Peter Greene Is Gone at 60 💔 The Actor Who Made Pulp Fiction Unforgettable

December 13, 2025
Image Source :: Jim Spellman / WireImage / Getty Images file

Peter Greene was one of those actors whose face stuck with you — even if you couldn’t always place the name right away. He didn’t chase leading roles, but he carved out a career as an unforgettable presence on screen. From Pulp Fiction to The Mask, his characters left an indelible mark on 1990s cinema and beyond.

Greene’s death at age 60 has sent ripples through Hollywood and among film fans around the world. As details continue to emerge, the story of his life — and how he’ll be remembered — deserves both celebration and nuance. NBC Los Angeles

The Man Behind the Screen: Who Was Peter Greene?

Born Peter Green on October 8, 1965, in Montclair, New Jersey, he later adopted the professional name Peter Greene. He didn’t start acting until his mid-20s, but once he got his foot in the door, he became known for a very specific niche: villains with edge. Wikipedia

Greene wasn’t the typical Hollywood leading man. He stood tall, had a gravelly intensity, and carried a kind of unpredictable energy that made him perfect for darker roles. Directors looking for someone who could make villains feel real — and dangerous — often turned to him.

Breakout Roles: ‘Pulp Fiction’ and More

Pulp Fiction (1994)

This is where many people first saw Peter Greene in full force.

In Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino cast Greene as Zed, a security guard whose brief but harrowing appearance became one of the film’s most talked-about moments. It was shocking, unsettling, and perfectly served the story Tarantino was telling. Whether viewers loved it or cringed, they remembered it — and Greene’s performance made that possible. NBC Los Angeles

The Mask (1994)

The same year, Greene appeared in The Mask, opposite Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz. Playing Dorian Tyrell, a crime boss with a ruthless streak, he provided a fitting foil to Carrey’s cartoonish energy. The role helped cement Greene as an actor who could blend comic-book excess with real menace. NBC Los Angeles

Other Notable Work

Greene didn’t just play violent or creepy characters. His filmography shows range:

  • Clean, Shaven (1993) — a dramatic indie role that showcased his emotional depth. NBC Los Angeles

  • The Usual Suspects (1995) — as Redfoot, a fence who inadvertently sets a caper in motion. The Economic Times

  • Training Day (2001) — playing Jeff, a corrupt cop in a critically acclaimed crime drama. NBC Los Angeles

  • Blue Streak (1999) and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) among others broadened his portfolio beyond Tarantino’s universe. The Economic Times

He also dipped into television, appearing in series like The Black Donnellys and Life on Mars. Wikipedia

Off-Screen Struggles and Resilience

None of this came easy.

Greene’s early life included real hardship — he left home young and at times was homeless before turning to acting as a way out. In the 1990s, he publicly battled addiction, including heroin and cocaine, and in 1996 survived a suicide attempt. After that, he sought treatment and stayed focused on his craft for decades. Wikipedia

His honesty about those struggles added depth to the way audiences saw him. He wasn’t just playing dark characters; he’d seen darkness up close and brought honesty to those roles without ever glorifying them.

Untimely Passing and Cause of Death

On December 12, 2025, Greene was found dead inside his Lower East Side apartment in New York City. He was 60. NBC Los Angeles

Here’s what’s confirmed so far:

  • He was discovered after neighbors reported music playing loudly for days. Geo News

  • Police have not suspected foul play. NBC Los Angeles

  • No official cause of death has been released yet — it’s pending examination by the medical examiner. NBC Los Angeles

His longtime manager, Gregg Edwards, described him as someone with a big heart who could be misunderstood because of the roles he chose, but was genuinely generous off-camera. Geo News

Career Impact: What Made Peter Greene Stand Out

The thing about Greene is simple: he wasn’t flashy. He didn’t chase awards or headlines. Instead, he built a career on substance and ferocity.

A casting director once said (paraphrased) that Greene brought a raw, lived-in unpredictability to his roles. That quality made his villains feel real — not caricatures. And that’s what made audiences react. Few actors can make you scared, intrigued, and impressed all in the same breath. NBC Los Angeles

His influence extended past the films themselves. Conversations around the cultural impact of Pulp Fiction and other 1990s classics often loop back to the supporting players — Greene chief among them.

Peter Greene’s Net Worth: A Working Actor’s Reality

Despite a long and consistent career, Greene didn’t become a millionaire superstar.

Estimates put his net worth around $1.5 million — modest by Hollywood standards, but solid for a character actor whose career spanned three decades. The Economic Times

That figure reflects steady work, residuals from classic films, and a reputation that kept him employed. He wasn’t a headline star — but he was a reliable one.

Why His Death Resonates

When news broke that Peter Greene died, reactions poured in from fans who remembered him for different reasons — some for Pulp Fiction, others for The Mask, and many who saw his breadth beyond those two roles. Geo News

That’s the mark of an actor whose work mattered: his presence stuck with people, not because it was flashy, but because it was honest and unforgettable.

Greene reminded audiences that not every great performance comes from a lead role. Sometimes, the most powerful moments are carved out by those who support the story — and make the world around the leads feel richer, stranger, and more alive.

Conclusion: A Legacy Built on Intensity and Craft

Peter Greene’s career wasn’t about fame in the traditional sense. It was about presence — that electric moment when he stepped into a scene and made you pay attention.

He played villains, sure. But he did it with a sincerity that grounded those characters in something real. And off screen, he fought his own battles and kept returning to the craft he believed in.

There’s an honesty in that — in the roles he chose, the troubles he faced, and the legacy he leaves. In the end, he wasn’t just a great villain: he was an actor who made movies feel bigger, stranger, and more memorable — long after the credits rolled.

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