James McCaffrey, the incredible actor behind Max Payne and Control's Zachariah Trench, has sadly passed away following a battle with cancer, aged 65.
News emerged earlier this afternoon and was later confirmed by his representative to TMZ. The statement confirms that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, and that he had passed away on Sunday (December 17th) surrounded by friends and family.
His extensive career spans over thirty-five years and includes Rescue Me, As the World Turns, Viper, New York Undercover, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Beautiful People, Jessica Jones, and a lot more.
Though it is perhaps his video game work that he is best known for, particularly in these circles.
In 2001, McCaffrey made his debut appearance in video games, taking on the voice of its eponymous hero, Max Payne. His work with Remedy would not only be considered to be his most iconic role but also mark the beginning of a twenty-two-year collaboration. He would later reprise his role in Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne and continue under Rockstar's direction of the series with Max Payne 3.
While the Max Payne series took a new direction under the helm of Rockstar, his work with Remedy never stopped.
In 2010, he stepped back into the recording booth to give life to Alan Wake's Thomas Zane for the main game and The Signal DLC. Years later, he would give a bone-chilling performance as the tortured Director Zachariah Trench in 2019's Control, a character spanning both live-action recordings and a digital in-game double. Most recently, he appeared as Alex Casey (a mirror to Max Payne) in Alan Wake 2.
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| Source: Sam Lake (via Twitter) |
Sam Lake, Creative Director at Remedy, who has worked with the actor for over two decades, wrote in memory of him, "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."
Our thoughts go to James McCaffrey's family and friends. Thank you for the adventures, James. We'll miss you.
