Ray Chase

Ray Chase’s Rise from Audiobook Narrator to Voice Acting Icon

The road to becoming one of English-language voice acting’s most sought-after performers started with a kid in a car, reading Goosebumps novels aloud to his family on school runs through Las Vegas. Ray Chase – born Raymond Chaifetz on May 20, 1987, in Freehold, New Jersey – grew up mimicking his father’s silly voices and found his calling through a chance free period in school that led him away from symphonic band and straight into theater. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Southern California in 2009, he bypassed the traditional path and ground out over 200 audiobooks on Voice123, building the technical instincts that would later define some of the most memorable performances in modern gaming and anime dubbing.

Final Fantasy XV and the Breakthrough of Noctis Lucis Caelum

Landing the role of Noctis Lucis Caelum for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XV in 2016 was a turning point. Playing the crown prince of Lucis required Chase to carry hours of emotionally dense narrative – a sulking, wisecracking young royal who grows into something far more tragic by the game’s end. The role proved he could anchor a major JRPG with weight and authenticity, and the industry took notice. JRPG leads followed in succession: the protagonist in NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… (a role he spent over a year recording), and Alphen in Tales of Arise, all landing within a five-year window that established him as one of the go-to voices for the genre’s emotionally complex heroes.

Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and the Anime Dub Circuit

Chase’s work in anime dubbing spans a stunning range of character types. His dual casting in Jujutsu Kaisen – voicing both Ryomen Sukuna, the gleefully malevolent King of Curses, and Choso, a quietly sorrowful blood-manipulation user – sits at opposite emotional ends of the same show. In Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, he brought Tengen Uzui‘s flamboyant Sound Hashira bravado to life with exaggerated theatrics that fit the character’s self-mythology perfectly. Bruno Bucciarati in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind added another dimension: a morally conflicted capo whose loyalty and quiet dignity made him one of the arc’s emotional anchors. Across these roles, Chase displayed a consistent ability to locate a character’s core before reaching for vocal texture.

Neuvillette, Genshin Impact, and Going Viral

When Neuvillette – Genshin Impact’s composed and imperious Chief Justice of Fontaine – arrived in 2023, Chase delivered what became one of his most talked-about performances. His delivery of the in-game phrase “Oratrice Mecanique d’Analyse Cardinale” caught fire on TikTok and spread into branded content from the NFL, Jollibee, Jolly Rancher, and others. The moment was a rare crossover where voice acting performance became a meme on its own terms – driven purely by the precision and authority Chase packed into a single line.

Cyclops in X-Men ’97 and the Marvel Universe

In 2024, Chase took on the role of Scott Summers – Cyclops – in Disney+’s X-Men ’97, stepping into the part originated by the late Norm Spencer in the 1990s animated series. The casting put Chase in front of a massive, multigenerational fanbase with strong attachment to Spencer’s interpretation. Rather than imitate, Chase built a grounded version of the character whose quiet intensity fit the show’s tone of mature, consequence-driven storytelling. The series became a cultural moment, and Chase’s Cyclops stood at its dramatic center across both seasons.

Borderlands, Kingdom Hearts, and the Villain Roster

Antagonists and morally ambiguous figures make up a notable thread in Chase’s career. The Master of Masters in Kingdom Hearts – cryptic, manipulative, and perpetually amused by everyone around him – gave Chase space to play a villain whose menace comes from charm rather than brutality. As Rhys Strongfork in Borderlands 3, he replaced Troy Baker in the role and brought a corporate weasel energy undercut by genuine vulnerability. These performances flesh out a portrait of an actor comfortable inhabiting people whose moral compass is broken or inverted.

Sassy Chap Games and Date Everything!

A 2018 conversation between Chase and fellow voice actor Robbie Daymond led to the founding of Sassy Chap Games. The studio’s debut title, Date Everything!, released June 17, 2025, put Chase in the position of lead designer, narrative designer, lead writer, and story programmer simultaneously – while also voicing multiple characters within the game. The project contained over 1.6 million words, 70,000 voice lines, and featured more than 100 union voice actors. Chase also structured the game’s revenue model to set aside 10% of all profits for the cast – a deliberate push against the industry standard of no residuals for video game voice actors.

LAVA, Convention Culture, and the Voice Acting Community

Chase co-founded Loud, Annoying, and Very Annoying (LAVA) alongside Max Mittelman and Robbie Daymond – a live stage show and Twitch stream built around the three of them playing games they’ve performed in together. With over 125 convention appearances logged across his career, Chase has become a fixture on the convention circuit, making guest of honor appearances at events from Anime NYC to Matsuricon. The community-facing work reflects a genuine investment in the people who follow the work, not just the work itself.