Max Payne (young)

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In the original Max Payne, Max is an NYPD detective who goes undercover for the DEA, though he is not a DEA agent himself. He becomes a vigilante following the murder of his family and, later, the murder of his police partner, for which he was framed. In Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, he returns to the department as a detective and must solve a conspiracy filled with death and betrayal. At the start of Max Payne 3, developed by Rockstar Games, Max is employed as a bodyguard for Rodrigo Branco in São Paulo, Brazil, but is soon drawn into another conspiracy. The first game's ending clearly shows Max alive, confirming his status.

In Their Own Story

Payne auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008, at 14 years old, performing Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me to the Moon'. He was cut at boot camp, then again at judges' houses, but Cowell encouraged him to 'come back in two years'. Payne returned in 2010 for the seventh series, singing the Michael Bublé version of 'Cry Me a River'. During boot camp, Payne, along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, were put together to form a five-piece boy band called One Direction. The group became the last contestant eliminated on the show. In January 2011, One Direction were signed to Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment. Their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful' and debut album Up All Night were released later that year. All of their next four studio albums—Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013), Four (2014) and Made in the A.M. (2015)—debuted at number one in the UK. Midnight Memories was the world's best-selling album of 2013. One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

Reader's Guide

Max Payne is an antihero noted for his complex use of metaphors and wordplay in inner monologues. He is an extreme introvert with a questionable grip on reality. After his family's murder, he loses his meaning of life and works toward vengeance, showing survivor's guilt and self-destructive behavior. In Max Payne 3, he is described as a drunk, morose, widowed ex-cop trying to find peace, displaying extreme violence but also more restraint than in previous games.

Did You Know?

• The character was originally named Max Heat, and 3D Realms spent over $20,000 trademarking that name before someone suggested the last name Payne.
• Sam Lake modeled for the graphic novel-style cutscenes in the first game; for Max Payne 2, Timothy Gibbs became the new model.
• James McCaffrey voiced Max in all appearances and also provided motion capture for Max Payne 3.
• Max's look in Max Payne 3 (older, bald, bearded) was part of the game's narrative design from the start, with flashbacks to his classic appearance included as a storytelling choice, not as a response to fan reactions.