ACTOR RICHARD RIEHLE DIES IN LOS ANGELES

Actor Richard Riehle died of natural causes on 15 October in Los Angeles, friends said. He played Tom Smykowski in the 1999 comedy Office Space, whose character lost his job at Initech and later received a financial settlement after a road collision. His representatives said his career across theatre, film and television spanned nearly five decades and more than 400 projects. “Our industry has lost an exceptional talent, and our community has lost a truly wonderful man,” they said.

Riehle began acting in regional theatre in the Pacific Northwest and made his film debut in the 1975 John Wayne film Rooster Cogburn. He made his television debut in NBC’s The Other Side of Hell in 1979. His later film credits included The Fugitive, Casino, Fried Green Tomatoes, Of Mice and Men, Wedding Crashers, Bridesmaids and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. In The Fugitive, he played a guard involved in Harrison Ford’s character’s escape. He also appeared in Hatchet, Halloween II and Texas Chainsaw 3D.

On television, Riehle played Walt Finnerty in Grounded for Life, which ran from 2001 to 2005. He appeared in several Star Trek series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, where he played Batai. His other television credits included The West Wing, ER, NCIS, Modern Family, Boston Legal and The Middle. His wife, Jane, and their four children survive him.