Peter Greene, the American actor known for his roles as villains in films like The Mask and Pulp Fiction, died December 12, 2025, in Novel York City, according to a report released Tuesday by the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. He was 60 years old.
The medical examiner determined Greene’s death was accidental, caused by a gunshot wound to the left armpit that severed the brachial artery, resulting in significant blood loss. The report, relayed by Deadline, details the injury as a “gunshot wound to left axilla with brachial artery laceration.”
Authorities were alerted to Greene’s death after neighbors reported hearing music playing continuously from his Lower East Side apartment for several days. Police responded and discovered his body. Initial reports did not indicate foul play.
Greene’s manager, Gregg Edwards, confirmed his death to media outlets in December, describing the actor as having “a heart as big as gold” despite his frequent portrayal of antagonists. “Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter,” Edwards said.
Born May 10, 1965, in Montclair, New Jersey, Greene began his acting career in the early 1990s. He gained prominence playing the sadistic security guard Zed in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film, Pulp Fiction, and the gangster Dorian Tyrell in The Mask (1994). He also appeared in Usual Suspects (1995). According to reports, Greene had previously struggled with substance abuse.
As of February 19, 2026, the New York Police Department has closed its investigation into Greene’s death.
