Paul Haddad, who provided the English voice work for Leon S. Kennedy in the original Resident Evil 2, has died at the age of 56. The news came from a post released by Invader Studios, who is the developer behind the Resident Evil-inspired survival horror game, Daymare 1998. Ever since his work in Resident Evil 2, Haddad has been an icon among many Resident Evil fans despite him not returning to provide voice work for Leon in subsequent Resident Evil games.
As of the moment, the exact cause of Haddad’s death is unclear, but it has been reported that the 56-year-old Canadian voice actor was battling throat cancer. In a Twitter post, Invader Studios released a tribute to Haddad, which read, “Paul Haddad, our dear friend, and an icon among the RE community, has passed away recently. We’ve been truly honored to have the chance to meet and work with such a great man and a brilliant professional that he was. Rest in Peace Paul. You will live forever in our hearts.”
Of course, Haddad’s performance in Resident Evil 2 as Leon S. Kennedy will forever be remembered by fans of the long-standing survival horror franchise, especially since Leon is one of Resident Evil’s most popular characters. Ever since Resident Evil 2, Leon starred in numerous sequels and CGI movies, and his last appearance was in the critically acclaimed remake of Resident Evil 2, which was released by Capcom last year.
Although Haddad is popular in the video game community as the original voice actor of the iconic Leon S. Kennedy, he only provided his voice in two video games, 1998’s Resident Evil 2 and 2019’s Daymare: 1998. However, outside the realm of video games, Haddad had a wonderful career as a voice actor appearing in numerous television shows and movies such as Quicksilver in the original X-Men: The Animated Series, and other media series including Harry Potter, Franklin, RoboRoach, Rolie Polie, Olie, Free Willy, and more.
Haddad began his career back in 1986 in the TV series Night Heat, where he played the character of Julian Tobias. Due to his strong link with Leon S. Kennedy, Haddad was interviewed by the YouTube Channel Residence of Evil during the launch of Resident Evil 2 remake. However, according to Haddad’s IMDB page, it appears that the actor’s final stint was in Invader Studios’ Daymare: 1998, which is his first and final work after a decade long hiatus.
Source: IGN
