McCaffrey died on Sunday (December 17) after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
McCaffrey provided the voice of tough anti-hero Max Payne in the beloved franchise of the same name. Payne was a New York City police detective turned vigilante after his family was murdered, with the neo-noir games going on to explore city-wide conspiracies.
McCaffrey featured in the 2001 original, 2003’s follow-up Max Payne 2: The Fall Of Max Payne and the final instalment of the trilogy, 2012’s Max Payne 3. He also provided motion capture for that title, while the series has gone on to shift over 7.5million units worldwide.
McCaffrey also had a cameo in the 2008 Hollywood adaptation of Max Payne, which starred Mark Wahlberg as the titular character alongside Mila Kunis.
Elsewhere, McCaffrey starred as FBI agent Alex Casey in 2010’s Alan Wake and reprised his role for this year’s celebrated sequel, Alan Wake 2. He also had roles in 2019’s Control and 2008’s Alone In The Dark.
Paying tribute to McCaffrey, Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake wrote: “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. He was a joy to work with. I will cherish his memory and I miss him,” he continued. “My deepest condolences to his family. Rest in peace, Jim.”
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
Following the news, fans have praised McCaffrey’s performance as Max Payne.
“His warm growl of a voice was a welcome presence in so many games. The word badass gets thrown around a lot but he was truly worthy of the phrase,” wrote one fan before sharing an iconic clip from Max Payne 3.
RIP James McCaffrey. His warm growl of a voice was a welcome presence in so many games. The word badass gets thrown around a lot but he was truly worthy of the phrase. Here he is in Max Payne 3 delivering one of the coolest final lines in any piece of media pic.twitter.com/6BxsvgXZIu
— Sam Bullock (@Crampsam) December 18, 2023
Other fans have shared Max Payne’s first impressive appearance and called James McCaffrey “a very unique, irreplaceable presence.”
“People (rightfully) posting Max Payne clips, but James McCaffrey’s performance as Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2 will be remembered as one of the finest in the medium. A perfect, mournful, and quite sad role that honours an unforgettable icon,” added another fan.
Check out a range of tributes below.
Even several hours later, the news of James McCaffrey passing continues to suck. His performance as Max Payne is one of the most iconic in all of gaming history. I had my issues with the third game, but he was absolutely not one of them pic.twitter.com/6BPwaAwzCq
— Critical Nobody (@Crit_Nobody) December 19, 2023
The first time we hear James McCaffrey as Max Payne!
Going to miss him pic.twitter.com/xbKIfk2RGt
— 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 (@RuleTimeSpace) December 18, 2023
Rip I’ll always remember this line delivery from Max Payne 3
https://t.co/iPIiEeTulX pic.twitter.com/yhY3e4SkiQ
— serial retweeter (@shubstub) 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
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
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
We're deeply saddened by the loss of James McCaffrey, the iconic voice behind Max Payne.
His talent brought depth and humanity to a character that touched many hearts. Our thoughts are with his loved ones. He will be missed but never forgotten. pic.twitter.com/mLAh2vaGPJ
— Apogee Entertainment (@Apogee_Ent) December 18, 2023
people (rightfully) posting Max Payne clips, but James McCaffrey's performance as Alex Casey in AW2 will be remembered as one of the finest in the medium. a perfect, mournful, and quite sad role that honors an unforgettable icon.
"There will always be *another* case for Casey." pic.twitter.com/ffVWWrU3HQ
— ryan (@k0ndevil) December 18, 2023
RIP James McCaffrey. His warm growl of a voice was a welcome presence in so many games. The word badass gets thrown around a lot but he was truly worthy of the phrase. Here he is in Max Payne 3 delivering one of the coolest final lines in any piece of media pic.twitter.com/6BxsvgXZIu
— Sam Bullock (@Crampsam) December 18, 2023
The post Fans share iconic ‘Max Payne’ clips following James McCaffrey’s death appeared first on NME.
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