Richard Riehle, Character Actor in ‘Office Space,’ ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Bridesmaids’ and More, Dies at 78
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New details confirm Richard Riehle died of natural causes in Los Angeles on 15 October, aged 78. The character actor, known for playing Tom Smykowski in “Office Space”, appeared in more than 400 films, television programmes and other projects.
Born in Wisconsin, Riehle studied at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Minnesota before acting in regional theatre and film. His roles included Walt Finnerty in “Grounded for Life” and Batai in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”; he also appeared in “The Fugitive”, “Bridesmaids” and “Wedding Crashers”, and played Santa Claus in eight projects. He is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and their four children.
- Richard Riehle died aged 78 in Los Angeles.
- He appeared in more than 400 screen projects.
- His credits included “Office Space” and “Star Trek”.
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Richard Riehle was an American character actor, a performer often cast in supporting roles across films and television. He grew up in Wisconsin, studied at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Minnesota, and began his career in regional theatre before moving into screen work.
Across more than 400 projects, he played Tom Smykowski in the comedy Office Space and appeared in series including Grounded for Life and Star Trek: The Next Generation. His film credits included The Fugitive, Bridesmaids and Wedding Crashers, and he also played Santa Claus in several productions.
Riehle’s career spanned decades and many types of screen roles, making him a familiar face to audiences even when he was not the lead. He is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and their four children.
Full account
Richard Riehle, the American character actor whose screen credits ranged from Office Space and Star Trek to Bridesmaids, has died aged 78. Reports say he died of natural causes in Los Angeles on 15 October. Variety said it had confirmed the death; the other reports attributed the date and cause to TMZ, with The Hollywood Reporter noting it had sought further information from Riehle’s representatives.
Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, on 12 May 1948. He studied at the University of Notre Dame and later earned a master’s degree at the University of Minnesota, according to Variety. He developed his acting career through theatre, including work in Michigan and regional productions in the Pacific Northwest. His early film work included John Wayne’s western Rooster Cogburn in 1975; he later had a speaking role in Joyride (1977).
His best-known part was Tom Smykowski, the Initech product manager in Mike Judge’s 1999 comedy Office Space. The character is laid off, injured in a hit-and-run and receives a large settlement, which he uses to pursue his dream of making a “Jump to Conclusions” mat. Riehle also played Walt Finnerty, the father in the sitcom Grounded for Life, and appeared in several Star Trek series. His many film roles included parts in The Fugitive, Of Mice and Men, Casino, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Wedding Crashers and Bridesmaids. He also played Santa Claus in a number of productions.
The reports describe a long career across film and television, though they count his credits differently: Variety says he appeared in more than 400 projects, while The Hollywood Reporter cites more than 430 acting credits on IMDb. The outlets also select different examples from his work: Variety highlights his role in The Next Generation episode “The Inner Light”, while The Hollywood Reporter notes his guest appearances in The Next Generation, Voyager and Enterprise. Riehle is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and their four children, according to Variety.
Where outlets differ
Variety says it confirmed Riehle’s death; The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline attribute the report to TMZ. The Hollywood Reporter said it had contacted his representatives for more information.
Variety describes his career as spanning more than 400 projects; The Hollywood Reporter gives an IMDb tally of more than 430 acting credits.
The outlets differ in which roles they foreground: Variety details his part in The Next Generation episode “The Inner Light” and his Santa Claus appearances; The Hollywood Reporter lists his guest roles across three Star Trek series and recalls comments from Grounded for Life co-star Donal Logue; Deadline provides an extensive film and television credit list.