Spoilers Ahead
At the tail-end of Resident Evil Village, once you've bested all the Gothic horrors and monstrosities that the latest game in the Capcom franchise has to throw at you, you'll meet one more mysterious character. Little in the way of information is given during the post-credits scene, but it seems that young Rosemary Winters has grown up to be quite the powerful player within the broader Resident Evil landscape. Under the tutelage of Chris Redfield and the protection of the BSAA (or what remains of it some years after the events of Village anyway), we see that Rose is kept on a short leash by her supposed guardians. However, she isn't afraid to push the limits of that control, thanks in large part to her mysterious powers that have yet to be fully revealed or fully realized. And the first person who might just bear the brunt of Rose's frustration? The equally mysterious and unnamed BSAA agent tasked with keeping tabs on her.
Now, for the first time, we know a little bit more about that agent thanks to a chat with the character's actor, Brendan Bradley. We've spoken with Bradley before about his various projects, like the hit YouTube shorts "Baby X" and "Baby S," as well as his ongoing work bringing to life his "Shakespeare meets Silicon Valley" project, A Tale Told by an Idiot. So imagine our surprise when we learned that Bradley also voices the Agent at the very end of Resident Evil Village. Needless to say, we were very excited to get an opportunity to learn more about the character, Bradley's other work in the game itself, and what else awaits on the horizon. Read on for our interview below to find out for yourself!
So you've worked under Captain Chris Redfield in various capacities. Can you confirm your role(s) on the team and in the game?
Brendan Bradley: I play the Agent in the post-credits scene and did body doubling / motion capture for various scenes with our beloved Captain.
Real talk: What's your opinion of the Team Leader Chris Redfield?
Brendan Bradley: Well, as Brendan, a fanboy, it’s an emotional roller coaster to witness Chris’ journey through this latest game and I agree with many of the fans this has been one of the most satisfying storylines yet. As my character, I think it’s safe to say that I look up to Chris and don’t want to betray the massive trust and responsibility he’s placed in my hands.
How did you bring some personality to your character to help them stand out?
Brendan Bradley: I think what’s honestly the most fascinating part about working in performance capture is how unique our biometric expression can be. I’ve also experienced this performing live as a virtual reality avatar - you begin to recognize characters based on gait, posture, gesture, breath... You are operating the very essence of your character through pure stagecraft and embodiment.
There's an epic sequence for Redfield and his team before the final stand; one of the best sequences in the whole Resident Evil franchise. Did you get to do motion-capture / performance-capture for your role, or was it mainly voice-acting work?
Brendan Bradley: I had the privilege of doing both motion capture and voicing characters, but have to give all the credit for that scene to the entire Capcom animation and cinematics team. You’re absolutely right, it is thrilling to see these types of sequences in our favorite legacy franchises that continue to push the boundaries of the entire industry.
Resident Evil: Village DLC was recently confirmed at E3, though no details are available just yet. Would you hope to see this team assembled again for a future story?
Brendan Bradley: I have absolutely no insight into the future storylines, but as a performer, obviously I hope for any opportunity to work with this team, in and out of game.
What's up next for you, either in the RE verse or your career in general?
Brendan Bradley: Working on Resident Evil Village was such a gift, not only in that it gave me a job during the Hollywood shutdown, but I am actually in post-production for A Tale Told By An Idiot, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth set in the world of a VR video game company. I filmed my actors simultaneously with a live-action camera and a Kinect to be able to intercut between their scenes inside and outside the in-world game. Going from my scrappy basement mo-cap to working with leaders in the industry felt like being paid to learn from masters in the integration of technology and art. If anyone reading wants to create their own stories, I have a blog with free tutorials and tools at brendanAbradley.com/futurestages
Resident Evil: Village is available now; stay tuned for more information on upcoming DLC as we hear it.