Jill Valentine is one of the most iconic characters in the Resident Evil series (also, she’s my favourite, I might add), and recently I spoke with her actress, Nicole Tompkins.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jill in the iconic survival horror series from Capcom, the most recent being the 2023 animated movie, Resident Evil: Death Island, and before that, the Resident Evil 3 remake in 2019. Nicole has also voiced several characters in 2021’s Resident Evil Village, most notably Daniela, one of Lady Dimitrescu's three daughters.

Being an avid gamer and streamer to her fans on YouTube and Twitch, has Nicole had the opportunity to play this year’s Resident Evil Requiem? An entry which takes us back to Raccoon City, a location that Jill is even more familiar with than Leon S. Kennedy.

“I am excited to play it, but unfortunately, I’ve not had the chance yet. I'm trying to avoid too many spoilers because I am going to play it at the beginning of April. I'll definitely stream it, and I’ll see if I can get someone to join me. I’m eager to play it. It should be fun, because I’m such a baby when I play horror games.”

Could Jill Valentine Return?

“Of course, who wouldn't want more Jill Valentine? I would love that. I think it would be very exciting to explore her today and the relationships that she might have. The thought of ‘What does it mean to step into Jill now’ excites me. I think she resonates with fans like no other character can.”

There have been rumours in recent months that Capcom is remaking the original Resident Evil (again), which has Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine as co-stars. So, perhaps this could be an avenue to Nicole’s reintroduction to the series.

“I don’t know anything about that, but I love Jill, and the 2001 Resident Evil remake is so much fun. It’s the least experienced Jill that we get to see and her first encounters with the horrors of her world,” says a vague Nicole on that particular topic.

Jill Valentine in Resident Evil 3 remake, Capcom

What Does Jill Valentine, a Resident Evil Icon, Mean to Her?

“She's played such a significant part in my career, just with the amount of access to such an amazing fan base that's so incredibly passionate. For me, it's stepping into a character that already had a legacy. Not everyone gets to do that. It’s very cool to take on a legacy character that has existed before me and will continue to do so.

“It's just a delight being able to approach her character and realise how I see her, based on the script that I’ve been given. But I want to respect all elements of her. From the very beginning of the franchise, she means so much to so many people, and from so many different generations. That's very special.

“I see her as incredibly resilient, incredibly strong. She's someone who always gets back up. I really love her sense of humour, which slowly blossomed in RE3. She kind of comes in pretty edgy and sarcastically straight, if that makes sense? She's not taking it from anyone, and then in her relationship with Carlos, you see her kind of open up. I think that was really fun to just have a bit of an arc for her throughout the RE3 remake.”

Other than crafting fantastic survival horror and beat 'em up games, Capcom knows how to develop strong female characters, from Chun-Li in Street Fighter, Trish from Devil May Cry and Regina from Dino Crisis, to name a few.

In Resident Evil alone, we have Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, Ada Wong, Rebecca Chambers, Lady Dimitrescu, Sheva Alomar and more.

“It’s amazing what Capcom has achieved,” says Nicole. “The number of iconic female characters just from Resident Evil alone, I love to see it. Each character makes stories more diverse in the series, interesting and expands in new ways. And it looks like they’re doing that in Resident Evil Requiem with Grace Ashcroft.

“Each of those characters switches perspective on the Resident Evil series, impacting the player's experience depending on the personal relationship with storytelling. Each character offers something different mechanically, too.” An example of Nicole’s point would be all-out action from a seasoned S.T.A.R.S veteran like Jill Valentine to someone young and new to the bio-weapon monsters of the world, like Grace Ashcroft.

Nemesis from Resident Evil 3 remake, Capcom

Nicole’s Relationship With the Resident Evil Community

“It’s such an incredibly wonderful community, they’re my favourite aspect of the Resident Evil series. Their enthusiasm is so infectious, and I love their passion, wherever it’s placed. It’s so delightful, and it’s something that I get to be a part of.

“I love hearing their stories at conventions, and online, those stories prove that Resident Evil is more than just a video game series. I have fans telling me how much Jill means to them. Parents who were playing in the 90s are now sharing that experience with their children.

“I’ve seen some amazing cosplays, some on a huge scale like the Nemesis from RE3. The Nemesis cosplayer was standing on stilts, and it was massive. Witnessing something like that is always super memorable. For new characters, like the three Dimitrescu daughters from Resident Evil Village. The attention to detail, the dedication they have to commit to these sisters is incredible.”

Reflecting on the Loss of a Friend Five Years Later

When I spoke to Lady Dimitrescu actress Maggie Robertson, one of the topics of discussion was the tragic loss of Jeanette Maus, who played multiple characters in Resident Evil Village, most notably, Cassandra Dimitrescu.

Sadly, Jeantte lost her life after battling with colon cancer on 24 January 2021, aged just 39 and only a few months before the launch of Resident Evil Village. As such, Jeanette wasn't able to see the success of the game, but also how much the community embraced her character.

“Seeing the reaction of the Resident Evil community would have been so exciting for her. As a person, Jeantte was so incredibly grounded, warm and full of love. She also had such a deep sense of confidence when it comes to being so loving and welcoming. She would have embraced this community with so much enthusiasm and gratitude, and she was a badass. I would have loved to be sitting beside her at signings.”

Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters in Resident Evil Village, Capcom

**Controversial Absence of the Clock Tower in the RE3 Remake**

The 2020 remake of Resident Evil 3 has divided fan opinion, with its emphasis on action and its short campaign length. However, those who are familiar with the original game that launched in 1999 will know that’s how it was back in the day. Yet, there was also discussion on the remake’s cut content, such as the Clock Tower battle between the Nemesis and Carlos Oliveira. Were there any discussions behind the scenes to include that segment in the remake?

“You’re rarely given a complete script; you only tend to get pieces and parts,” Nicole recalls. “And these pieces and parts constantly adapt. I would love to have heard that there were discussions of that scene in the remake, but specifically, I don’t remember that happening. So, if those discussions had taken place, it all would have happened without me.”

Resident Evil Characters Assemble like the Avengers!

While the live-action Resident Evil movies aren't all that great (to put it mildly), for the most part, thankfully, the same cannot always be said about the animated movies.

The most recent animated movie in the series, Resident Evil: Death Island, saw the ultimate hero team assembled Avengers-style, for an epic moment that included not only Jill Valentine, but also Leon S. Kennedy, Claire and Chris Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers to fight the forces of evil.

Resident Evil: Death Island, Kadokawa

“It was so cool to see them all together. I think it’s something that fans have wanted for a long time. I know fans would love to see this in the video game series, but when I saw the script for Resident Evil: Death Island, it was amazing, and I was so excited. I loved getting to do that.

“It was cool to play Jill in the present day. It was a fun discussion on how her character might be today with all that she’s been through and learned, in the context of a very action-packed movie.”

Finding Joy Outside the World of Survival Horror

“Outside of people and my cat, I’ve been really into fountain pens recently. I started a new hobby, which is collecting too many fountain pens, and unboxing and swatching all the different inks.

“I'm someone who journals every day. So I've been a proponent of getting my friends into fountain pens. I feel like a fountain pen dealer.” I can vouch for Nicole being a pen dealer because she even convinced me to buy a new fountain pen after our conversation. So, thank you.

OG Resident Evil officially gets surprise modern re-release

OG Resident Evil officially gets surprise modern re-release

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