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James McCaffrey, the longtime voice actor who has brought numerous key characters in Remedy Entertainment’s games to life, has passed away at the age of 65.
The news was first reported by TMZ, saying a rep confirmed that he died on Sunday surrounded by friends and family after a battle with multiple myeloma. Actor Kevin Dillon had earlier posted a message on Instagram indicating that McCaffrey had died.
Remedy addressed his passing in a post on X/Twitter, saying, “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved friend and collaborator James McCaffrey, the iconic voice of Max Payne and Alex Casey. His remarkable talent not only gave life to our characters but also left an enduring impact on our community. Our hearts go out to his family in this time of loss.”
Rockstar, the publisher of the Max Payne games, also released a statement, saying, “Rest in Peace James McCaffrey, the inimitable and commanding presence who brought Max Payne to life.”
Remedy creative director Sam Lake added, “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. James was Max Payne, Thomas Zane, Zachariah Trench and finally Alex Casey. I had the honor of sharing Max Payne’s role and Casey’s role with him. He was a joy to work with. I will cherish his memory and I miss him. My deepest condolences to his family. Rest in peace, Jim.”
Among many other things, McCaffrey was known for his acting work in shows like Rescue Me, where he had a recurring role as Jimmy Keefe.
But in the gaming world, he was heavily associated with Remedy, with which he worked for more than two decades. He voiced the titular character in the studio’s early breakout hits, the Max Payne series, before also voicing key roles in its subsequent games, including Alan Wake (Thomas Zane), Control (Director Trench), and Alan Wake 2 (Alex Casey).
His gruff, matter-of-fact delivery made him perfect for the noir tone of Max Payne and a fan-favorite–save for Lake, there’s perhaps no one whose name is more closely associated with Remedy than McCaffrey. He often voiced characters whose likeness was based on Lake, tying the two together closely since the release of the first Max Payne. Even when his characters were not directly encountered in a game–as was the case with Trench in Control–he remained a standout, as I can attest as someone who re-listens to Trench’s Hotline calls on a weekly basis.
It’s unclear how his death will impact future Remedy projects McCaffrey no doubt would have been a part of, including the upcoming Alan Wake 2 DLC and Max Payne remakes.
