‘Office Space’ actor Richard Riehle dies at 78
Richard Riehle, the prolific character actor known for playing an office worker in the comedy film “Office Space” and a range of authority figures in film and television, has died at the age of 78.
Wright Entertainment Inc. announced on Monday that Riehle died on October 15. The company did not disclose the cause of death or further details.
“Our industry has lost an exceptional talent, and our community has lost a truly wonderful man,” the company said in a statement.
Riehle’s career spanned nearly five decades, during which he appeared in numerous films and television productions.
His roles included a quartermaster in the American Civil War drama “Glory,” a prison guard in “The Fugitive” and an air marshal in “Executive Decision.”
He also played a police officer in an episode of “The West Wing” and a principal in the television adaptation of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
In 2017, entertainment publication The A.V. Club described him as an actor frequently considered for roles requiring a burly, outspoken man with a moustache.
From University Theatre to Hollywood
Riehle began pursuing acting during his senior year at the University of Notre Dame. Facing financial constraints, he was told he could complete the required speech and drama credits in a single semester.
He took the opportunity and became involved in various aspects of theatre, including acting, directing and set construction. His work earned him a teaching assistantship at the University of Minnesota, where he went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree.
“I spent a semester doing anything and everything that you do in the theatre — acting, directing, building sets, etc. — and then for some reason they liked what I did enough that they got me a teaching assistantship at the University of Minnesota,” he told The A.V. Club.
He added that he decided to continue his studies because the university was supporting him financially.
Riehle made his film debut with speaking lines in the 1977 movie “Joyride,” which starred Desi Arnaz Jr., Anne Lockhart, Robert Carradine and Melanie Griffith.
He later appeared in the comedy “Bridesmaids,” Woody Allen’s comedy-mystery “Shadows and Fog,” the crime thriller “Black Rain” alongside Michael Douglas, and the sitcom “Grounded for Life.”
Remembered for ‘Office Space’ Role
One of Riehle’s best-known performances came in the 1999 comedy “Office Space,” in which he played Tom Smykowski, an employee at the fictional company Initech who faces being laid off despite insisting that he has valuable people skills.
The character’s memorable line, “I have people skills!”, became one of the film’s best-known moments.
Riehle also had a longstanding connection with the “Star Trek” franchise, appearing in three television series: “Star Trek: The Next Generation” in 1992, “Star Trek: Voyager” in 2000 and “Star Trek: Enterprise” in 2004.
His stage career included three Broadway appearances, one of which was in a 1999 revival of Eugene O’Neill’s play “The Iceman Cometh,” alongside Paul Giamatti.
Wright Entertainment praised Riehle not only for his acting but also for his support of emerging talent.
“Beyond his immense talent, he will be remembered for his genuine goodness, boundless kindness, and unwavering generosity, particularly toward emerging actors and filmmakers, whom he encouraged and supported at every opportunity,” the company said.