the Capcom series, and recently, I spoke to Angela Sant’Albano about playing her first leading role in a video game.
How Did This Opportunity Come Angela’s Way?
“I had been doing TV, film and theatre bits, but during the SAG-AFTRA strikes in the US, the opportunity came to my agent’s desk. They said the role is for a huge franchise, and they knew that I was very interested in doing performance and motion capture, as well as horror,” Angela explains.
“Yet, I’m hilariously terrible at watching horror, but I’ve always wanted to act in horror because I think for most actors doing something where the stakes are so high with life or death, it’s quite thrilling. It’s a challenge.
“I did the audition, and it was so much fun. Half of it was improv. I remember our performance director, Kate Saxon, saying that I need to imagine that a zombie is mauling me, and you have to die within three minutes. But you can’t die too quickly, so it’s gotta be really slow. He’s gonna bite you here and then your leg, and then you have to do a big death cry, but make it slow and draw it out. It was just such fun. Then I got the job, and I was so thrilled.”
Adopting the Gaming and Resident Evil Life
“I wasn’t a gamer before landing the role of Grace in Resident Evil Requiem,” Angela recalls. “I’ve now got a Switch that I’ve been playing. I obviously knew about Resident Evil and its cultural impact; I was just very excited to be joining such an iconic franchise. I’ve also been playing the Resident Evil 4 remake, though I’m not very good,” she laughs. “I’ve also been checking out Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. It has such a creepy, slow-paced tone, and that’s something I’m trying to tap into.”
Adapting to the World of Video Game Acting
“Video game acting isn’t that different to TV, film and theatre, to be honest. With each character that I approach, I try to find their truth. But you do have freedom, like in a theatre. In TV and film, you already have a set built around you. However, in motion capture, you’re in this big volume with cameras all around you, capturing every body movement. I don’t feel like I have to project or play to anything or anyone, because you literally have a camera on your head. I found that to be really freeing.”
“I was worried that all the motion capture kit over my body might get in the way at the beginning. I was like, ‘How am I gonna perform with all this velcro over me, and this big helmet?’ But the team at Imaginarium Studios that I worked with were incredible, and they made it feel like all that equipment disappeared. I think the only major difference is that it’s a lot more fun.”
Feeling a Connection With Grace Ashcroft
“She’s very, very resilient, and I like to think of myself as resilient. She’s very adaptable, you know, she’s thrown into a life-or-death situation and one where she’s completely and utterly terrified. Yet, she learns how to adapt, and that helps her get through the game,” Angela explains. “I’m quite nerdy, like I get very zeroed in on information a lot, and I’m quite introverted in my own way, and I think we’re very, very similar in that sense.”
Does Grace Have the Potential to Be a Series Icon?
“I really believe that she does,” says Angela. “Capcom has done something quite brilliant in my opinion. When I got this job, I was so excited because Resident Evil has a strong history of female characters. Grace is new to Resident Evil, and I have a chance of creating something entirely of my own.
“We all wanna see ourselves on screen in some capacity, and I think Grace is that person for me. We all wanna believe that we are the badass fighter girl, guy, or them. But to be honest, in reality, there will be moments in our lives where we hide in a corner in fear, and then others where we do stand up for people we love or care about. I think Grace is a very realistic portrayal of a modern-day woman.
“Young woman of my generation, I feel, someone who deals with anxiety and fears, still manages to push through. Grace is someone who has also dealt with a lot of mental health struggles. She’s seen her mom pass, which was incredibly traumatic, and she’s had to grow a lot because of that.
“Furthermore, unlike with Leon, we can kick zombies in the head, which is its own form of escapism. But Grace captures something very different. I think she captures something that my generation will really appreciate, which is like a slightly more realistic version of a courageous person. She has potential for the series, but I suppose that depends on how people respond and connect to her.”
“When I was playing her, I had such an enormous amount of empathy and love. Grace suffers from real panic attacks. Not everyone suffers from them, but we might have friends who do. There’s something deeply, deeply human about Grace that I don’t know if we’ve necessarily had before in this series.”
Finding Joy in Life, Beyond Resident Evil
“I’ve got two things, kind of random. I’ve been writing a lot recently. One is a children’s book, and the other is a romantic comedy based on my own love story, and planning a wedding,” explains Angela. “That has been so unbelievably fulfilling and has brought me so much joy.
“It’s amazing how sitting at home at my little desk can bring such fulfilment, you know? My children’s book is inspired by both of my grannies. My Irish granny would tell me about Cinderella and Snow White every single night before bed when I was little, and then she would end up mixing them. She’d be so sleepy that she would mix the stories.
“Then my Italian grandma, my nonna, she used to create stories from scratch, and they were the most unbelievable stories, and I didn’t learn until I was probably 17 or 18 that my nonna had wanted to be an actress when she was young, but back in the day in Italy, it was slightly frowned upon. She never pursued her dream, but she’s always been so happy that I’m doing it myself. So yeah, my two books have brought me so much joy.”
Resident Evil Requiem is out now on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2.
