Peter Greene, best known for his chilling performances in Pulp Fiction and The Mask, has died at the age of 60.
The American actor was found dead at his New York City apartment on Friday, according to his manager. No cause of death has been disclosed, and police have said there is no suspicion of foul play.
Greene carved out a distinctive Hollywood career playing intense and often unsettling characters, most memorably as Zed, the sadistic security guard in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. He also appeared as the villain Dorian in Jim Carrey’s 1994 hit The Mask, cementing his reputation as one of cinema’s most effective on-screen antagonists.
Despite frequently being cast as villains, those who knew him described a very different person off camera. His manager, Gregg Edwards, said Greene had “a gentle side that most people never saw” and described him as “one of the great actors of our generation”.
Greene received critical acclaim early in his career, winning Best Actor at the 1994 Taormina Film Festival for his lead role in Clean, Shaven, a harrowing independent drama in which he portrayed a man living with schizophrenia. The performance remains one of the most respected in his filmography.
He went on to appear in a string of notable films throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, including The Usual Suspects, Training Day, Under Siege 2, Judgment Night, Blue Streak and The Rich Man’s Wife. His screen presence made him a familiar face across crime thrillers, action films and cult favourites.
In a rare interview in 2011, Greene revealed he initially turned down Pulp Fiction, fearing the role would define his career. He later accepted after Tarantino allowed him to adjust the scene.
Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Greene is survived by his brother and sister.
