Richard Riehle, best known for his role as Tom Smykowski in the cult comedy Office Space, has died at 78.
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The Daily Mail reports that the actor died of natural causes last Thursday in Los Angeles.
Richard Riehle Starred in Over 400 Films and Shows
Riehle was considered a "that guy" actor, having appeared in over 400 films and television shows over his long career. He also has the distinction of playing Santa Claus eight times.
Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, on May 12, 1948. He did regional theater in the Pacific Northwest before appearing as an extra in the classic John Wayne western Rooster Cogburn.
Riehle's name was never above a marquee. Still, while he is perhaps best known as the inventor of the "Jump to Conclusions Mat" in Office Space, he was quite a prolific actor.
"That was an amazing experience. It took forever to get the role, though," Riehle told The A.V. Club in 2017. "That was the most times I've gone in for an audition for anything. The first time I went in, he had me read the psychiatrist and Tom Smykowski, and I had a good time."
Among his many roles, Riehle also played the prison guard who helped Harrison Ford escape in The Fugitive. Comedy fans also know him as the father of Rob Schneider in the hit film Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.
Tributes to the "Office Space" Star Have Begun Pouring In
The official Facebook account for the film Bear City posted a tribute to Riehle.
"Those who knew him were struck by his generosity and kindness and his presence," it read. "Jay and I will miss chatting with him as we had over the years but his stellar career guarantees his immortality for as long as digital media exists. Thank you Richard, you brought such joy to so many."
Actor Jay Spears added, "Everyone who knew him was aware that his fantastic talent was only exceeded by his generosity with it. In the decades I knew him, never once did an unkind, unpleasant, or unfair utterance pass his cheerful lips."
