James McCaffrey, known for the unmistakable voice of Max Payne, has passed away at the age of 65 after a battle with cancer.
McCaffrey appeared in dozens of television shows and films in a career spanning three decades, and you have probably seen him occasionally pop up in a number of them over the years, but his most memorable performance was in the Max Payne video game series. He even lent Rockstar his own likeness for the third game, further immortalizing his reputation in the gaming community.
McCaffrey had been battling cancer, but he regretfully passed away on December 18 surrounded by his family and friends. Sam Lake, the director of Remedy Entertainment and the creative who worked in close association with McCaffrey to develop Max Payne’s character, took to Twitter/X to share a sincere tribute.
“I’m heartbroken to hear the sad news of James McCaffrey’s passing. We worked together for more than 25 years. He was a lovely man and a dear friend. He was a key part of the Remedy family. He was a brilliant actor. No one could do what he did better than him,” Lake wrote.
The thespian also voiced Alex Casey in the Alan Wake game series, and his last work was in the award-winning and acclaimed 2023 title, Alan Wake II.
What do we know about McCaffrey and his career?
McCaffrey was born in 1958 in Albany, New York. His first acting gigs included several romantic comedies, namely The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Nick and Jane, and Coming Soon. He began his video game voice acting career in 2001 with the first Max Payne game and followed that up with Max Payne 2, Alone in the Dark, and finally, Alan Wake. He also appeared in the third Max Payne game by Rockstar and provided motion capture for the gun-toting titular protagonist. McCaffrey reunited with Sam Lake and Remedy in 2019 for Control, and later for Alan Wake II as mentioned above.
Earlier today, actor Kevin Dillon shared an image on Instagram announcing the news, but since McCaffrey’s death coincided with the tragic passing of a teenager with the same name in Ireland, people were unsure what to make of the news, and whether it was a mistake. Later in the day, TMZ confirmed the news via a representative, who explained that McCaffrey had been battling multiple myeloma.
Rest in peace, James McCaffrey. There won’t be a Max Payne without you.