Peter Greene, the character actor best known for his roles in Pulp Fiction and The Mask, has died at the age of 60.
Greene was found dead in his Lower East Side apartment in New York City on Friday, December 12. His manager, Gregg Edwards, confirmed the news in a statement to PEOPLE, following an initial report by the New York Daily News.
According to Edwards, authorities conducted a wellness check after music was heard playing inside Greene’s apartment for more than 24 hours. Edwards said he had spoken with the actor earlier in the week.
“Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter,” Edwards told NBC News. “But he also had a gentle side that most people never got to see, and a heart as big as gold.”
At this time, Greene’s cause of death has not been made public.
Born in New Jersey, Greene began his on-screen career in 1990 with a guest appearance on the NBC crime drama Hardball. He made his film debut two years later in Laws of Gravity, starring alongside Edie Falco.
He rose to prominence in the early 1990s with a series of standout performances, including Clean, Shaven (1993), his turn as villain Dorian Tyrell in The Mask (1994) opposite Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994).
Over the years, Greene became a highly respected character actor, delivering memorable performances in films such as The Usual Suspects (1995), Kiss & Tell (1997), Blue Streak (1999), and Training Day (2001), where he appeared alongside Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
His television work included recurring roles on The Black Donnellys, Life on Mars, and Chicago P.D. Most recently, he appeared in the John Wick prequel series The Continental (2023) and an episode of Dope Thief in 2025.
“He was one of the greatest character actors in the world,” Edwards told Deadline. “He was a true friend — the kind of person who would give you the shirt off his back. He was deeply loved and will be missed.”
Greene had two upcoming projects, including Mascots with Mickey Rourke and the documentary From the American People: The Withdrawal of USAID, which he co-produced and narrated. He is survived by his brother and sister.
