Richard Riehle sadly passed away on October 15. The Office Space star was 78 years old. According to TMZ, the veteran actor's death has been linked to throat cancer.
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"According to his death certificate, obtained by TMZ, the "Office Space" actor died from a stroke, with oropharyngeal cancer, a type of throat cancer, listed as the underlying cause of death," the outlet reported. "The document also reveals Richard was cremated on October 23."
Riehle was a staple within Hollywood, amassing over 400 acting credits. However, he's best remembered for his roles in cult classics such as Office Space. Some of his other work included Casino, The Fugitive, and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.
With work spanning decades, Richard had proven himself as a consummate professional. To be trusted in such a wide range of roles speaks volumes for both his acting ability and his overall professionalism. Even at such a late point in his life, he was still working on new projects. According to IMDB, he had roles in 10 upcoming productions, including Mr. Blue, which is an upcoming TV movie.
Richard had roles in three different works that were released earlier this year. He played Cook Gerald in The Cowboy Killer, Samuel in PBC, and Hank in Boris Is Dead.
Richard Riehle Began His On-Screen Career in 1977
Riehle's on-screen career began back in 1977 when he appeared as a bartender on Joyride. A year later, he returned to our screens. This time as a tattooed man in the TV movie The Other Side of Hell.
Work began to pick up for Riehle in the late eighties. In 1989, he had roles on Black Rain, My Two Dads, Falcon Crest, Cross of Fire, Dragnet, Glory, and Cast the First Stone.
Riehle continued to build momentum throughout the 90s, earning bigger and bigger roles and proving himself to be a reliable addition to any cast. Still, it wasn't until 1999 that Riehle began landing some of his iconic roles, with his spot as Tom Smykowski on Office Space being his most popular.
With so much work out there, Riehle's memory will live on for decades to come. Still, that doesn't change the fact that Hollywood lost a beloved member, and many will be grieving his loss for a long time to come.
