Actor Peter Greene, best known for his memorable roles in films such as Pulp Fiction and The Mask, was found dead in his apartment on Friday afternoon, according to multiple reports.Greene, who was 60 years old, was discovered unresponsive inside his Lower East Side residence in New York City. Authorities responded to the scene at approximately 3:25 p.m. on Friday, December 12, and he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Law enforcement officials have stated that there were no immediate signs of foul play, though a medical examiner is expected to determine the official cause of death in the coming days.
The actor’s manager, Gregg Edwards, confirmed Greene’s passing and expressed deep sadness over the loss.“He was just a terrific guy,” Edwards said. “Arguably one of the greatest character actors on the planet. He worked with everybody.”
Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Greene built a career defined by intense, often unsettling performances that left a lasting impression on audiences. Some of his early leading roles included Laws of Gravity in 1992 and Clean, Shaven in 1993, the latter earning particular praise for its raw and psychologically complex portrayal.
In 1994, Greene reached a global audience when he portrayed Zed, the menacing antagonist in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The film’s massive success made Greene instantly recognizable, and his performance remains one of the most frequently cited by fans of the cult classic.Despite his fame, Greene continued to gravitate toward challenging roles, often in independent films. According to his representatives, his death came as a shock. He had recently been preparing to begin work on an upcoming independent project titled Mascots, in which he was set to appear alongside Mickey Rourke.