Peter Greene
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Peter Greene (Template:Ne Green; May 10, 1959 – December 12, 2025) was an American actor. A character actor, he was generally known for portraying villains, corrupt police officers, and criminals. He began his acting career in 1990, landing small roles in television and film with his film debut being Laws of Gravity. He had major roles in Pulp Fiction, The Mask, and The Usual Suspects in 1994 and 1995.
Greene's other credits included Judgment Night (1993), Clean, Shaven (1994), Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995). He later appeared in Kiss & Tell (1997), Blue Streak (1999), Training Day (2001), The Black Donnellys (2007), Life on Mars (2009), New York New York (2016), and The Continental (2023). He had over a hundred film and television credits throughout his career.
He had issues with drug addiction throughout his life. He died unexpectedly at age 66 from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Early life
Peter Green was born on May 10, 1959, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Peter Paul Green Jr. and Patricia Ann Fitzgerald.[1] He was one of three siblings, with a brother and a sister.[2] In his youth he was a choirboy at his local Catholic church.[3] He was a student at Montclair High School.[3] However, he ran away from home at the age of 15 and was homeless for a few years.[4] He had dropped out of high school and lived in New York working various odd jobs including as a busboy.[3] It was during this time that he was introduced to both using and selling hard drugs.[5]
He did not pursue a career in acting until his mid-20s.[6] It was then that he studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City and studied method acting.[4]
Career
When registering for the Screen Actors Guild, he decided to change the spelling of his name to "Peter Greene".[3] He initially landed several small roles in cinema and television in the early 1990s.[6] His television debut was on the NBC crime drama Hardball in 1990.[7] Greene later made his film debut in Laws of Gravity (1992).[8] During the production of the film Judgement Night, he was found with a crack pipe.[9] He played the schizophrenic Peter Winter in Clean, Shaven (1993).[10] In Pulp Fiction, Greene appeared as a security guard named Zed.[11] The character of Zed is meant to pay homage to the 1972 film Deliverance.[12] The Mask was a film starring Jim Carrey, where Greene played the villainous Dorian Tyrell. Greene played the character for the majority of the film, however towards the end Tyrell himself puts on the magical mask that grants him magical abilities, where the character is then played alternatively by actor Garret T. Sato and stuntman Jeep Swenson.[8]
The Usual Suspects saw him play the character of Redfoot.[13] Greene often played villains, such as in Judgment Night (1993),[10] Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995),[10] The Rich Man's Wife (1996),[10] Training Day (2001)[10] (as a corrupt narcotics officer), and The Bounty Hunter (2010).[10]
Greene worked with director Jordan Alan twice: once on the film Kiss & Tell (1997),[10] a dark comic turn and then again four years later in The Gentleman Bandit (aka Gentleman B).[10] After Greene's arrests in 1998 for drug related crimes, Alan had to put the actor through rehab to get him through the second film and eventually, after coming upon Greene doing heroin with Mike Starr, he was forced to replace Greene's voice because of the vocal problems caused by drugs. Despite these problems, Alan vouched for Greene to producer Tobe Jaffe for the movie Blue Streak,[10] in which Greene played Martin Lawrence's nemesis.
Greene continued to work mostly as a character actor. He appeared in the short-lived television dramas The Black Donnellys[10] and Life on Mars (2009).[10] He also appeared as a policeman in Prodigy and Mobb Deep's video for "A,B,C's", as well as the focal character in House of Pain's video for "Fed Up".[10] Greene appeared in the opening scene of the premiere of the FX series Justified where he was characterized as a "thuggish Peter Weller lookalike" by reviewer Scott Tobias, writing for The A.V. Club.[14] His later roles included the film New York New York (2016)[10] and the miniseries The Continental (2023).[10] He appeared in two films by director Eric Brian Hughes: Turnabout (2016) and Exit 0 (2019). Greene appears in the digital series The Jersey Connection by filmmaker Tim Firtion.[10] Greene was featured in the 2020 TV series For Life in a small role as an Aryan Brother named "Wild Bill" Miller.[10]
By the time of his death, he had been given a role in an upcoming Mickey Rourke movie called Mascots, and was involved in at least two other projects.[15] He was also working on and planned to narrate a documentary on USAID titled From the American People: The Withdrawal of USAID which had been funded via GoFundMe.[16][2]
Personal life and death
