James McCaffrey, who lent his voice to characters in video games like Alan Wake and Max Payne, has died at 65 from cancer, his manager told Variety.
Representatives for McCaffrey did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
The actor was best known as the voice behind Max Payne, the gruff New York City cop-turned-vigilante, in the 2001 first-person shooter game developed by Rockstar Games and Remedy Entertainment. McCaffrey would go on to reprise the role in two more Max Payne titles.
McCaffrey continued his streak as a video game law enforcement officer with his role as FBI agent Alex Casey in the Alan Wake series, a survival horror game made by Remedy Entertainment. Most recently, McCaffrey reprised his role as Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2, released in October.
Many in the gaming world quickly paid tribute to the iconic actor.
"Rest in Peace James McCaffrey, the inimitable and commanding presence who brought Max Payne to life," Rockstar Games said in a post on various social media platforms, including X and Instagram.
Remedy Entertainment and the official account for Alan Wake 2 also posted a statement about McCaffrey's death.
"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 to his family in this time of loss."
Sam Lake, a writer and director for Remedy Entertainment and the person for whom both the characters of Casey and Payne's likeness is based on, said he was heartbroken by the news.
"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," he wrote on X.
Although he was beloved for his work in video games, McCaffrey's career, which spanned more than three decades, began in film and television.
The Internet Movie Database lists his first credit for a 1987 video called "New York's Finest." He was on four episodes of the ABC legal drama "Civil Wars."
He worked steadily in the industry, eventually landing the role of Joe Astor on the NBC show "Viper," on which he appeared in 35 episodes.
McCaffrey's biggest role outside of the video game industry came on FX's show "Rescue Me," on which he played firefighter James Xavier “Jimmy” Keefe. Keefe was the best friend and cousin to actor Dennis Leary's character Tommy Gavin.
He is survived by his wife, Rochelle Bostrom, and a daughter, Tiernan, according to Variety.
