Update:
We have learned that Rick May, who voiced Dr. M in Sly 3, also passed away this week. May, 79, contracted Coronavirus.
Original story:
The video games industry suffered a huge loss this week as three voice actors lost their lives: Filipe Duarte (Portuguese voice of Days Gone‘s Deacon), Keiji Fujiwara (Final Fantasy‘s Reno), and Paul Haddad (original Resident Evil 2‘s Leon).
News of Duarte’s death was shared on Twitter by PlayStation Portugal and Bend Studio’s lead open world designer, Eric Jensen. According to reports, the 46-year old suffered a heart attack. Outside of his role as Deacon St. John, Duarte was an award-winning actor and was known for his roles in The Invisible Life, Cinzento e Negro, and Variações: Guardian Angel among others.
Fujiwara passed away on April 12th aged 55. The veteran voice actor had been battling cancer. He voiced Axel in Kingdom Hearts, Ardyn in Final Fantasy XV, Reno in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Eugen in Granblue Fantasy, among others. He was also the voice of Tony Stark in The Avengers.
Haddad, 56, brought Leon Kennedy to life in the original Resident Evil 2 and lent his voice to The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and X-Men: The Animated Series among others. News of his death was first shared on Twitter by Invader Studios, and later corroborated on Facebook by his friends.
Haddad had been battling a number of health problems, and penned a public post back in February in which he detailed his struggles. He ran a successful GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for his third neurosurgery. An official cause of death is not known.
PlayStation LifeStyle is deeply saddened by this news and we all extend our condolences to Duarte’s, Fujiwara’s, and Haddad’s family and loved ones.
Rest in peace.
[Source: PlayStation Portugal, BlackKite, Invader Studios]
