James McCaffrey, the actor renowned for giving his voice to iconic video game characters such as Max Payne in the acclaimed series and, most recently, Alex Casey in "Alan Wake 2," passed away on Sunday after battling cancer.
McCaffrey was diagnosed of multiple myeloma before he lost his life at 65.
Prior to his distinguished career in video game voice acting, McCaffrey left an indelible mark in film and television for over three decades. His early roles in the late '80s and early '90s set the stage for a breakthrough with the police drama "New York Undercover" on Fox, where he portrayed the recurring character Captain Arthur O'Byrne in Season 3. Subsequently, he starred in the NBC action series "Viper" during its initial run in 1994 and returned for its revival in Season 4 a few years later.
McCaffrey's role emerged on FX's "Rescue Me" in 2004, where he portrayed firefighter James Xavier "Jimmy" Keefe, a character deeply connected to the events of September 11. Best friends and cousins with Denis Leary's main character Tommy Gavin, McCaffrey played a central role in the show's first three seasons and continued as a recurring character in the final four seasons. His television repertoire also included appearances on shows such as "Sex and the City," "As the World Turns," "Beautiful People," "She’s Gotta Have It," and "Jessica Jones." In addition to his television work, McCaffrey graced the big screen with roles in films like "The Orphan Killer," "Camp Hope," and "Excuse Me for Living."
For fans of video games, McCaffrey's distinctive voice became synonymous with Max Payne, the gritty antihero from the popular shooter series. He voiced Max in all three games of the series: the original "Max Payne" (2001), its sequel "Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne" (2003), and the final installment "Max Payne 3" (2012), where McCaffrey also contributed to the motion capture.
McCaffrey also voiced FBI agent Alex Casey in the original "Alan Wake" game in 2010 and reprised the role in the recently released "Alan Wake II," which earned accolades for best narrative, art direction, and game direction at this month's Game Awards. McCaffrey's influence extended to other notable titles, including "Control" (2019) and "Alone in the Dark" (2008).
