Leon Kennedy Voice Actor Says Metallica, Nirvana Helped Shape His Performance for the Resident Evil Character
Nick Apostolides, the voice actor behind Leon Kennedy in Capcom’s Resident Evil Remake games, has revealed how heavy metal and grunge music influenced his portrayal of the iconic character. Speaking in a Cameo video shared in July 2026, Apostolides disclosed his musical inspiration for voicing Leon across different entries in the remake series.
For each game, Apostolides drew from different artists within the metal and grunge genres. He associated Nirvana with his performance for Resident Evil 2, Alice in Chains with Resident Evil 4, and Metallica with Resident Evil 9. This musical selection appears deliberate, with each band’s sound and style potentially informing the emotional tone and character voice for Leon in those particular games.
Apostolides explained that he uses music as a tool to achieve the right mental state while recording, allowing him to connect more deeply with the character he’s portraying. “I actually take a lot of deep inspiration in my acting through music to get into the right mindset,” he said, highlighting the unconventional but effective approach he takes to voice acting. While he didn’t overthink the process during his initial recording sessions for Resident Evil 2, the strategy of using music to guide his performances has apparently proven valuable across multiple games in the remake franchise.