Lily Gao, the voice actor for Ada Wong in the Resident Evil 4 Remake, makes her first statement following the harassment she received over her performance in the game.

On her Instagram account, Gao talked about the honor of playing Ada in the Resident Evil 4 Remake. She also thanked the game's producer and director for hiring an Asian actress like herself to play an Asian character. However, following the game's release, Gao was harassed by those angry with her take on Ada.

Related: Resident Evil 4's Remake Lacks One Crucial Aspect of the Original

"Being the first Asian actor to portray Ada in the Resident Evil video games is an honour," Gao said. "And I will forever be grateful to our producer and director, for making the decision on authentic representation. It's unfortunate that with the game's release, also came the all too familiar feeling of 'I don't belong.' While criticism is expected, it's not the first time an actor of colour faces racist and sexist harassment, for simply participating. Inauthentic casting perpetuates an unhealthy image that further dehumanizes the community they seek to reflect. It is time we stop only capitalizing on the sexualized, eroticized, and mysterious Asian woman, and make space to honour every kind of Asian woman. My Ada is a survivor. She is kind, just, intelligent, and funny. She is unpredictable, resilient, and absolutely not a stereotype."

Gao also shared photos of the three women who inspired her performance of Ada in Resident Evil 4: Shu Qi (The Assassin), Faye Wong (Chungking Express) and Maggie Cheung (Irma Vep). Resident Evil fans showed their support for Gao in the comments, thanking her for her performance in the game and for standing up against the toxic trolls who tried to harass her out of the video game industry.

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Lily Gao's Ada Wong Casting Sparked Controversy

The news that Gao had replaced Jolene Anderson as Ada in RE4 Remake divided fans when it was announced. Some praised the choice to cast someone of Asian descent, while others argued that Anderson portrayed her perfectly in the Resident Evil 2 Remake. Others likened it to Street Fighter 6 recasting for Chun-Li, replacing veteran voice actor Laura Bailey with Jennie Kwan. Following RE4 Remake's release, fans targeted Gao for harassment, leading to her abandoning her social media profiles.

The Resident Evil 4 Remake is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Reviews praise the game as another stellar remake in the classic survival-horror series.

Source: Instagram