Concerns Rise Among Fans Over Absence of ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ in Final Fantasy XIV

Jonathan Bailey, known for his role as Fiyero in the Wicked films and crowned People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2025, also lends his voice to G’raha Tia, a cat boy in Final Fantasy XIV. Since stepping into this role in Square Enix’s MMO, Bailey has skyrocketed in popularity, landing significant parts in Wicked: For Good and Jurassic World: Rebirth, making him the top-grossing actor of 2025. Despite his rising fame, G’raha Tia remains a key character in FFXIV. With the recent release of the 7.4 update, fans are speculating whether Bailey is still voicing the character, as his voice seems to have changed.

Theories about G’raha’s altered sound range from Bailey possibly being unwell during recording sessions to using a lower-quality microphone, or even being recast due to his busy schedule with promotions for Wicked: For Good and Jurassic World. However, neither Square Enix nor Bailey has confirmed any change in the voice actor. Listening to comparisons between the new lines and previous recordings reveals subtle differences, enough for long-time fans to notice. We’ve reached out to both Square Enix and Bailey for clarification and will provide updates if we receive any responses.

A quick comparison of G’raha Tia’s voice from versions 7.0 and 7.4 suggests he hasn’t been recast; it seems more likely he recorded his lines with a less-than-ideal setup. The audio quality appears to have shifted to a more treble-heavy sound, contrasting with the deeper tones typically captured in studio recordings.

Bailey has expressed his enthusiasm for the role, sharing how he juggled recording his Final Fantasy XIV lines while performing in the revival of Company from 2018 to 2019. If he has indeed been temporarily replaced for this patch, let’s hope it’s just until he wraps up his promotional duties for Wicked and Jurassic World, along with his glamorous photoshoots for the magazine cover.