Richard Riehle, best known to many audiences for his role in “Office Space,” has died at age 78.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – NOVEMBER 30: Richard Riehle attends Hallmark’s Premiere Screening of Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story on November 30, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for Hallmark Media)
Friends of Riehle confirmed the news to TMZ, saying he died of natural causes last Thursday in Los Angeles.
Riehle had over 400 credits to his name, with the most recent completed one in the film “The Cowboy Killer.” According to IMDb, he had another 10 in the works, some of which were completed as well but yet to be released.
He had dozens of memorable roles in films like “Casino,” “Glory,” and “The Fugitive,” as well as TV shows like “Grounded for Life,” “The Middle,” and several “Star Trek” series.
Among his many roles, his performance as product manager Tom Smykowski in “Office Space” is one his most loved, in part because of the character’s invention of a “Jump to Conclusions” mat.
SANTA MONICA, CA – OCTOBER 29: Actor Richard Riehle attends the 3rd Annual Carney Awards at The Broad Stage on October 29, 2017 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
The beloved prop has apparently “disappeared,” according to Reihle’s 2017 interview with The A.V. Club.
“No one knows where it is And that’s including [writer/director] Mike Judge!” he said at the time.
Remembering his time working on the film, Riehle spoke fondly, saying, “it was just an amazing group of people. Everybody hung around. The basketball playoffs were going on, so at the end of the day, we’d often be down in the lobby, watching the game and having drinks. He [Judge] took us to the Salt Lick and all the great places to eat in Austin.”
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – NOVEMBER 30: Richard Riehle attends Hallmark’s Premiere Screening of Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story on November 30, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for Hallmark Media)
Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and attended the University of Notre Dame and later received an MFA at the University of Minnesota.
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