There are few video game franchises that have been been turned into more movies and TV shows than the survival horror series Resident Evil, which has been adapted in just about every shape and form dating back to the early days of the 21st Century. The next chapter in that history kicked off in July 2022 with the debut of the long-awaited Netflix series Resident Evil, which looks to combine elements of the games with new ideas for an eight-episode zombie drama.
But you won’t be seeing the return of Milla Jovovich’s Alice on this version of the Resident Evil cast since the show is taking a different direction than Paul W.S. Anderson’s successful film franchise of the same name. But there are some incredible actors who will appear on the show, including Lance Reddick, who is no stranger when it comes to sci-fi series and video game properties. Let’s break it all down now…
Lance Reddick (Albert Wesker)
Albert Wesker, who longtime fans of the Resident Evil video game series will remember as one of the franchise’s most notable antagonists, is portrayed in the 2022 Netflix series by Lance Reddick. It’s hard to say if the show’s version of the ambitious virologist will be as cunning and dangerous as his video game counterpart, but expect the unexpected, especially with Reddick bringing him to life.
A prominent fixture of The Wire cast throughout the show’s five-season run, Reddick has long been one of the most prolific and interesting actors on TV, being able to play characters with a tremendous amount of range. Reddick has also been a major player on the silver screen with prominent roles like Charon in the John Wick franchise. He has also played key roles in the Destiny and Horizon video game series the past decade.
Paola Nuñez (Evelyn Marcus)
Playing Umbrella Corporation CEO Evelyn Marcus on the Resident Evil TV series is Paola Nuñez, who will bring to life the character who will do anything to make sure the company her father founded gets its latest pharmaceutical advancement out on the market (which is pretty standard for the corporation and its dubious past).
Before taking on the role as the daughter of the man behind one of the video game world’s most treacherous entities, Nuñez made a name for herself in her native Mexico in a variety of Spanish-speaking series like Las Juanas, Amor en Custodia, and Mientras Haya Vida before finding success in the United States with shows like The Son and The Purge. Perhaps her most notable film appearance was the 2020 buddy action comedy Bad Boys for Life in which she portrayed Rita Secada. Nuñez will soon return to Netflix for the upcoming The Fall of the House of Usher series.
Turlough Convery (Richard Baxter)
Richard Baxter, the shadowy Umbrella figure who will stop at nothing to sweep his employer’s problems under the rug — even if that means killing those who get in his way — is played by Turlough Convery on the Resident Evil TV series.
Fans of the sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror will probably recognize Convery from his appearance in the 2014 special “White Christmas,” which we previously ranked as the best episode in the series. Over the years, Convery has also found success on shows like Poldark, Les Misérables, Temple, Killing Eve, and Sanditon. In that same stretch of time, the Irish actor has popped up in a variety of movies ranging from Steven Spielberg’s 2018 adaptation of Ready Player One to Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical Academy Award winner Belfast in 2021.
Ella Balinska (Jade Wesker)
The Resident Evil TV series is split up into two timelines — one in set in 2022 and one taking place in 2036 after the world has been brought to the brink of destruction because of the T-Virus — and Ella Balinska plays Jade Wesker in the later time period. The daughter of Albert Wesker is a hardened researcher who could very well be humanity's final chance at survival.
Although her name may not be as recognizable as some of the other members of the Resident Evil cast, Balinska has proven she’s an up-and-coming star that needs to be followed. In 2019, the English actress earned a starring role in the Charlie’s Angels reboot as Jane Kano, a performance she followed up the following year with the horror film Run Sweetheart Run. Balinska has also had roles on shows like Casualty, The Athena, and Midsomer Murders.
Tamara Smart (Young Jade)
Playing the 14-year-old version of Jade Wesker on the Resident Evil TV series is Tamara Smart, who portrays a young teenager who finds her true purpose in life trying to uncover the multi-layered mysteries at the Umbrella Corporation and her new home of New Raccoon City.
