As most fans of Final Fantasy XIV know, Alphinaud and Alisaie are opposites in many ways despite being identical twins. However, according to Colin Ryan and Bethan Walker, their respective voice actors, it's pretty much the reverse in real life.
In a Fanbyte-exclusive interview, Ryan and Walker shared their experiences both as friends and as coworkers on the cast of FFXIV. Since Heavensward, the two have voiced the twins, which has given them plenty of time to get into their roles and get to know each other outside of work.
It might come as a surprise, but when recounting their first meeting to Ryan, Walker actually called it a bit awkward. "That first moment we met, we were both so awkward, weren't we? ... And then we met together in the bar. Do you remember? But it was lovely, because it suited us. And bizarrely, ironically, we're not great in front of massive crowds. We're both really comfortable, actually, having quite quiet interactions."
For two voice actors in the public eye, it's practically part of the job description that you have to be around loads of people for various events. So, how do they deal with it, if neither of them are fans of crowds? As it turns out, they find support in one another's company as self-identified introverts.
They actually find themselves connecting over their introversion, according to Ryan. Because they have similar needs when dealing with crowds, they make excellent partners when attending conventions, which can be overstimulating in any number of ways. "[It's] kind of really reassuring when going to these big events, because we both know when things are getting a little bit too much and when we might need to escape, we have each other to kind of lean on when things get a bit overwhelming," Ryan said.
And while their friendship outside of work is of obvious value to them, the fans might be able to see their bond in their acting as well. In fact, according to Ryan, his friendship with Walker has actually shifted his approach in the recording booth: "[Being friends] has really changed the way that I do my scenes with Alisaie now. Because we have a kind of real relationship to base it off of. It's definitely helped."
In terms of how their friendship has improved their work, Walker seems to agree with him. "I think it can only benefit the game now that we're friends," she said.
Want more Final Fantasy XIV news? Try our new Discord webhook, delivering the latest news straight to your Discord servers. Learn more about how to link it here, or go straight to the signup page here.
