Peter Greene's death deemed an “accident” as cause of death revealed two months after Pulp Fiction star’s passing

"Keep Your Enemies Closer: Checkmate" New York Screening - Arrivals & Q&A - Source: Getty
Peter Greene death deemed an “accident” as cause of death revealed two months after Pulp Fiction star’s passing - Source: Getty: "Keep Your Enemies Closer: Checkmate" New York Screening - Arrivals & Q&A

Authorities revealed how the late actor Peter Greene died. The Pulp Fiction star passed away two months ago at age 60. As per TMZ, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City confirmed Greene's death resulted from an accidental gunshot wound.

Greene sustained a self-inflicted gunshot through his left armpit. The bullet hit his brachial artery. The artery carries blood to the upper arm, forearm, elbow, and hand. Police had discovered Greene's body in his Manhattan apartment last December.

A neighbor noticed music coming from the apartment throughout the night. As per a report shared by the Daily Mail, authorities said the medical examiner was determining how Greene died at the time. Officials weren't sure if Greene's death involved homicide, suicide, drugs, or something else.

Sources told the outlet neighbors contacted police about loud music from Greene's apartment. The music played for several days. Officers did a welfare check and brought a locksmith to get inside. A neighbor said police found Greene lying face down on the floor. Police also found a handwritten note in the apartment.


Peter Greene's manager revealed the actor was scheduled for surgery on the day he was found dead:

"Keep Your Enemies Closer: Checkmate" New York Screening - Arrivals & Q&A - Source: Getty
"Keep Your Enemies Closer: Checkmate" New York Screening - Arrivals & Q&A - Source: Getty

The neighbor described finding Peter Greene's body to the New York Daily News.

"Peter was lying on the floor, face down, facial injury, blood everywhere…," the neighbor said.

Police also shared about the handwritten note that was found in the apartment. The message mentioned the Westies. This was an Irish American gang from Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s.

"I'm still a Westie," the note said.

Back then, Peter Greene's longtime manager Gregg Edwards confirmed the actor had died. Edwards shared his statement with The Post about Greene.

"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," Edwards said.

Edwards shared that Greene had surgery planned for the same day police found him. Doctors were going to remove a benign tumor near his lung. Edwards said Greene sounded normal when they last spoke on the phone.

"He was talking about that and hoping that I was going to be OK and wishing me well as I was wishing him well. We're good friends. I love the guy … We were friends for over a decade," Edwards told The Post about their final conversation.

Greene had plans to work on a new independent thriller with Mickey Rourke before he died. The film was titled Mascots. Edwards said Kerry Mondragón wrote and directed the thriller. Mondragón felt surprised and upset when he learned about Greene's death.

"He worked with so many amazing actors and directors," Edwards noted.

Peter Greene's home was fire-bombed by drug dealers he owed money to before his acting career:

The actor was born as Peter Green in New Jersey. He later added an extra "e" to his surname. As per a report shared by The Guardian, he distinguished himself from a namesake in the Screen Actors Guild.

Greene had attended Montclair high school but dropped out before graduating. He worked briefly as a busboy clearing restaurant tables after leaving school. He began delivering marijuana around New York on behalf of a sex worker. This started a hazardous period of his life spent dealing drugs.

Fellow dealers even fire-bombed his home at one point as he owed them money.

Peter Greene experienced spells of homelessness during this time. He sometimes slept in theatres. He fell in with the makers of what he called "Off-Off-Off, way-Off-Broadway" productions somehow. A chance meeting with acting coach Penny Allen changed the direction of his life.

Allen described him as

"the kind of actor that will walk the edge."

She encouraged him to try out for independent films auditions. However, success exacerbated his drug use. Back then, Mark Ebner, a journalist and Greene's former personal assistant, gave an interview published in Premiere magazine in 1996 with the actor's consent.

"Many times when he's shown up on film sets, he's been completely loaded on drugs and/or alcohol," Ebner reported.

Greene hoped that

"some sick junkie gets well because of this story."

Peter Greene, compared to Robert De Niro by the Laws of Gravity director:

As per the report shared by The Guardian, Peter Greene was never short of admirers. Nick Gomez, who directed Laws of Gravity, compared Greene to Robert De Niro in his intuitive and instinctive approach.

"Peter's emotional life is so resonant, and so close to the surface, that he doesn't know how to work any other way. That's his strength as an actor, which at the same time is his weakness as an individual," Gomez said.
18th Annual PRISM Awards - Inside - Source: Getty
18th Annual PRISM Awards - Inside - Source: Getty

Amy Holden Jones who made The Rich Man's Wife, called Greene a mercurial presence.

"The camera loves him. He does unexpected and wonderful things. And he's scary as hell," Jones shared.

Peter Greene married a friend who needed a green card at 20. They were estranged soon after. The marriage was never dissolved. Peter Greene is now survived by a son named Ryder. He is also survived by a brother, John, and a sister, Mary-Anne.

Love movies? Try our Box Office Game and Movie Grid Game to test your film knowledge and have some fun!

Edited by Zainab Shaikh