Richard Riehle, ‘Office Space’ Actor, Dies at 78
Richard Riehle, the prolific character actor best known as Tom Smykowski in the cult classic ‘Office Space,’ has died. He was 78. TMZ first reported that he died of natural causes on Thursday, October 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
His representatives at Artists and Representatives and Wright Entertainment confirmed the death “this past week,” The Hollywood Reporter reported, and a joint agency and management statement confirmed it “this past weekend,” USA Today reported.
A career of more than 430 credits
Born on May 12, 1948, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, Riehle graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1970 and made his film debut in the 1975 movie ‘Rooster Cogburn,’ according to The Hollywood Reporter. He went on to amass more than 430 acting credits on IMDb.
His Broadway credits included ‘Execution of Justice’ (1986) and ‘The Iceman Cometh’ (1999). On television he played Walt Finnerty on ‘Grounded for Life’ from 2001 to 2005 and Warden Reynolds in HBO’s ‘Barry’ in 2023, Deadline reported.
The ‘Office Space’ legacy
He played a racist quartermaster in ‘Glory’ (1989), the guard who lets Harrison Ford’s character escape in ‘The Fugitive’ (1993), and a mob banker in ‘Casino’ (1995). But his most famous role arrived in 1999 with Mike Judge’s ‘Office Space’: as Tom Smykowski, the laid-off Initech product manager who uses a hit-and-run settlement to pursue his dream of inventing the ‘Jump to Conclusions’ mat.
“I was older when I really got started, and it did limit things,”.
Richard Riehle, to Notre Dame Magazine, via USA Today
Tributes
Tributes poured in from colleagues. Actor Donal Logue called him ‘an amazing human being’ and a ‘consummate professional’ in an Instagram tribute, USA Today reported.
Riehle is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and his four children, Variety reported.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of our beloved client, Richard Riehle, this past weekend,”.
Joint agency and management statement, via USA Today
✓ Verified
The key facts of this obituary (the October 15, 2026 death in Los Angeles of natural causes at 78, the May 12, 1948 birth, the Notre Dame class of 1970, the 430-plus credits, and the surviving family) were cross-checked across five outlets: TMZ, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, and USA Today.
Editor’s note: This obituary is based on reporting by TMZ, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, and USA Today, published October 19, 2026.
