The curtain has fallen on the life of one of Hollywood’s most brilliant, yet troubled, character actors. Peter Greene, whose piercing gaze and chilling performances defined villains in classic films like Pulp Fiction and The Mask, was found dead inside his Lower East Side apartment on a somber Friday, according to police sources and a neighbor who made the unsettling discovery. Greene was 60 years old.
The news has sent a shockwave through the entertainment community, raising immediate questions about the circumstances of his passing, especially given the bizarre events leading up to it.
The Eerie Prelude: Christmas Music and Silence
The story of Greene’s final days holds an eerie, almost cinematic quality. Neighbors on Clinton St. near Stanton St. first noticed something amiss around 3 a.m. Wednesday when loud Christmas music began relentlessly blasting from the actor’s ground-floor unit.
According to a neighbor, who spoke to the Daily News, the holiday tunes played continuously for two days. It wasn’t until Friday that the building’s management was alerted and finally dispatched a locksmith to gain entry.
The scene inside was heartbreaking and grim. The neighbor recounted finding the actor lying facedown on the floor. “Peter was lying on the floor, facedown, facial injury, blood everywhere…,” the neighbor tragically revealed.
On the door, a handwritten note only deepened the mystery, including the cryptic line: “I’m still a Westie.“ This line is an apparent and unsettling reference to the notorious Irish-American gang that operated out of Hell’s Kitchen decades ago, leaving many to wonder about the message’s intent.
A Life of Brilliance and Battle
Greene’s long-time manager, Gregg Edward, who repped him for over a decade, confirmed the family had been notified and spoke glowingly of the man behind the infamous roles.
“He was a unique individual,” Edward stated. “One of the most brilliant character actors on the planet. Had a really good heart. Cared about people.”
The actor’s talent was undeniable. As the chilling rapist Zed in Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece Pulp Fiction or the malevolent Dorian Tyrell in The Mask, Greene specialized in characters that were captivatingly sinister. He was also recognizable for his role as the deceptive drug dealer Redfoot in The Usual Suspects.
However, the actor was candid about his struggles. He had a documented history of drug use, speaking in a 1990s Premier magazine interview about his battles with addiction.
New Roles and Sudden Health Concerns
Adding to the shock, Greene was in the midst of a career resurgence. Edward noted that the actor had recently secured a role in the film Mascots, set to star Mickey Rourke, and was actively being considered for at least two other projects.
“He had a reputation as tough to work with… He was a perfectionist,” Edward said, explaining that Greene was a big believer in improvisation, a trait some co-workers appreciated more than others.
Despite recent health concerns, his death was unexpected. Edward revealed that he had spoken to Greene as recently as Wednesday and that the actor was scheduled to undergo surgery in the coming days to remove a benign tumor near his lungs. Yet, the manager stressed that Greene was otherwise “healthy and fit,” regularly riding his bike around New York.
“It’s a shock,” Edward said. “He wasn’t that old. In pretty good shape for his age… He’d had some health issues throughout the last couple years, had always fought through and was very strong.”
The nature of the discovery—the facial injury, the blood, and the bizarre note—means that for now, the cause of death remains officially undetermined, with no immediate indication as to whether foul play was involved. The city’s medical examiner will now take over the critical task of establishing how this compelling actor met his end.
NY Buzz will continue to follow this developing story closely as the medical examiner’s office works to unravel the mystery behind the tragic death of a truly unforgettable talent.
“Bottom line, he was really a good-hearted person and a brilliant, brilliant actor,” Edward concluded. “I’ve been trying to get him to write his autobiography. He’s got stories after stories.”