James McCaffrey Dies at 65 Years Old Following Fight with Cancer

James McCaffrey, who portrayed video game characters in Max Payne and Alan Wake, died at the age of 65 following a cancer struggle.

James McCaffrey, who played Max Payne in the video game series of the same name, died on December 17, his spokesman confirmed to Variety. He was 65.

According to various news sites, the voice actor died following a fight with multiple myeloma, a kind of blood cancer.

E! News reached out to James’ representative for confirmation but has yet to hear back.

In addition to his work in the Max Payne trilogy, McCaffrey played Alex Casey in the first and second installments of Alan Wake, the latter of which was only published this year.

McCaffrey had a successful broadcast career prior to his employment in video game narrating. He was most recognized for his appearances on Rescue Me as fireman and 9/11 survivor Jimmy Keefe, as well as in the 1990s dramas Viper and New York Undercover, in which he portrayed Michael Payton/Joe Astor and Captain Arthur O’Byrne, respectively.

McCaffrey, who was born in Albany, New York, was married to fellow actress Rochelle Boström, who also acted in Viper.

While his voice may be heard in a variety of computer games, the actor admitted in 2020 that he was “not a big fan” of them, citing one of his film performances as his favorite.

“Probably Jimmy Keefe in the TV series Rescue Me for FX,” he told Saratoga Living in an interview published in June of that year. “Just because he was a ghost and he died in the World Trade Center on September 11.”

Fans and professional performers alike paid tribute to McCaffrey in the aftermath of his death.

“James McCaffrey, we were lucky to have known you,” Entourage’s Kevin Dillon posted on Instagram on December 18. “My best friend you will be missed.”

And one of the comments on Dillon’s article stated, “The voice of my and many other people’s childhoods as the titular Max Payne.” Incredible performance as Jimmy Keefe. Alan Wake and Control are flawless. He has a strong presence in all of his works. “May you rest in peace.”