James McCaffrey, the voice behind Rockstar’s Max Payne, died at age 65 on Dec. 17. McCaffrey was known as the titular character in Max Payne 3 and recently appeared in Alan Wake 2.
McCaffrey succumbed to cancer and died peacefully surrounded by friends and family, his manager confirmed to TMZ. He was born in 1959 in Albany, New York, gaining recognition through his role in the 1991 drama series Civil Wars. McCaffrey would go on to appear in numerous TV shows and some feature films, but was propelled to cult stardom after entering the video games industry as Max Payne.
Remedy, the developer behind Alan Wake 2, paid tribute to the actor on X (formerly Twitter). McCaffrey’s collaboration with Remedy’s creative director, Sam Lake, goes back to the first Max Payne title. The first model of Max Payne was based on Lake, with McCaffrey voicing the character. Most recently, the two collaborated on the character of Alex Casey, who, like Max Payne, was modeled after Lake and voiced by McCaffrey. Lake called McCaffrey “a key part of the Remedy family” in a Dec. 18 post on X, adding, “No one could do what he did better than him.”
McCaffrey also starred in Remedy’s Control as the director of the Federal Bureau of Control, Zachariah Trench.
In a more than three-decades-long career, McCaffrey appeared in lead and supporting roles in numerous films and TV shows. Some of his most notable appearances include his roles in the Rescue Me and New York Undercover TV shows. Still, his presence in the video games industry cemented his status as a recognized performer. Besides Max Payne and Alan Wake, McCaffrey performed voice work in games such as Area 51 and Alone in the Dark.
McCaffrey is survived by his wife, Rochelle, and daughter Tiernan. His impact through such memorable characters and franchises will forever echo through gaming culture.
