Paul Haddad, Resident Evil 2’s Leon Kennedy, Dies at 56

Paul Haddad, best known for bringing Leon Kennedy to life in the original Resident Evil 2, has passed away at the age of 56, reveals an announcement from Invader Studios. It’s unclear when Haddad died or what the official cause is, but it’s said the 56 year old was battling throat cancer.

“Paul Haddad, our dear friend and an icon among the Resident Evil community, has passed away recently,” reads an official statment from Invader Studios. “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.”

Paul Haddad and Invader Studios recently came together for work on Daymare: 1998, the latter’s survival-horror game that pays homage to the original Resident Evil games. While Haddad lent his voice to the iconic Leon Kennedy, it was actually his one and only appearance in video games until Daymare: 1998.

While Haddad’s most notable work was his work on the Resident Evil series, he also worked on other media series such as Harry Potter, X-Men, Franklin, Medabots, Free Willy, and more.

Haddad’s career began back in 1986 via the TV series Night Heat, where he played Julian Tobias. Meanwhile, his most recent work is the aforementioned Daymare: 1998, which according to his IMDB page, was his first work in a decade.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Haddad’s family and friends at this time. May he rest in peace.