Richard Riehle has died at the age of 78.
According to TMZ, the actor, who portrayed Tom Smykowski in Office Space (1999), passed away on Thursday, October 15, at the age of 78.
Riehle’s friends told the outlet that the Bridesmaids actor died of natural causes.
He was born in 1948 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and studied at the University of Notre Dame before completing a master’s degree in fine arts at the University of Minnesota.
What to know about Richard Riehle’s career
After performing in regional theatre in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, he made his film debut in Rooster Cogburn (1975), appearing alongside John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn in an uncredited role.
Riehle gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Tom Smykowski in Office Space.
His character, an employee hired for his “people skills,” is fired before attempting suicide and eventually receiving a major lawsuit payout.
He also appeared in films like Casino, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Fugitive, Mysterious Skin, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and The Man from Earth.
His filmography also featured roles in Shadows and Fog, Of Mice and Men, The Fan, Smiley Face, Glory, Free Willy and Lethal Weapon 4, among other films.
Riehle received several honours at international film festivals, including a Los Angeles Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 2017 film You Have a Nice Flight.
In 2024, he appeared as Nicolas Young in Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, loosely inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance.
Riehle also voiced Bumi in The Legend of Korra and made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The West Wing, ER, Modern Family, NCIS and The Middle.
