Richard Riehle, Office Space And Star Trek Character Actor, Dead At 78

Richard Riehle, a beloved character actor with over 40 years of experience and hundreds of credits to his name, has died. TMZ initially broke the news. Riehle was 78 years old and reportedly died of natural causes. He passed away this past Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.

Riehle was best known for his role as Tom Smykowski in Mike Judge's cult comedy "Office Space," which drove Fox executives crazy before it was released. However, it became a truly cult favorite and a calling card for the actor. Some of his other best-known work came in Martin Scorsese's "Casino" and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" as Bob Bigalow.

But that's just scratching the surface. Riehle amassed a staggering number of credits during his career as an actor, which dates back to the late '70s. He has well over 400 credits on IMDB, ranging from short films to Oscar-nominated dramas and everything in between. He worked steadily right up until his passing, even appearing in "The Cowboy Killer" earlier this year.

Riehle wasn't afraid to show up and take on a small role. He memorably played a prison guard in 1993's "The Fugitive," oft-remembered as one of the best thrillers of the decade. "The Fugitive" was the rare action movie to get nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, with Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford headlining the picture, but Riehle had his part to play. That's a great summation of his career.

During his decades-long career as a working actor, Richard Riehle was rarely the lead. In many cases, his roles didn't even come with a name. Even after a very long time working in the business, he was credited as "Car Dealer" in 2001's "Joe Dirt." Yet, just about every time he appeared on screen in any movie or TV show, he made it better. He was very memorable, even though most viewers would be hard-pressed to recall his name. He was a face viewers knew and quietly welcomed.

Riehle got his start in the '70s but his first meaningful credits didn't come until the '80s when he appeared in TV shows like "One Life to Life" and movies such as "Black Rain." He worked steadily throughout the '90s, often as a guest actor on popular shows including "The Golden Girls" and "Roseanne." One of his first big roles came in the "Ferris Bueller" TV show as Principal Ed Rooney, a television flop based on the '80s classic that also starred Jennifer Aniston in her pre-"Friends" days.

As an actor, Riehle has appeared in far too many movies and TV shows to offer a truly comprehensive rundown of his career. But odds are, you've come across him more than once. Just some of the movies he's been a part of include "Free Willy," "Executive Decision," "Hatchet," "The Man from Earth," and Rob Zombie's "Halloween II." That hardly scratches the surface.

On TV, he had dozens of meaningful guest star roles including stints on "Star Trek: "The Next Generation," "Ally McBeal," "Diagnosis Murder," "The West Wing," "The Mindy Project," and "Barry," among many others. He leaves behind a truly massive body of work.

RIP, Richard Riehle. You will be missed.