Greene had one son.[11] He struggled with heroin and cocaine addiction in the 1990s and additionally he was arrested for possessing crack cocaine in 2007.[17] He also attempted to take his own life in March 1996 which he revealed in an interview with Premier magazine.[18] After the attempt, he successfully sought addiction treatment.[4]
Greene died at his Lower East Side apartment in Manhattan, New York City, on December 12, 2025, at the age of 66.[19] Police were called to perform a wellness check after music had been playing for a full day in the apartment.[1] The neighbor who discovered Greene's body revealed to the New York Daily News that Greene was found "lying on the floor, face down, facial injury and blood".[15] The very day he was found by police he was to undergo a medical procedure to remove a benign tumor from his body.[4] A note was also confirmed to be found where Greene claimed "I'm still a Westie."[15] In February 2026, the cause of death was declared an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to the left axilla causing injury of the brachial artery.[20]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Laws of Gravity | Jimmy | [21] |
| 1993 | Clean, Shaven | Peter Winter | [21] |
| Judgment Night | Sykes | [22] | |
| 1994 | Pulp Fiction | Zed | [21] |
| The Mask | Dorian Tyrell | [21] | |
| 1995 | The Usual Suspects | Redfoot The Fence | Uncredited[21] |
| Bang | Adam | [10] | |
| Under Siege 2: Dark Territory | Mercenary #1 | [10] | |
| 1996 | Lowball | John | |
| Coyote Run | Clifton Santier | ||
| The Rich Man's Wife | Cole Wilson | [10] | |
| Snakeland | Johnny | Short film | |
| 1997 | Trading Favors | Teddy | |
| Double Tap | Nash | [10] | |
| Kiss & Tell | Detective John Finnigan | [21] | |
| 1998 | Permanent Midnight | Gus | [10] |
| 1999 | Out in Fifty | Tony Grayson | [10] |
| Blue Streak | Deacon | [21] | |
| 2000 | Shadow Hours | Detective Steve Andrianson | [10] |
| 2001 | Nobody's Baby | Vern | [10] |
| Ticker | Detective Artie Pluchinsky | [10] | |
| Training Day | Detective Jeff | Uncredited[21] | |
| Scenes of the Crime | Rick | [10] | |
| Dead Dogs Lie | Marcus Devlin | ||
| 2002 | The Gentleman Bandit | Manny Breen | |
| Under the Influence | Stephen Tally | ||
| 2004 | Black Cloud | Norm Olsen | [10] |
| 2005 | Confession | Detective William Fletcher | |
| Brothers in Arms | Bert | ||
| 2006 | End Game | Jack Baldwin | Direct-to-video[21] |
| Love Hollywood Style | Theodor Caruso | [10] | |
| 2007 | Final Engagement | Priest | Direct-to-video |
| I'm Calling Frank | Bobby | ||
| 2008 | Clown | Clown | Short film |
| 2009 | Blue Knight | Sergeant Donato | |
| Forget Me Not | Boyfriend | ||
| Fist of the Warrior | John Lowe | Direct-to-video | |
| 2010 | Caller ID | Dean of Admissions | [10] |
| The Bounty Hunter | Earl Mahler | [21] | |
| Earthling | Swinnert | [10] | |
| Once Fallen | Sonny | [10] | |
| Once More | Jack | Short film | |
| 2011 | Keep Your Enemies Closer | Alex Decker | |
| A Pornstar Is Born | Ron Goldman | Direct-to-video[10] | |
| The Grasslands | Baby John | [10] | |
| Shanghai Hotel | Mr. Capuzzi | ||
| 2012 | The Shoemaker | Dutchie | Short film |
| Brutal | Carlo Morello | [10] | |
| The Kill Hole | Peter Krebbs | [10] | |
| The Child | Martin Engler | ||
| 2013 | Checkmate, Keep Your Enemies Closer | Alex Decker | Short film |
| 2015 | Sweet Lorraine | Marcus | [10] |
| 2016 | Turnabout | Leo | [10] |
| New York New York | Downey | [10] | |
| 2018 | City of Lies | Commander Fasulo | [10] |
| 2019 | Exit 0 | The Writer | [10] |
| Samir | Valentine | ||
| 2020 | Tesla | Nichols | [10] |
| Let's Get Lost | Ray | Short film | |
| Priceless | The Devil | ||
| 2021 | Body Brokers | Dr. Riner | [10] |
| Return to Danger | Gilbert | ||
| 2022 | The Crusaders | Hughie | Short film |
| Out of Exile | Whitman Rader | [10] | |
| The Mick and the Trick | Patrick Shannon | ||
| 2023 | Little Dixie | Karl Roach | [10] |
| Pet Shop Days | The Dealer | [23] | |
| 2025 | Beggarman | Vinny | |
| 2026 | Clika | Lieutenant Jones | Posthumous release[24] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Hardball | Unknown Role | Episode: "Prescription for Murder"[21] |
| 1992 | As the World Turns | Hitman | Episode: "Episode #1.9169" & "#1.9170"[10] |
| 1998 | Black Cat Run | D.J. Wheeler | Television film[10] |
| 2001 | Law & Order | Francis "Taz" Partell | Episode: "Bronx Cheer"[10] |
| 2005 | H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds | Matt Herbert | Television film[10] |
| 2006 | Dead & Deader | Dr. Scott | |
| 2007 | The Black Donnellys | Derek Timothy "Dokey" Farrell | Main cast[21] |
| 2009 | Life on Mars | Jimmy McManus | Recurring cast[21] |
| 2010 | Justified | Thomas Francis "Tommy Bucks" Buckley | Episode: "Fire in the Hole"[10] |
| 2012 | Hawaii Five-0 | Rick Peterson | Episode: "Mai Ka Wa Kahiko (Out of the Past)"[10] |
| 2016 | Chicago P.D. | Rory Jensen | Recurring cast: season 3[21] |
| 2017 | Still the King | Hank "The Shank" | Recurring cast: season 2[10] |
| 2020 | For Life | Bill "Wild Bill" Miller | Recurring cast: season 1[10] |
| 2021 | The Jersey Connection | Jordan Blaine [25] | Episode: "Prologue: Time Destroys Everything" |
