Pulp Fiction and The Mask actor Peter Greene has died. He was 60.
Greene had been found dead inside his New York City apartment on Friday, December 12, which his manager confirmed to multiple outlets.
According to Greene’s longtime manager, Gregg Edward, the actor’s family has since been notified of his death.
“He was a unique individual,” Edward told The New York Daily News in a Friday statement. “One of the most brilliant character actors on the planet. Had a really good heart. Cared about people.”
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Greene was a famed character actor, notably playing Zed in 1994’s Pulp Fiction and Dorian in The Mask that same year.
“Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter,” Edward told NBC News on Saturday, December 13. “But he also had, you know, a gentle side that most people never saw, and a heart as big as gold.”
Edward further revealed to NBC that a wellness check was performed at Greene’s house after neighbors heard music playing for more than 24 hours.
A cause of death for Greene, who is survived by two siblings, has not been revealed.
Greene’s acting credits extend far beyond Pulp Fiction and The Mask, spanning both film and television.
“Clean Shaven is my favorite thing I ever did because I was immersed in a character who had troubles and you wanted to relay it,” Green said during a 2022 appearance on the “The Up & Adam Show” podcast. “Remember when there’s nothing to do, don’t do anything and the camera picks up everything. If you’re thinking, if you’re sitting, remember when Chino was doing that scene on the phone. He was thinking and everything worked in his eyes.”
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He continued, “You’ll see when somebody’s doing the whole facial [expression] or you think when somebody’s really there someplace, just go in, have fun, it’s being shot and don’t think about anybody else. Don’t think about what they thing about you. I really mean that. Go in there and remember you’re on your own. That’s a great thing.”
After Greene starred in 1993’s Clean Shaven, director Quentin Tarantino offered him a role in the then-upcoming Pulp Fiction.
“I had seen Reservoir Dogs, but I didn’t like it that much. He wanted me to play that part,” Greene recalled in 2022, further musing about working with Cameron Diaz in The Mask. “She’s really cool [and] she was, like, one of the boys. [Chuck Russell, the director] came up to me and he said, ‘Listen, no tongue or anything when you kiss her. Watch that kiss.’”
In most of his roles, Greene was a fan of improvising certain scenes.
“If you want to improvise, improvise,” Greene told podcast host Adam Lupis. “If a director doesn’t want you to improvise and you’re in the character, then you don’t want to work with him anyway. … Don’t try to perform. Remember, less is more, especially on film. It’s not the stage [and] the camera picks up everything.”
Following Greene’s death, several of his former colleagues and fans have offered emotional tributes via social media.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Peter Greene,” actress Monique Dupree wrote via X. “He was so good at his craft and he was kind to others. We had such a fun time on set. RIP.”
I Am The Icarus performer Daniel Godfrey, meanwhile, tweeted that Greene “totally stole every scene” in The Mask.
