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Renowned for his memorable villainous portrayals in “Pulp Fiction” and “The Mask,” actor Peter Greene has passed away at the age of 60. He was discovered deceased in his Manhattan apartment on December 12, a loss that has now officially been deemed accidental. Greene’s body was found in his Lower East Side residence following a welfare check initiated after a neighbor reported music blaring continuously for an entire day.
According to a spokesperson from New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner, the cause of death was identified as a “gunshot wound of the left axilla,” which refers to the left armpit. This injury resulted in trauma to the brachial artery, a critical vessel responsible for supplying blood to the arm. These details were confirmed to USA TODAY on February 18.
The incident was first brought to light by TMZ, which reported that Greene had unintentionally shot himself in the left armpit. The bullet’s trajectory caused significant damage to the artery that maintains blood flow to the arm and hand.
Authorities reported that Greene was found unresponsive around 3:25 p.m. in his home, where he was subsequently pronounced dead. The discovery came as a deep shock to those close to him, including his manager, Gregg Edwards, who had spoken with Greene just days before the tragic event.
His manager, Edwards, described the tragic news as a shock as he had spoken with the actor earlier in the week.
Edwards, who was Greene’s manager for over 10 years, branded the star a “terrific guy”, adding: “Truly one of the great actors of our generation. His heart was as big as there was. I’m going to miss him. He was a great friend.”
In 1994’s The Mask, he played the gangster Dorian opposite Jim Carrey.
That same year, he portrayed the brutal security guard Zed in Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-winning “Pulp Fiction.
Greene is survived by a brother and a sister, as well as his son Ryder.