James McCaffrey, the voice of Max Payne and Alan Wake 2’s Alex Casey, has died

By Tomas Franzese Published December 18, 2023

James McCaffrey, an actor best known for his work with Remedy Entertainment on video game series like Max Payne and Alan Wake, has died.

TMZ revealed the 65-year-old actor died on Sunday from multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. “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,” Remedy Entertainment posted on its official X account. “His remarkable talent gave life to our characters and left an enduring impact on our community. Our hearts go out to his family.”

Sam Lake and James McCaffrey stand together. — Sam Lake

As Remedy Entertainment’s tweet alluded to, McCaffrey is known for being the voice of Max Payne throughout that entire series, which is currently being remade by Remedy. He then played a prominent role in Alan Wake 2 as FBI Agent Alex Casey. He also had a career in film and television, appearing in shows like Viper, New York Undercover, and Rescue Me. Sam Lake, the writer and director behind the Max Payne and Alan Wake series, shared his feelings on McCaffrey’s passing on X.

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“I’m heartbroken to hear the sad news of James McCaffrey’s passing,” Lake wrote. “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.”

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Gaming

All Lunchbox locations in Alan Wake 2

Saga finding a lunchbox in the forest.

Collectibles are nothing new to the Alan Wake series. The first game's primary trinkets you would be scrounging around for were coffee thermoses, but those now serve as save spots in Alan Wake 2. What replaces them are several new types, such as Cult Stashes and Nursery Rhymes, but those are more puzzles than pure collectibles. The Alex Casey Lunchboxes are pure, hidden objects that just need to be found to unlock -- no puzzles or keys required. Aside from the trophy/achievement you get for finding them all, what they hold inside is more than worth the effort of collecting them. No, it isn't someone's leftover sandwich, but precious Manuscript Fragments required to upgrade Saga's guns. We've all lost track of Lunchboxes in the past, so here is where you can find them all in Alan Wake 2.
All Lunchbox locations
Across every major zone you go to as Saga in Alan Wake 2, you can get a total of 21 Alex Casey Lunchboxes. Each one has a few Manuscript Fragments and a little cryptic or creepy note attached for some additional lore.
Cauldron Lake Lunchboxes

Cauldron Lake has the most Lunchboxes to grab with eight in total to track down.

Gaming

All TV locations in Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake stands in front of a movie theater in Alan Wake 2.

Remedy has been one of the biggest studios to push the inclusion of multimedia in gaming. The first Alan Wake featured short TV episodes of a fictional show called Night Springs that players could discover and watch, Control added in real-life footage in various projections, and Quantum Break had fully live-action "cutscenes." Alan Wake 2 adds more TVs to the world in two different forms -- Koskela Brother Commercials and Writer's Journey videos. The former are found with Saga and the latter with Alan, and both have their own trophy/achievement related to finding them all. As a bonus, they are entertaining enough on their own to warrant seeking them out. Don't touch that dial, because we're going to show you where to find every TV in Alan Wake 2.
All Koskela Brother Commercial locations
Starting off with Saga, there are six commercials to find over the course of the game. All you need to do is approach the TV for it to start, and you get credit for them as soon as they begin playing, so you really don't have to watch them through to the end.

Head into the police station before the end of Return 3 and go into the employee lounge. Note: This commercial is missable if you do not get it before the end of Return 3.
This TV is in the Oh Deer Diner up on the left wall.
The TV in the lobby of the Lederwood Palace Lodge can't be missed.
When you reach the Nursery Home, go into the rec room to watch this TV.
The only TV in Coffee World is in the Lighthouse Trailer park inside the first trailer you pass on the left.
The final commercial icomes during the final sequence of Saga's campaign. Once you start Return 8, go back to the Oh Deer Diner for the last one.

Gaming

All Word of Power locations in Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake sitting at a desk with a typewriter.

Alan Wake 2 splits its campaign up between the titular writer from the original game and a new character, FBI agent Saga. While the two play mostly the same, each one does have some bespoke elements. Aside from smaller touches like each having their own weapons and inventory, they also have different sets of collectibles to search out. While Saga needs to track down and solve things like Nursery Rhymes and open Cult Stashes, Alan's hidden items, called Words of Power, are more in line with his profession. These are more concepts than actual, physical items to grab, and must be picked up in a unique way. Not only are they worth finding because they unlock a Trophy, but they also will help smooth out the difficulty curve since they serve as upgrades for Alan. Our words may not be as powerful as Alan's, but they can still guide you to every Word of Power location in Alan Wake 2.
How Words of Power work
Words of Power are environmental objects that only Alan can interact with. While exploring his section, you will be able to hunt down these spots on the map and find a spiral of words written somewhere. To "collect" one, you simply need to shine your light on it from the right angle -- your controller will vibrate to let you know you're getting close.

Words of Power are divided into seven types, each of which offers three different upgrade options in different areas. Here's each type and how they can improve Alan's skills.