Actor Peter Greene, best known for his intense portrayals of villains in films such as Pulp Fiction, The Mask and Training Day, has died at the age of 60. His manager has confirmed that Greene was found dead at his home in New York City on Friday.
Manager Gregg Edwards said Greene was discovered inside his Lower East Side apartment following a wellness check. The cause of death has not been disclosed. The news was first reported by the New York Daily News.
Greene rose to prominence in the early 1990s with his chilling performance as Zed, the sadistic security guard in Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic Pulp Fiction (1994). The same year, he also left a mark as Dorian, the villain opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask.
“Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter,” Edwards said, adding that the actor had a softer side that few outside his close circle ever saw. “He had a heart as big as gold.”
According to Edwards, music had reportedly been playing in Greene’s apartment for more than 24 hours, prompting concern and a subsequent check. He added that he had spoken to Greene earlier in the week.
Beyond mainstream hits, Greene earned critical acclaim for his lead role in the 1993 indie film Clean, Shaven, where he portrayed a man living with schizophrenia and suspected of murder. The New York Times praised his performance, calling it raw, volatile and deeply affecting.
As a character actor, Greene appeared in several high-profile Hollywood films, including The Usual Suspects (1995), where he played Redfoot, and Training Day (2001), in which he portrayed a detective caught in the web of corruption led by Denzel Washington’s Alonzo Harris. One of Greene’s most memorable moments comes in Training Day, when his character agrees to be shot in a bulletproof vest to help stage a cover-up.
Born on October 8, 1965, in Montclair, New Jersey, Greene began acting in his 20s after moving to New York City, according to his IMDb biography. He is survived by his brother and sister.
Greene’s career may have been defined by dark and dangerous roles, but colleagues and fans alike remember him as a powerful performer who brought unsettling realism to every character he played.
