Peter Greene, an actor noted for playing the character Zed in the classic film “Pulp Fiction,” was found dead inside his Lower East Side apartment on Friday, police and a neighbor told the Daily News.
Greene’s longtime manager, Gregg Edward, said the actor’s family had been notified of his death.
The neighbor, who asked that his name be withheld, said he found Greene, 60, in his ground-floor apartment on Clinton St. near Stanton St. after neighbors reported hearing Christmas music playing inside for several days.
“He was a unique individual,” said Edward, who had repped Greene for more than a decade. “One of the most brilliant character actors on the planet. Had a really good heart. Cared about people.
“Truly one of the great actors of our generation.”
The NYPD said a 60-year-old man was found dead at that location at 3:25 p.m. Friday, but did not immediately release his name.
Although the actor listed his age as 60, on Saturday, police updated Greene’s actual age to 66.
An autopsy was conducted Saturday to determine how Greene died. The results are pending further study as the medical examiner awaits more information. The ME and police will work together to make a full assessment.
Greene has a documented history of drug use, telling Premier magazine in an interview about his struggles with addiction in the 1990s.
Residents began hearing Christmas music blasting from “The Mask” actor’s apartment around 3 a.m. Wednesday, but it wasn’t until Friday that building management sent over a locksmith to gain access to Greene’s apartment, the neighbor said.
“Peter was lying on the floor, facedown, facial injury, blood everywhere…,” the neighbor said.
On the door to Greene’s unit, a handwritten note was posted, which included the line “I’m still a Westie,” in an apparent reference to the Irish-American gang that operated out of Hell’s Kitchen in the ’70s and ’80s.
Edward said that the “Usual Suspects” actor had been chosen for a role in a film starring Mickey Rourke set to film next year called “Mascots,” and was in the running for at least two other projects.
“He had a reputation as tough to work with… He was a perfectionist. He wanted it right,” said Edward. “He was a big believer in improvising stuff too. Some people were fine with it, some people were not.”
Greene, who spoke to his manager as recently as Wednesday, had surgery scheduled to remove a benign tumor near his lungs in the coming days, Edward said. The actor was otherwise healthy and fit, according to his manager.
“It’s a shock,” said Edward. “He wasn’t that old. In pretty good shape for his age, rode his bike everywhere around New York. He’d had some health issues throughout the last couple years, had always fought through and was very strong.”
“Bottom line, he was really a good-hearted person and a brilliant, brilliant actor,” said Edward. “I’ve been trying to get him to write his autobiography. He’s got stories after stories.”
