Payam Javan: Peter Greene, the acclaimed character actor best known for his portrayal of the chilling villain Zed in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, has died at the age of 60. His death marks the loss of a distinctive screen presence whose work left a lasting impression on 1990s American cinema.

Greene died at his home in New York City, his manager, Gregg Edwards, confirmed on Friday. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. Edwards described Greene as both a remarkable talent and a kind-hearted individual, calling him “arguably one of the greatest character actors on the planet.”

Born in Montclair, New Jersey, Greene began gaining attention in the early 1990s with leading roles in Laws of Gravity (1992) and Clean, Shaven (1993). He rose to wider recognition in 1994 with his unforgettable performance in Pulp Fiction, followed the same year by another high-profile villain role opposite Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz in The Mask.

At the time of his death, Greene was actively involved in two projects, including a documentary examining the U.S. federal government’s withdrawal of funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Remembering their long friendship, Edwards said Greene was “just the nicest man,” adding that they had been close for more than a decade.