James McCaffrey

Max Payne
Max Payne character
Max Payne in Max Payne 3
First game	Max Payne (2001)
Created by	Sam Lake
Voiced by	James McCaffrey
Motion capture	James McCaffrey (Max Payne 3)
Portrayed by	Sam Lake (Max Payne) Timothy Gibbs (Max Payne 2) Mark Wahlberg (film)

Max Payne is the main character and protagonist from the neo-noir video game series of the same name. Max was introduced in the 2001 third-person shooter Max Payne, which was written by Sam Lake and developed by Remedy Entertainment. The game's publisher, 3D Realms, intended Max to serve as the "foundation of a new gaming franchise". In the first game the character was portrayed by Lake, with Timothy Gibbs and James McCaffrey later taking over the role, and consistently voiced by McCaffrey. Mark Wahlberg portrayed Max in the film adaptation. The first game in the series presents the story as retold by Max from his point of view, while the sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, alternates between his and that of the femme fatale character Mona Sax.

In the original Max Payne, Max is an NYPD police officer and an undercover special agent for the DEA. Max becomes a vigilante following the murder of his family and later the murder of his police partner, which he was framed for. Later, he returns to the service as a detective, before his life is soon shattered by death and betrayal. At the start of Max Payne 3 by Rockstar Games, he finds himself employed as a bodyguard for Rodrigo Branco, a wealthy man in Brazil. Max Payne has been well received by media.