Resident Evil Village Lady Dimitrescu Model Has Never Played The Games
Resident Evil Village face model Helena Mankowska, who played fan-favorite vampire vixen Lady Dimitrescu, has admitted she hasn't played the games. Lady Dimitrescu is now one of the series' most-beloved villains, yet the face of the 9'6" bloodsucker not only hasn't played Village, but also hasn't played any game in the Resident Evil series, as she is "super afraid" of horror.
Capcom's latest addition to the Resident Evil universe was an instant success for the company. Resident Evil Village sold over three million copies in the four days following its release, making it one of the most successful games in the series. While the game doesn't star Lady Dimitrescu, the character amassed a huge number of fans thanks to her incredible height, making her the subject of countless memes, cosplays and mods.
Speaking with Dexerto, Lady Dimitrescu's face model Helena Mankowska revealed she's not spent too much time with Resident Evil Village, despite the infamy of her character. Before landing the role, Mankowska's knowledge of the Resident Evil series was non-existent, having never played any Resident Evil game. She told the publication: "I had 0 experience. Of course I had heard of [Resident Evil] before, but that was it. As a teenager I played some old school games like Super Mario Bros, but also I am super afraid of horror. So I was always like ‘No’”. Despite her fear, Mankowska did share an Instagram video of her and her brother Jacek playing Resident Evil Village for the first time, though she admitted "playing" was a strong word. She described how it felt to see her own face in the game, writing: "Amazing experience, so many emotions and that feeling seeing Lady D for the first time ! OMG! Had tears!"
While Mankowska's face is used in Resident Evil Village, she's not the only person who brought the character to life. Both Lady Dimitrescu's performance capture and voiceover were done by actress Maggie Robertson, who didn't expect Resident Evil Village to make her famous. In an interview with Vice, Robertson confessed that she wasn't sure what the role even was when she auditioned in 2019, noting that it "felt like a theater audition." Robertson didn't even know what she'd been cast in was a Resident Evil project until the role was already hers. She said: "Once I found out that it was Resident Evil there was that moment where you just have to kind of sit back in your chair and process that information for a second because it's massive. And I'm not a gamer myself, but even I have heard of Resident Evil."
Capcom recently revealed DLC for Resident Evil Village is in the works. Though no other details were provided, many fans are hopeful that Lady Dimitrescu will feature in the upcoming expansion. Despite much of Capcom's marketing strategy for the game revolving around Lady Dimitrescu, the character's role in Village is quite small, leading gamers to call out for more of the tall vampire lady.
Resident Evil Village is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.