Richard Riehle, the veteran character actor best known for playing Tom Smykowski in the cult comedy Office Space, has died aged 78.
Riehle died of natural causes in Los Angeles last Thursday, according to reports. He appeared in more than 400 film and television projects during a career spanning several decades.
Although he rarely played leading roles, Riehle became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable character actors, appearing in films ranging from The Fugitive and Free Willy to Bridesmaids and Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.
In 1993’s The Fugitive, he played the prison guard who allowed Harrison Ford’s character to escape custody. Six years later, he portrayed Rob Schneider’s father in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.
Richard Riehle’s extensive film and television career
Riehle’s screen work crossed a wide range of genres. His comedy credits included Joe Dirt, Jury Duty and Smiley Face, while his dramatic appearances included Glory, Executive Decision, Mercury Rising and Lethal Weapon 4.
He also featured in horror films including Hatchet, Halloween II and Texas Chainsaw 3D. His television credits included Murder, She Wrote, Roseanne, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ally McBeal and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Further television appearances came in 7th Heaven, Two and a Half Men, Black-ish and Drunk History. He also played Principal Ed Rooney in the 1990 television series based on Ferris Bueller.
Fans paid tribute to the actor on social media, with one describing him as someone who was “in everything without you realizing it”. Another called him one of the most famous “that guy” actors, while a third remembered meeting him on a flight and said he had been “very nice” and willing to speak to fans and pose for photographs.
Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in 1948. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota before beginning his acting career at the Meadow Brook Theatre and later moving to Los Angeles.
He married Jane Latham in 1970, according to IMDb, and they had four children together.
In a 2012 interview, Riehle said his role in the 1989 war drama Glory was among the parts he valued most. “It was the most touching screenplay I’d ever read,” he said.
“I didn’t have many scenes with Denzel Washington or Morgan Freeman… but to be a part of that cast was a highlight of my career.”
Reflecting on his career, Riehle said the nature of character acting had helped him maintain a long presence in Hollywood.
“I was older when I really got started, and it did limit things,” he said. “But a character actor, you come in to make a little diversion, be the comic relief or add a little bit of intensity to what’s going on. You’re also liable to have a longer career.”
