Two months after actor Peter Greene was found dead in his New York City apartment, officials have confirmed the cause of death — and ruled it an accident.
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced that Greene, 60, died from a “gunshot wound of left axilla with injury of brachial artery.” The axilla refers to the armpit area. The manner of death was officially classified as accidental.
Greene was discovered on Friday, Dec. 12, following a wellness check at his apartment. According to NBC News, authorities were contacted after music had reportedly been playing continuously inside the residence for more than 24 hours. His manager, Gregg Edwards, confirmed the news of his passing the following day.
Edwards said he had spoken with Greene earlier that week and remembered him not only as a formidable on-screen presence but also as a deeply compassionate person.
“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.”
Greene built a reputation in the 1990s as one of Hollywood’s most memorable character actors, often portraying intense and intimidating figures. Born in New Jersey, he made his screen debut in 1990 with an appearance on NBC’s crime drama Hardball. His film debut followed in 1992’s Laws of Gravity, where he starred alongside Edie Falco.
He went on to deliver standout performances in several high-profile films during the decade. In 1994, Greene portrayed villain Dorian Tyrell in The Mask, acting opposite Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz. That same year, he appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction as Zed — a role that cemented his status as a formidable screen presence.
Other notable credits included The Usual Suspects (1995), Kiss & Tell (1997), Blue Streak (1999), and Training Day (2001), where he shared the screen with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
“He was one of the best character actors on the planet,” Edwards told Deadline. “He was a good friend who would give you the shirt off his back. He was loved and will be missed.”
In his final months, Greene was involved in a documentary project titled From the American People: The Withdrawal of USAID. According to Edwards, Greene co-produced and served as one of the narrators, alongside actors Jason Alexander and Kathleen Turner. The film aims to examine the global impact of changes to U.S. foreign aid policy.
Edwards shared a GoFundMe connected to the documentary and encouraged supporters to help advance the project as a way of honoring Greene’s legacy.