| 2023 | The Continental: From the World of John Wick | Uncle Charlie | Episode: "Brothers in Arms"[21] |
Music videos
| Year | Artist | Song | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | House of Pain | "Fed Up" | Mechanic |
| 2008 | Prodigy | "ABC" | Detective |
| 2017 | Necro | "Dead Body Disposal" | Killer |
| 2019 | Jadakiss | "Me" | Bank Robber[26] |
| 2022 | R.A. the Rugged Man | "Dragon Fire" | Big Boss |
References
Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Taylor, Derrick Bryson (December 13, 2025). "Peter Greene, 'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask' Actor, Dies at 66". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 13, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Robinson, KiMi. "'Pulp Fiction' actor Peter Greene's cause of death is released". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on February 19, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ebner, Mark (November 1996). "Peter Greene". Premier. Archived from the original on April 15, 2001. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cause of death revealed for Peter Greene, the 'Pulp Fiction' actor best known as villain Zed". Los Angeles Times. February 19, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Axelrod, Scott (February 18, 2026). "Veteran character actor's accidental death confirmed by NYC medical examiner". Staten Island Advance.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Franklin, McKinley; Lewis, Hilary (December 13, 2025). "Peter Greene, Actor in 'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask,' Dies at 60". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 20, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Pulp Fiction' actor Peter Greene's cause of death revealed". KHOU. February 18, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Peter Greene, 'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask' villain, dies at 60". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gilbey, Ryan (December 17, 2025). "Peter Greene obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Peter Greene Credits". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Robinson, KiMi. "Peter Greene, 'Pulp Fiction' actor known for villain roles, dies". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on December 20, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Moreau, Jordan (February 18, 2026). "'Pulp Fiction' Actor Peter Greene Died From Accidental Gunshot Wound". Variety. Archived from the original on February 20, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kreps, Daniel (December 13, 2025). "Peter Greene, 'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask' Actor, Dead at 60". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Justified: Pilot". TV Club. March 16, 2010. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mixson, Colin; Burke, Kerry; Parascandola, Rocco (December 12, 2025). "Peter Greene, 60, actor in 'Pulp Fiction,' 'The Mask,' found dead in NYC apartment". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Lewis, Hilary; McKinley, Franklin (December 13, 2025). "Peter Greene, 'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask' Actor, Dies at 60". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 20, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Pulp' actor's drug drama". New York Daily News. July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Santos, Gracelyn (December 14, 2025). "'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask' actor found dead inside his NYC home". Staten Island Advance.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Peter Greene, actor known for 'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask,' dead at 60". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Pulp Fiction' actor Peter Greene died from accidental shooting". NBC News. February 18, 2026. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Andreeva, Nellie (December 13, 2025). "Peter Greene Dies: 'Pulp Fiction' & 'The Mask' Actor Was 60". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 13, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Molloy, Laura (December 13, 2025). "'Pulp Fiction' and 'The Mask' actor Peter Greene dies aged 60". NME. Archived from the original on March 4, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Grierson, Tim (September 3, 2023). "Pet Shop Days: Venice Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CLIKA | Sony Pictures Entertainment". Sony Pictures. Archived from the original on December 28, 2025. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The 2019 New Jersey Web Festival". NewJerseyStage.com. September 12, 2019. Archived from the original on September 19, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Pulp Fiction' actor Peter Greene's cause of death revealed as accidental gunshot wound". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
External links
- Peter Greene at IMDbTemplate:Edit at Wikidata
- Peter Greene discography at Discogs
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