Max Payne and Alan Wake 2 Voice Actor James McCaffrey Has Died Aged 65

James McCaffrey, perhaps best known as the voice of Max Payne, has passed away after a battle with cancer.


Published: December 18, 2023 10:55 AM /

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Max Payne, famously voiced by James McCaffrey, holding a shotgun in Max Payne 2

James McCaffrey, known for his work as a voice actor in games like Max Payne and Control, has passed away aged 65.

This news comes from entertainment platform TMZ, which, in turn, cites McCaffrey's "rep". TMZ says the rep told it McCaffrey "passed away Sunday surrounded by friends and family".

According to TMZ, McCaffrey had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is a form of bone marrow cancer that affects the production of blood cells in the body.

Max Payne, famously voiced by James McCaffrey, shooting dual guns in Max Payne 3
Many may know James McCaffrey from his work on Max Payne.

The news of McCaffrey's death was also reported earlier today by actor Kevin Dillon via an Instagram post, although since Dillon didn't provide a source, many originally believed he was mistaken.

Sadly, it seems Dillon was correct, at least if the TMZ report is anything to go by.

In TMZ's report, McCaffrey's rep goes on to say that the actor "never lost his love for creating characters" and that he enjoyed a "successful 35-year career in television and film".

Of course, that statement doesn't include McCaffrey's work in video games; many gamers may know McCaffrey best from his work voicing the noir action hero Max Payne in Remedy and Rockstar's series of the same name.

Remakes of both original Max Payne titles are currently in the works, but it's unclear whether McCaffrey will be appearing in the games.

Jesse Faden blasting an enemy with her powers in Control, in which James McCaffrey also appears
James McCaffrey also appeared in Remedy's Control.

As well as Max Payne, McCaffrey's other gaming credits include the ill-fated 2008 Alone in the Dark reboot, as well as other Remedy games like Control.

His most recent gaming credit is the Game Awards Best Game Direction winner Alan Wake 2, in which he plays FBI agent Alex Casey, who shares a name with a fictional in-universe character created by Wake.

Amusingly, the facial model for Casey is Remedy's Sam Lake, who gave his likeness to Max Payne in the series' first game.

In addition to his gaming work, James McCaffrey also acted in a number of TV shows, including SuitsLaw & Order: SVU, and Jessica Jones.

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