We now know the official cause of death for Richard Riehle. The prolific character actor, known for his work in Office Space, Bridesmaids, Casino and much more, died from a stroke, with oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the throat, listed as the underlying cause, according to his death certificate obtained by TMZ.
Riehle died October 15 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 78.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of our beloved client, Richard Riehle, this past weekend,” Riehle’s reps said in a statement to Deadline.
“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 statement continued. “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. Our industry has lost an exceptional talent, and our community has lost a truly wonderful man.”
One of Riehle’s best-known roles as was a Tom Smykowski, a cynical Initech product manager, in Mike Judge’s 1999 satirical comedy Office Space, in which he appeared alongside Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root and Gary Cole.
His additional film credits included Joyride (1977), Black Rain (1989), Of Mice and Men (1992), Free Willy (1993), The Fugitive (1993), Lightning Jack (1994), Casino (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), The Odd Couple II (1998), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Office Space (1999), Deuce Bigalo: Make Gigolo (1999), Joe Dirt (2001), Beethoven’s 5th (2003), Wedding Crashers (2005), National Lampoon’s Dom Daze 2 (2006), Red (2008), Halloween II (2009), Bridesmaids (2011), A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011), Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013), Lovesick (2014). His last film credit was in 2026, in The Cowboy Killer.
Riehle’s television work included TV movie The Other Side of Hell, followed by My Two Dads (1989), Dragnet (1989) and Falcon Crest (1989). He also appeared on Quantum Leap, Murder, Show Wrote, L.A. Law, Ferris Bueller, The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chicago Hope and Home Improvement, among others.
His most recent TV credits included American Housewife (2019) and Fuller House (2020). His last role was playing Warden Reynolds in HBO’s Barry (2023).