Peter Greene, the veteran character actor best known for his role as Zed in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and for appearances in films such as The Mask and The Usual Suspects, was found dead inside his Lower East Side apartment in New York City on Friday, authorities said. He was 66.
Police and a neighbor confirmed that Greene was discovered in his ground-floor apartment on Clinton Street near Stanton Street. His longtime manager, Gregg Edward, said the actor’s family has been notified of his death.
According to a neighbor who requested anonymity, residents in the building had complained for days about Christmas music blasting from Greene’s apartment at odd hours, beginning around 3 a.m. on Wednesday. When the noise continued, building management sent a locksmith on Friday to open the door. That is when Greene was found.
“Peter was lying on the floor, facedown,” the neighbor said. “There was a facial injury and blood everywhere.”
The NYPD said officers responded to the location around 3:25 p.m. Friday, where a 60-year-old man was initially reported dead. Police later clarified on Saturday that Greene’s actual age was 66. Authorities said his death does not appear suspicious, and an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause.
A handwritten note was reportedly taped to the door of Greene’s apartment. One line read, “I’m still a Westie,” an apparent reference to the Irish-American Westies gang that operated out of Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970s and 1980s.
Edward, who had represented Greene for more than a decade, described him as a singular talent.
“He was a unique individual,” Edward said. “One of the most brilliant character actors on the planet. He had a really good heart and genuinely cared about people. Truly one of the great actors of our generation.”
Greene had previously spoken openly about his struggles with drug addiction, particularly during the 1990s, in interviews including one with Premier magazine. Despite those challenges, Edward said the actor had remained resilient.
Just days before his death, Greene had been preparing for upcoming work. Edward said he had recently been cast in a film titled Mascots, set to star Mickey Rourke and begin filming next year. He was also being considered for at least two other projects.
“He had a reputation for being tough to work with,” Edward said. “But that was because he was a perfectionist. He wanted everything to be right. He loved improvisation — some people embraced that, others didn’t.”
Edward added that Greene had spoken to him as recently as Wednesday and had a medical procedure scheduled in the coming days to remove a benign tumor near his lungs. Aside from that, he was in good physical shape.
“It’s a shock,” Edward said. “He wasn’t that old. He rode his bike everywhere around New York and stayed active. He’d had some health issues over the last couple of years, but he always fought through them. He was very strong.”
Remembering him, Edward said Greene left behind not just a legacy of memorable performances, but a life full of untold stories.
“I kept telling him to write his autobiography,” he said. “He had story after story. Bottom line, he was a good-hearted person and a brilliant, brilliant actor.”