Veteran voice actor James McCaffrey has died at the age of 65.
McCaffrey died on Sunday (December 17) after a battle with cancer, his manager has confirmed to Variety. He had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, though it is currently unclear when he was informed of the illness.
James McCaffrey is survived by his wife Rochelle Bostrom and daughter Tiernan McCaffrey.
Multiple myeloma is a type of bone marrow cancer characterised by abnormal expansion of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is also the second most common type of blood cancer in humans.
McCaffrey was best known for voicing and providing the motion capture for titular protagonist in the beloved video game franchise Max Payne. He also famously voiced Alex Casey in Alan Wake and Alan Wake 2 – the latter of which was recently crowned NME‘s game of the year.
In gaming, McCaffrey also voiced characters in Control, Area 51 and Alone In The Dark. Before venturing into the video game industry, McCaffrey was also an actor in TV and film, most prominently having a cameo in Mark Wahlberg’s 2008 Max Payne film alongside smaller roles in American Splendour and The Truth About Cats And Dogs.
In TV, his breakout role was in Fox’s police drama New York Undercover, followed by major recurring roles in Viper, As The World Turns, Rescue Me, She’s Gotta Have It and Jessica Jones.
Following the news of his death, tributes have begun pouring in for the late James McCaffrey. See a couple of them below.
Rest in Peace James McCaffrey, the inimitable and commanding presence who brought Max Payne to life. pic.twitter.com/06oQXb3J4v
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) December 18, 2023
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… 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 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 (2/2) pic.twitter.com/XwzGoRfJdv— Sam Lake (@SamLakeRMD) December 18, 2023
Heartbreaking news today about the passing of James McCaffrey.
Such an iconic performer across Max Payne and the Remedy-verse.
He was always so kind and generous in person, and always seemed especially proud to be working in games. pic.twitter.com/OfywxBot8W
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 18, 2023
