NEW YORK — Actor Peter Greene, noted for his villainous roles in “Pulp Fiction” and other films, died in December after he accidentally shot himself in the armpit, officials said Wednesday.
The New York City medical examiner said the cause of death for Greene, 60, who was found dead in his apartment on Dec. 12, was from a “gunshot wound of (the) left axilla with injury of brachial artery,” NBC News reported. The manner of death was ruled to be accidental, according to Deadline.
Greene’s manager, Gregg Edwards, told NBC News and The New York Times on Dec. 13 that a wellness check was executed at Greene’s apartment after a neighbor complained about Christmas music that had been playing for more than 24 hours, USA Today reported.
“Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter,” Edwards told NBC News. “But he also had, you know, a gentle side that most people never saw, and a heart as big as gold.”
The cause of death for Peter Greene, known for playing villainous roles in movies such as "The Mask" and "Pulp Fiction," was found to be accidental. https://t.co/XTK1MGGEJb
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 19, 2026
Greene was best known for playing Zed, a sadistic security guard, in 1994’s “Pulp Fiction,” Rolling Stone reported.
He followed up by playing the mobster Dorian Tyrell opposite Jim Carrey in “The Mask” (1994) and then as Redfoot the Fence in the 1995 film “The Usual Suspects,″ according to the magazine.
Greene’s made his television debut in 1990 during an episode of “Hardball,” People reported. He appeared in his first film two years later in “Laws of Gravity.”
Greene appeared in more than 100 films and television shows during his career, Rolling Stone reported.
In an uncredited role, Greene played a corrupt narcotics officer in “Training Day” (2001), according to IMDb.com. He also landed roles on episodes of “Hawaii Five-O,” “Justified,” “Chicago PD” and “The Continental,” Deadline reported.
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