Peter Greene has died

A neighbour told the New York Daily News newspaper that the Usual Suspects actor had been found inside his ground-floor apartment after concerned locals had reported hearing Christmas music playing inside for several days and building management sent over a locksmith.

The neighbour said: "Peter was lying on the floor, facedown, facial injury, blood everywhere..."

Peter's manager said the news had come as a shock because he was healthy and fit apart from having surgery scheduled in the coming days to remove a benign tumour from his lungs.

He said: "It's a shock. 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. I've been trying to get him to write his autobiography. He's got stories after stories...

"He was a unique individual. 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."

And the actor - who had battled drug addiction in the 1990s - had been due to film Mascots with Mickey Rourke next year and also had two other projects in the pipeline.

Gregg said: "He had a reputation as tough to work with... He was a perfectionist. He wanted it right.

"He was a big believer in improvising stuff too. Some people were fine with it, some people were not."

Peter is survived by a sister and a brother.