Two months after the sudden and mysterious passing of character actor Peter Greene, officials have finally released the cause of death—and the details are as shocking as they are tragic.
The 60-year-old actor, best known for playing the terrifying Zed in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and the villainous Dorian Tyrell opposite Jim Carrey in The Mask, was found dead in his New York City apartment on Dec. 12, 2025. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s office revealed that Greene died from a “gunshot wound of left axilla with injury of brachial artery”—in layman’s terms, a gunshot wound to the armpit.
In a surprising twist, the manner of death was ruled an “accident.”
A Concerning Discovery
Greene’s death first came to light when his manager, Gregg Edwards, confirmed the news in a statement to PEOPLE on Dec. 13. According to Edwards, a wellness check was conducted at Greene’s home after music was heard blaring from his apartment for more than 24 hours. The manager had spoken with the actor just days earlier and had no reason to suspect anything was wrong.
Speaking to NBC News at the time, Edwards remembered his client and friend fondly. “Nobody played a bad guy better than Peter,” he said. “But he also had, you know, a gentle side that most people never saw, and a heart as big as gold.”
A Career of Iconic Villainy
Born in New Jersey, Greene carved out a niche for himself in Hollywood as one of the most memorable character actors of the 1990s. After his film debut in Laws of Gravity (1992) alongside Edie Falco, he quickly became a go-to for tough-guy roles.
His portrayal of the sadistic Zed in Pulp Fiction (1994)—the man who memorably tells Marsellus Wallace to “bring out the gimp”—cemented his place in cinematic history, even if the role was small. That same year, he showed his range by playing the power-hungry nightclub owner Dorian in The Mask.
He went on to appear in a string of hit films, including The Usual Suspects (1995), Blue Streak (1999) with Martin Lawrence, and Training Day (2001) opposite Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
A Final Passion Project
At the time of his death, Greene was still actively working. Edwards revealed that Greene was co-producing and narrating a documentary titled From the American People: The Withdrawal of USAID, alongside Jason Alexander and Kathleen Turner. The project was driven by Greene’s passion for raising awareness about global humanitarian issues.
“He was one of the best character actors on the planet,” Edwards told Deadline after his passing. “He was a good friend who would give you the shirt off his back. He was loved and will be missed.”
The revelation that his death was an accidental shooting adds a final, somber note to the life of a man who spent his career playing hardened criminals but was remembered by those who knew him as gentle and kind.
