Key Takeaways
- Richard Riehle, known for 400 film and television roles, has died at 78 from natural causes.
- Riehle’s major film debut was in 1989 war drama Glory, while his other credits include Free Willy, Casino and, most notably, Office Space.
- The late actor will posthumously star in ten more projects which will soon be released.
Richard Riehle, known for his roles in Office Space, Of Mice and Men and Free Willy, has died at 78.
According to TMZ, the entertainer died of natural causes last Thursday (Oct. 15) in Los Angeles. Riehle, a native of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, boasts 440 acting credits, according to his IMDB. The late actor will have ten posthumous acting credits, including roles in short films 77 and Class Clown, which have been completed.
Born May 12, 1948, Riehle graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in 1970 before earning an MFA at the University of Minnesota. The late actor got his start in regional theater productions in the Pacific Northwest following earlier performances at Rochester, Michigan venue Meadow Brook Theatre.
With a history on Broadway, making his major production debut in the stage play Execution of Justice in 1986, Riehle’s first blockbuster was 1989 war drama epic Glory opposite Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick. Among Riehle’s other notable credits include Casino, Jury Duty, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and the Mike Judge-directed 1999 satirical black comedy Office Space, where he played product manager Tom Smykowski.
Riehle’s final film roles during his life were in 2026 independent movies Boris Is Dead and The Cowboy Killer.
