D.C. Douglas stepped away from voicing one of his most iconic roles, Albert Wesker, in 9 Resident Evil games (& spin-offs) 5 years ago. Today we sit down with him to reflect on his journey, what he’s learned, and what’s next. Here’s what D.C. had to say about life after Resident Evil.
The End of an Era
After 12 years of voicing Albert Wesker, how did it feel to finally hang up the sunglasses?
D.C. Douglas: It was hard at first once I realized I would no longer be voicing him. Primarily because it was the first role that got any attention from a fan base. That coincided with the blossoming of social media and conventions. So a lot of firsts are associated with it, including doing facial capture for the role. But ironically, it was not a gig that had paid me a lot of money in the long run compared to other projects both video game and commercial.
It’s also strange because as an actor we go through several phases, I assume, throughout our life. There is the “I am going to take Hollywood by storm” that turns into “will anyone in Hollywood hire me? “to “I’m going to do the best I can for me” to “I have fans I must be big shit!” to “I need to please this social media beast! ” and so forth. So, to be honest, it was a relief not to have to keep feeding the social media beast.
And then, in combination with some unfortunate behavior from trolls, I learned quickly to separate myself and my worth and life meaning from any online activity, whether it was interactions or comments or simply number of followers. I’m sure people in all walks of life who got involved with online life circa 2010 have gone through some sort of similar process. At least I hope! It’s quite freeing when you realize nothing on the computer or phone screen is real. Only what you touch and feel and see in the 3D world.
Connecting with Fans Through Resident Evil
You mentioned Wesker brought a lot of firsts, including social media and conventions. How did that change your relationship with the gaming community?
D.C. Douglas: It all happened simultaneously really. Here’s the thing: I had a dream to be an actor when I was seven years old. When I was in my early teens, I attached a meaning to being an actor. I had no friends in school and was often beat up. I found refuge at home on television watching reruns of Bewitched and M*A*S*H. Those actors in those jobs touched me through their performances and gave me refuge. So I had hoped to do the same. I had always imagined it would be the same way through acting in a sitcom for years. But my career didn’t take that path and the industry changed and video games became a thing! So by the time I was doing my first few conventions, it dawned on me that this was how my dream came true. I was meeting people that were touched by a game or anime I had been in. That my performance through that role touched them or that role conveyed via my performance touched them.
What Happens After an Iconic Role?
Did realizing you were making an impact through video games change how you approached future roles?
D.C. Douglas: Well, that’s where it gets a bit tricky. I started to look at each new role as a potential to turbo my career and appeal to that fan base. It truly was more of a greedy thing than it should have been. I want to uplift more people. That’s the thing isn’t it? We tend to lose grip of ideals over longer stretches of time and get used to certain things and then it all becomes inward or truly selfish really. While I thoroughly enjoyed the acting aspect and it fed my soul, there was always a part of me that was about how I could market my participation in that project. That part is kind of fucked up. I never planned for that nor do I admire it. But it most certainly is a reality of this industry.
How do you balance the pressure of self-promotion with staying true to your craft?
D.C. Douglas: Time. The longer you live the more you learn. If something isn’t rewarding you in the way that you need you soon jettison it – hopefully. At least a healthy person would. The pandemic help helped me get off of the treadmill, as did the actions of some disingenuous trolls. Once I fully disconnected, I was able to take time to just be with me and learn who I was at this point in my life. Now, I am always looking to make money, obviously, but I see the job for the job and not for what else it can be. When I am lucky enough to be invited to a convention I’m truly grateful for both the interaction with the fans as well as the income it provides.
Has this new outlook affected how you select your projects?
D.C. Douglas: How I wish I could select! I am an actor and have been since the age of seven. I’ve been in Los Angeles since I was 19. I have never had a plethora of choices to choose from when it came to work. I am a journeyman. I take what I can get when it comes my way. That then shapes my career. If I try to be choosy and only take the things that shaped it the way I thought would be best, I would still be working a survival job somewhere. And that was the thing I most definitely didn’t want to do after the age of 40!
The Journey of Growth
In an industry where choices can be limited, what keeps you going?
D.C. Douglas: Well, it’s the jobs! Many of them have interesting characters. Sure many others don’t but those go by quickly and the money helps! But those that are interesting always feed the soul. And by nature, I am an actor. Even if I had become an accountant – deep down I would always be an actor. So the fact that I live out and open as an actor and only do work that is in that realm I am a lucky S.O.B.
Looking back on your time as Wesker, what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing such an iconic villain?
D.C. Douglas: Always keep herbs in your house! Just kidding. My biggest takeaway would be how touched I have been by the kindness of strangers. Resident Evil fans, by and large, are very accepting and kind people, and I’m grateful to have gotten to know many of them.
The FINAL Notorious Zombie Related Erotic FanFic Show
What’s Next for D.C. Douglas?
Now that you’ve closed the book on Resident Evil, what upcoming projects have you most excited?
D.C. Douglas: So many I can’t tell you about because of NDAs! But I’m excited to be in the Star Wars universe as Rayvis. I also love that my role as Pod 042 has gone from a video game to an anime series! There are a few other things I’d love to share if lawyers weren’t online—just know they’re fucking awesome!
A Message to the Fans
If you could send one final message to the Resident Evil fanbase, what would it be?
D.C. Douglas: Thanks for all the eggs.
[reprinted with permission]