Smart first found success with the children’s fantasy drama series The Worst Witch in 2017, on which she took on the role of Enid Nightshade for the show’s four-season run. Since then, Smart has shown up on shows like Hard Sun and the 2019 reboot of Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Her film work since then includes the 2020 Disney+ movie Artemis Fowl and the Netflix-produced film A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting.
Adeline Rudolph (Billie Wesker)
Adeline Rudolph appears on the Resident Evil cast as the grown-up Billie Wesker, Jade’s fraternal twin sister and daughter of the ambitious Albert Wesker.
Those familiar with the popular Chilling Adventures of Sabrina cast will almost immediately recognize Rudolph from her portrayal of Agatha, one of the Weird Sisters, in all 36 episodes of show. Rudolph later appeared on the show’s companion series Riverdale, on which she portrayed Minerva Marble in a total of five episodes. Since then, Rudolph has been featured on the podcast series Listening In, on which she voices a character named Sienna.
Siena Agudong (Young Billie)
Although her twin sister has no problem finding meaning in life in their new home of New Raccoon City, the same can’t be said for the 14-year-old Billie Wesker in Resident Evil’s earlier timeline. Portrayed by Siena Agudong, the younger version of Billie finds herself at odds with just about anyone and everyone in her path.
Over the years, Agudong has earn major roles on shows like Killer Women, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn, Teachers, Star Falls, and No Good Nick, as well as one-off appearances on popular programs like Hawaii Five-0 and Raven’s Home. Her film credits include Second Chances and Alex and Me, as well as brief cameo as the younger version of Mia Toretto in one of F9’s numerous flashbacks.
Connor Gosatti (Simon)
During the 2022 potion of the Resident Evil TV series, Connor Gosatti takes on the role of Simon Marcus, the son of Umbrella CEO Evelyn Marcus and best friend of the younger 14-year-old version of Jade. Talented behind his laptop’s keyboard, Simon helps his new friend get behind New Raccoon City’s state-of-the-art security programs.
Connor Gosatti’s inclusion on the Resident Evil cast is perhaps the young actor’s biggest break yet. Throughout his career, which goes back to 2013, Gosatti has only one other appearance on a TV show — the 2020 comedy series What We See. All of his other credits up to this point are for various short films including the likes of No Bus, Midnight Ticket, and The Little Astronaut.
Ahad Raza Mir (Arjun Batra)
Taking on the role of Arjun Batra, just one of the many who have been become refugees in the wake of the T-Virus pandemic in the later timeline in the Resident Evil TV show is Ahad Raza Mir.
Throughout his career, which goes back to 2010, Mir has mostly worked in Pakistan where he has earned roles of varying degrees on shows like Sammi, Aangan, Ehd-e-Wafa, and Yeh Dil Mera, as well as movies like Parwaaz Hai Junoon and Kalasha. During that same stretch of time, Mir has worked extensively on the stage, appearing in productions of Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet at The Shakespeare Company and various other performances of the acclaimed playwright’s most famous works.
Pedro de Tavira Egurrola (Angel Rubio)
Pedro de Tavira rounds out the main portion of the Resident Evil cast as Angel Rubio, a disgraced journalist who was on the receiving end of one of the Umbrella Corporation's coverup operations and now wants to use his knowledge and anger to assist a 14-year-old Jade in her investigations.
Prior to landing a role on the Netflix horror action series, de Tavira Egurrola appeared on a long list of Spanish-language series like An Unknown Enemy, Selena’s Secret, and The Five Juanas, which like Resident Evil is streaming on Netflix. His other credits include El Chapo, Sr. Ávila, I Don’t Trust Men Anymore, and Love, Pain and Vice Versa, to name only a few of his numerous roles so far.
This is just the main portion of the Resident Evil cast as there are numerous other characters who appear in some capacity throughout the eight-episode season. Hopefully this helps you make sense of the characters and where you’ve seen the actors before. But none of this means anything if you don’t watch the show and the only way to do that is by have an active Netflix subscription.
