James McCaffrey, the actor most known for voicing Remedy Entertainment’s Max Payne across multiple decades, has sadly passed away at age 65. McCaffrey reportedly passed on Sunday, after a battle with myeloma, an aggressive form of cancer.
Over the last few hours, he’s been rightfully celebrated for his contributions to acting, and to the games industry – particularly for his roles in Max Payne and other Remedy titles – Control, in which he played FBC Director Trench, and recent hit Alan Wake 2, which featured McCaffrey as the voice of FBI agent, Alex Casey.
In whichever role he performed, McCaffrey delivered much gravitas, with his signature gravely, low tones instantly recognisable by anyone familiar with his work. His recent turn in Alan Wake 2 was a particular delight, as his Casey performance was a distinct callback to Max Payne, and served as a nod to Remedy’s long history.
While there’s time to mourn his passing, we should also celebrate everything McCaffrey has given to video games and acting. He was a remarkable talent, and somebody who will certainly be remembered through his works.
Read: Alan Wake 2 is GamesHub’s Game of the Year 2023
“I’m heartbroken to hear the sad news of James McCaffrey’s passing,” Sam Lake, creative director and writer on Alan Wake 2 wrote of McCaffrey. “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.”
The Remedy Entertainment Twitter / X account also paid tribute, calling the actor a “remarkable talent” who “gave life to [its] characters and left an enduring impact on [its] community” as did the Rockstar Games account, who named McCaffrey an “inimitable and commanding presence.”
Game Awards host and industry presenter Geoff Keighley also shared condolences, praising McCaffrey as an iconic performer who was “always so kind and generous in person, and always seemed especially proud to be working in games.”
McCaffrey leaves a long legacy – and one that will be preserved in the many brilliant performances he left behind. Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.
