Richard Riehle, 'Office Space' and 'Casino' character actor, dies at 78

Richard Riehle never played the lead, and by his own account he never wanted to. What he wanted was the role that would force him to find something extra — and across more than 400 film and television credits in nearly five decades, he found it again and again, becoming one of Hollywood's most reliably recognizable faces without ever becoming a star. Riehle died Oct. 15 in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 78.

His representatives at Wright Entertainment Inc. confirmed the death on Monday. "A remarkable actor whose career in theater, film, and television spanned nearly five decades and more than 400 projects, Richard leaves behind an extraordinary legacy," the agency said in a statement.

To audiences, Riehle was best known as Tom Smykowski, the anxious Initech product manager in Mike Judge's 1999 corporate satire "Office Space" — the man who rages, memorably, that he has people skills. But that single role barely hints at the range he brought to supporting parts across half a century of American film and television.

I always wanted the role that would bring something out of me, force me to find something extra. The lead isn't always the best part in a play or a movie.— Richard Riehle

His film roles ranged from a quartermaster in the Civil War film "Glory" to a prison guard who lets Harrison Ford escape in "The Fugitive," a mob banker on the receiving end of Joe Pesci's rage in Martin Scorsese's "Casino," and a kindly auto mechanic who comes to Kristen Wiig's aid in "Bridesmaids." Three separate "Star Trek" franchises claimed him — "The Next Generation" in 1992, "Voyager" in 2000, and "Enterprise" in 2004 — and he took the Broadway stage three times, among them a 1999 revival of "The Iceman Cometh" with Paul Giamatti, according to ABC News.

Television kept him just as busy: he took on the role of Principal Ed Rooney in the short-lived sitcom "Ferris Bueller," spent 45 episodes as a gruff grandfather on "Grounded for Life," played a police officer on "The West Wing," and turned up as a guest on "Home Improvement," "Ally McBeal," "Murder She Wrote," and "NCIS," among many others. His most recent credit was the role of a prison warden on HBO's dark comedy "Barry," according to NBC News.

The AV Club captured his particular niche in a 2017 piece: "If a casting director has found themselves in need of a burly, blustery, mustachioed man for their project, Richard Riehle has likely been near the top of their list."

Born Richard Mathias Riehle on May 12, 1948, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, he came to acting through circumstance rather than design: as a senior at the University of Notre Dame, unable to fund a full additional year, he discovered that the credits he still needed could be earned in a single semester through speech and drama. He stayed, and the campus theatrical group kept him.

I spent a semester doing anything and everything that you do in the theater — 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. So I went on and got my MFA. I figured, 'What the heck? If they're gonna pay me to do it, I'm gonna do it!'— Richard Riehle

His screen debut came as an unnamed bartender in the 1977 road-trip film "Joyride," which also featured Desi Arnaz Jr., Anne Lockhart, Robert Carradine, and Melanie Griffith, according to ABC News. At the time of his death, 10 projects were in various stages of production, among them "Made Vicious" with the late Tom Sizemore and "Mr. Blue" with Daniel Baldwin, according to Fox News Digital.

"Grounded for Life" star Donal Logue paid tribute on Facebook, recalling an audition that undid him.

He was an actor's actor — humble, kind, and incredible at his craft. I had to apologize to him after his final network audition for 'Grounded' because he made me laugh so hard, I broke character and fell to the floor.— Donal Logue, actor

His representatives noted that Riehle was remembered for his support of those just starting out. "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 statement read. He is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and their four children.

Why it matters — Riehle's death closes the book on one of Hollywood's most prolific supporting careers, a reminder of how much texture in beloved films and TV shows comes from actors audiences recognize but rarely name.

Reported by variety.com, foxnews.com, nbcnews.com, abcnews.com, hollywoodreporter.com, ew.com