Entertainment
Richard Riehle, who played Tom Smykowski in the cult comedy "Office Space," has died at 78
Character actor Richard Riehle, beloved as Tom Smykowski of "Office Space" and his Jump to Conclusions mat, has died at 78 in Los Angeles.
Richard Riehle, the veteran character actor who turned a small role in "Office Space" into one of the most quoted parts in comedy, has died. He was 78.
How he died
People close to Riehle say he died of natural causes in Los Angeles last Thursday.
A career of 400 roles
Riehle was one of Hollywood's busiest working actors. Over the decades he racked up more than 400 film and TV credits.
The man behind the mat
Fans will always know him as Tom Smykowski. In the 1999 workplace satire, Tom is a product manager at Initech who loses his job in the layoffs. He then gets hit by a car, walks away with a huge settlement and finally gets to chase his big idea: the Jump to Conclusions mat.
The character gave Riehle a string of scenes that viewers still repeat word for word. The movie later grew into a true cult classic.
Still working late in life
In 2018 Riehle was seen out in Los Angeles soon after wrapping "A Very Nutty Christmas." He made the Lifetime holiday film alongside Melissa Joan Hart.
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