James McCaffrey, the actor who voiced Max Payne in the video game franchise of the same name, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 65 years old.
McCaffrey's death was confirmed Monday by TMZwho reported that a representative for McCaffrey informed them that the actor had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and died on Sunday surrounded by his friends and family.
McCaffrey is perhaps best known for playing detective-turned-vigilante Max Payne, but he had a decades-long career that began in the late '80s with a direct-to-video film titled The best of New York. By the mid-1990s, he had appeared in several films and television shows; he played the role of Captain Arthur O'Breun on the Fox series. New York Undercoverand landed a starring role in a short-lived NBC series called Snake.
Back in the 2000s, McCaffrey made appearances on sex in the city, Lawand other titles. Then, in 2001, he took on the role of Max Payne for the first installment of the game series, which debuted in July of that year. With unique gameplay and ongoing internal dialogue from McCaffrey's character, the game stood out from its competitors and ultimately grew into a massive franchise spanning multiple games and media.
McCaffrey reprized the role of Payne for the second game of the series, 2003. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payneand third game, from 2012. Max Payne 3, for which he also provided motion capture for the role. He also made a cameo appearance as FBI Special Agent Jack Taliente in the 2008 film adaptation, Max Paynestarring Mark Wahlberg in the title role.
Beyond Max PayneMcCaffrey is also known for his work on another game series written by Sam Lake: Alan Wake. In 2010, he played the characters Thomas Zane and Alex Casey in the first installment of the series. Then, last October, he reprized the role of Alex Casey for the series' second title. Alan Wake 2which has already been named the best video game of 2023 by Time magazine.
However, even with his success as a voice actor, McCaffrey continued acting in film and television. From 2004 to 2011, he had a recurring role as fallen firefighter Jimmy Keefe on the FX series. Rescue Me. Additionally, she appeared on shows like Blue blood, Revenge, Suits, White collar, She has to have itand more.
Many have shared their love and appreciation for McCaffrey following his death, including Alan Wake 2 Twitter account, which posted a statement On Monday in the morning. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend and collaborator James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey,” he reads. “His remarkable talent not only brought our characters to life but also left a lasting impact on our community. Our hearts go out to his family in this time of loss.”
On your own statement, Sam Lake wrote: “My heart aches to hear the sad news of the passing of James McCaffrey. We have 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… I will cherish the memory of him and miss him. My deepest condolences to his family.”
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend and collaborator James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey. His remarkable talent not only brought our characters to life but also left a lasting impact on our community. Our hearts are off… pic.twitter.com/RDs5m6FhzD
– Alan Wake 2 (@alanwake) December 18, 2023
James was Max Payne, Thomas Zane, Zachariah Trench and finally Alex Casey. I had the honor of sharing the role of Max Payne and Casey with him. It was a pleasure to work with him. I will cherish the memory of him and I
I miss him. My deepest condolences to his family. Rest in peace, Jim (2/2) pic.twitter.com/XwzGoRfJdv– Sam Lake (@SamLakeRMD) December 18, 2023
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