Richard Riehle, character actor in 'Office Space' and 'Glory', dies at 78
In short
Richard Riehle, a character actor in TV and film best known as the product manager in "Office Space", has died at 78. Wright Entertainment Inc. said on Monday that he died Oct. 15 and gave no cause.
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Richard Riehle, a prolific character actor in TV and film, has died at 78. Wright Entertainment Inc. said on Monday that Riehle died Oct. 15 but disclosed no cause or details. NBC News reported that his representatives said Monday that he died over the weekend, and that they did not provide details about the cause. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
"Our industry has lost an exceptional talent, and our community has lost a truly wonderful man," said a statement carried in the AP report. NBC News quoted a statement from his talent agency and management company saying he would be remembered for his "genuine goodness, boundless kindness, and unwavering generosity, particularly toward emerging actors and filmmakers". [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
NBC News described Riehle as best known for his supporting role in Mike Judge's corporate satire "Office Space" as Tom Smykowski, an anxious product manager who rages against the prospect of being laid off. The AP described him as often playing authority figures but equally skilled at comedy. His almost five-decade career included a quartermaster in the Civil War drama "Glory", a prison guard in "The Fugitive", an air marshal in "Executive Decision", a police officer in a guest spot on "The West Wing" and a principal on the TV adaptation of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
NBC News also listed a mob banker in Martin Scorsese's "Casino", an auto mechanic in "Bridesmaids", a gruff grandfather on "Grounded for Life" and, most recently, a prison warden on HBO's "Barry". It said his credits number in the hundreds. [ 1 ]
"Grounded for Life" star Donal Logue paid tribute on Facebook, calling Riehle "an amazing human being" and a "consummate professional". "He was an actor's actor — humble, kind, and incredible at his craft," Logue wrote. [ 1 ]
The AP report said Riehle fell into acting as a senior at the University of Notre Dame, then earned an MFA after a teaching assistantship at the University of Minnesota. He had his first lines in the 1977 movie "Joyride" and later landed parts in three "Star Trek" franchises, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1992. The AV Club wrote in 2017 that if a casting director needed "a burly, blustery, mustachioed man", Riehle had likely been near the top of the list. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The coverage centres on a long career as a supporting actor in film and TV. The documents give no further consequences.
Key facts
- Richard Riehle, a character actor in TV and film, has died at 78. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Wright Entertainment Inc. said Monday that Riehle died Oct. 15 and disclosed no cause or details. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- NBC News reported that his representatives said he died over the weekend and gave no details about the cause. [ 1 ]
- He played Tom Smykowski, an anxious product manager, in Mike Judge's "Office Space". [ 1 ]
- His roles included a quartermaster in "Glory" and a prison guard in "The Fugitive". [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- His first lines on screen came in the 1977 movie "Joyride". [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The cause of Riehle's death Wright Entertainment Inc. and, per NBC News, his representatives disclosed no cause or details.
- The date of death NBC News reported his representatives said he died over the weekend, while the AP text carried by The Seattle Times, The Boston Globe and ABC News gives Oct. 15, citing Wright Entertainment Inc.