The Resident Evil Project, with our special session for The Capcom Project, alongside our partners from EvilHazard had the opportunity to interview Karlo Baker, the face model for the famous devil hunter Nero in Devil May Cry 5!
1. First of all, huge thanks for Karlo for this amazing opportunity! How did you get invited to get in Devil May Cry 5 as Nero model?
So, iniciatily a man scouted me online. I was doing a far few things online already for different brands, as you know, I do a lot of public speaking, so I’ve been online a far bit and he was looking for someone who could represent Nero in the best way. So he came across my profile, saw me and asked if I were interested in working together. So that’s how started.
2. What do you think about Nero? Do you have anything in common with him?
(laughs) Yeah, yeah. A few things in common. He’s definitely a fighter and I definitely am a fighter as well. People say I am like a rhyno. So, when I wanna say something, I say it and I don’t care what people say about it. So, I think Nero has very characteristics that are similar to me as well. You know, he has a good heart and he cares for fighting for good, never giving up, being strong and... Well, funny that he’s very similiar to me as well.
3. Can you tell us about the facial and body scan process for the game?
We had a few a things, the body scan, the facial recognition. We iniciatilly wanted to shoot in Japan, but then we had to shoot in Serbia. We’ve been there for a whole week, we had a studio with a lot of programmers and a tech team. I was standing in a studio with a few hundred cameras around me and they shot pictures of every single expression in different angles. So, we had 96 different expressions. They also captured a lot of single moviments of me. So, it was a long process.
4. What were the biggest challenges when you played your role in Devil May Cry 5 as Nero? Was it your first role as a video game character?
Yes, it was. I did other big projects before, but it was the first time I played a videogame character and the challenge was really to get into the character, understand how he was, do his expressions, so it was quite a challenge. I think the most difficult part was capture the expressions because it was some many different expressions.
5. Devil May Cry series always had Dante as the protagonist. But Nero was well received and turned into a major character in the series. Specially in DMC5, Nero had an amazing performance. How do you feel by giving your face to this loved character?
I feel honronable. It’s funny because I’m a christian and I believe in demons, in fighting against evil. Maybe if I knew about this first concept about the game, I would not have given my face to the character. But Nero fights against evil, he’s a fighter, he cares about his friends and loved ones and I also do a lot of this in my life.
6. Were you familiar with the Devil May Cry franchise before working as Nero in DMC5? Were you aware of the success of the series?
Yes, I’ve already played Devil May Cry 3 and Devil May Cry 4 before. And I knew that the franchise had a big fanbase.
7. Until the moment of this interview, Devil May Cry 5 has sold 3.5 million units worldwide. Alongside that, the game received great reviews and even won the "Best Action Game" award in TGA2019. Did you have the chance to play the game? What did you think about the final result?
Yes, I had the chance to play it, during conventions in other contries and I thought it is great! The characters models were super well made, the graphics, the gameplay is amazing. The developers worked really hard in this title. It’s a fantastic game.
8. How Nero was described to you? Is there any feature in him that you like or dislike?
Well, what I most like about Nero is definitely that he’s a fighter, he fights for what he loves, for good. But something I dislike... Maybe his temper (laughs).
9. Do you consider yourself a gamer? Do you usually play videogames, as a hobby, or you just don't enjoy that much?
Yes, but lately I didn’t have time to play more beucase of my work. I’ve been very busy, travelling a lot and there’s not much time left to play. But I have a Xbox 360 and I play games like Devil May Cry and Warcraft sometimes.
10. If Capcom invites you to be the face model for Nero in a new Devil May Cry game, would you accept? Or maybe, even being the face model for other character in another famous game franchise?
Well, it would be an honor but it would be something to keep confidential. But I definitely would accept it.
11. We know that Devil May Cry series is featured by a good sense of humor, and that includes DMC5. Could you tell us about funny moments you lived during your work as Nero? Could you tell us some funny curiosity?
Well... Funny moments, maybe trying to make a lot of different expressions. Also, interact with fans during conventions.
(Gabriel: Did someone called you 'Deadweight'?)
Karlo: No, no (laughs)
(Gabriel: Good, we all know Nero is not deadweight [laughs])
12. In the end of Devil May Cry 5, it is revealed a secret about Nero's plot that include Dante and Vergil. What did you think about this uncovering? Do you believe that Capcom may continue with the series making Devil May Cry 6 or proceed the story after DMC5?
I believe so, it’s something Capcom may explore in the future games of the franchise.
13. Have you been to Brazil? How about making us a visit here or in Brasil Game Show?
No, I have not. But I would like to travel to Brazil. Do you have a big fan base in Brazil, right?
(Gabriel: Yeah! I think it’s one of the biggest fan bases for Capcom games in general)
Really? Have you done any events? Maybe a Devil May Cry or Capcom events?
(Gabriel: Unfortunatelly, we don’t have so much Capcom exclusive events here. We are trying to change this [laughs], but there’s a lot of fans in our country, we have a few big game events including Brasil Game Show.)
When is it happening?
(Gabriel: We still don’t have a date, but usually, BGS takes place in October month. It would be nice if Nero himself comes to say hi to our fans!)
Yeah! Absolutely! If I travel to Brazil, I may visit Rio or São Paulo.
14. As said before, Nero was well received by fans and he turned into an iconic character in games. How did fans reacted to your work? Would you like to send them a message here? Specially for Brazil?
I think there’s definitely more work to happen in the future. So, everyone stay tuned! And there’s gonna be more opportunities to do more events, meet ups... I wanna encouraje everyone to keep supporting the game, the Devil May Cry franchise, what I do as well and thanks for all the love online, it’s been amazing. I’ve been doing a lot of charity projects and all the support of fans have been amazing. And I may do more projects. So, stay tuned!
Huge thanks for Karlo and his agent Travis for this opportunity! Visit Karlo's Instagram and stay tuned for future projects!