Richard Riehle
Born: 1948-05-12 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
Died: 2026-10-15
Known For: Acting
Biography
Richard Riehle (May 12, 1948 – October 15, 2026) was an American character actor born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. He studied at the University of Notre Dame, where he became involved with the university theater, and over nearly five decades appeared in more than 400 stage, film and television productions. He was best known as Tom Smykowski in Mike Judge's Office Space. His other films include The Fugitive, Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Bridesmaids, he made several appearances in the Star Trek franchise, and he played Santa Claus in a number of productions.
Filmography
2026
- The Cowboy Killer as Cook Gerald
- Boris Is Dead as Hank
2025
- Hacked: A Double Entendre of Rage Fueled Karma as Santa Claus
- Tonic as Edward
- 500 Fireflies as Oscar
- We Meet Again as Richter
2024
- Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story as Nicolas Young
- The Invisible Raptor as Sheriff Grimley
- Feeling Randy as Wilfred
- Sanity as Sheriff Huber
- Ambush at St. Mary's as Father Jacob
- Purgy's as Old Man
2023
- Fuzzy Head as Sheriff John Cunningham
- Adventures of the Naked Umbrella as Granny
- Invaders from Proxima B as Willy Felson
- Old Man Jackson as Father Donovan
- For Years to Come as Wally
- Poor Paul as Grandpa Paul
- Golden Vanity as Radio Announcer (voice)
- Intern as CEO
2022
- Surfside Girls as Old Man Olsen
- Madelines as Rory Devonshire
- Moon Manor as Gordon
2021
- The Wedding Pact 2: The Baby Pact as Henry Carter
- Digging to Death as Allen Palms
- Destination Marfa as Skeeter the cashier
- Far More as Father Joe
- For the Hits as Grandpa George
2020
- Faith Based as Herman
- Jimmy's Jungle as Grandpa Bell
2019
- Now Apocalypse as Neil
- 3 from Hell as Sheriff Wolf
- The Meanest Man in Texas as Mr. Kilpatrick
- 15 Minutes at 400 Degrees as John
- Limbo as Phil
- Chase as Turley
- PawParazzi as Bobby
- Boomerang
- Nowhere, Michigan as Martin
2018
- Barry as Warden
- Puppy Star Christmas as Santa Claus
- West of Hell as The Conductor
- A Very Nutty Christmas as Drosselmeyer
- Deadman Standing as Clarence Potts
- The Invisible Mother as Archie
- Bad Apples as Principal Dale
- Fishbowl California as Glen
- Living Room Coffin as Nate
- Bullitt County as The Mr.
- 20 Weeks as Keenan
- Heels as Calvin
- The Acorn as Mr. Ives
2017
- Love at First Glance as Wally
- You Have a Nice Flight as Bob
- Breaking Legs as Principal Bater
- Fear, Inc. as Bill Peterson
- Pitching Tents as Grandpa
- Made Vicious as Lawyer Justice
- Miyubi as Grandpa
- Aquarians
2016
- American Housewife as Gerald
- Fuller House as Uncle Monty
- Pee-wee's Big Holiday as Dan
- A Father's Secret as Ian Stone
- Last Man Club as Grady Reeds
- Citrus Springs as George
- Schlep as Uncle Bill
2015
- Contracted: Phase II as Deuce Gelman
- Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant as Bartender
- Amnesiac as Postman
- Dementia as Sam
- Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves as Sheriff Ryan
- Roommate Wanted as Dr. Hoffman
- Sex, Death and Bowling as Father Joe
- Daddy as Al Rubin
- Lights Out as Harold
- Boredom as John
- Primrose Lane as Officer Braggs
- Welcome to Forever as Mr Cooper
2014
- black-ish as Solomon
- Transformers: Age of Extinction as Theater Landlord
- The Scribbler as Officer O'Reilly
- There's Always Woodstock as Mr. Harmon
- In Your Eyes as Mr. Padgham
- Lovesick as Father
- All I Want for Christmas as Sal
- The Three Dogateers as Santa
- The Cabining as Sarge
- Gone Doggy Gone as Stan Janson
- Pilot Error as Roy Grimm
2013
- Mom as John
- Drunk History as Ralph Himmelsbach
- Maron as David Anthony, Sr.
- Texas Chainsaw 3D as Farnsworth
- Mischief Night as Trucker
- Munchausen as Doctor
- Blue Dream as Ted Sellers
- The Secret Village as Paul
- Girl Meets Boy as Raymond
- Lonely Boy as Mr. Fitz
- Jack's Not Sick Anymore
- Friended to Death
- Friend Request as Frank
- Coffee, Kill Boss as Vincent Brutsi
2012
- The Legend of Korra as Bumi (voice)
- The Mindy Project as George Menken
- The Soul Man as Larry
- The Client List as Jim Richardson
- Men at Work as Gus
- Bad Ass as Father Miller
- Treasure Buddies as Thomas Howard
- BearCity 2: The Proposal as Gabe
- Breathless as Deputy Cole
- Extracted as Father Riley
- Last Call as Harold
- FDR: American Badass! as Senator Bronson
- Dead Man's Burden as Three Penny Hank
- Lake Effects as Chairman McCarren
- Darnell Dawkins: Mouth Guitar Legend as Howlin' Hal Halsby
- WaterWalk as Jim T
- 3 Days of Normal as Chief Dale Nickens
- Stitch in Time as Norman Stitch
2011
- Bridesmaids as Bill Cozbi
- A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas as Santa Claus
- Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer as Ringmaster
- Chillerama as Cecil Kaufman
- The Watermen as Belvine Lee Smith
2010
- The Search for Santa Paws as Santa Claus
- Miss Nobody as Leonard Ormsby
- Killer by Nature as Warden Upton
- Spork as Clyde
- Five Star Day as Jim the Plumber
- Breakdance Academy as Principal Collins
- Growth as Larkin Holberman
- 1,001 Ways to Enjoy the Missionary Position as Charlie
- Gay Baby as Dr. Feldman
2009
- Modern Family as Norman
- The Middle as Sheriff Dugan
- The League as Santa Claus
- Better Off Ted as Bob
- Halloween II as Buddy The Night Watchman
- Messengers 2: The Scarecrow as Jude Weatherby
- Nowhere to Hide as Toley
- The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu as Mr. Snodgrass
- Stellina Blue as Dr. Helfenstein
- Spinning Into Butter as Paul Meyers
- Project Solitude as Frederick Sterling
- Dinner with Raphael as Mr. Siegfried
2008
- Red as Sam
- The Last Word as Man at Gorge
- Hindsight as Peter
- A Plumm Summer as Art Bublin
- Our First Christmas as Santa
- Your Name Here as Lipschitz
- Bait Shop as Gus
- Audie & the Wolf as Michael Ludlow
- Necessary Evil as Capt. Parsons
2007
- The Man from Earth as Dr. Will Gruber
- Big Stan as Judge Perry
- Smiley Face as Mr. Spencer
- American Body Shop
- Wasting Away as Colonel South
- Choose Connor as Grant Miller
- Resurrection Mary as Detective Mahoney
2006
- Psych as Army Johnson
- Hatchet as Jim Permatteo
- Dorm Daze 2 as Captain Bunkley
- Hot Tamale as Sheriff Pinkham
- The Lost as Bill Richmond
- The Darkroom as Emilio
- Dark Mind as Detective Rees
- Midnight Clear as Tommy
- The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell as Narrator / Paranormal Historian
- Little Big Top as Bob
- Price To Pay as Hooper
- Fierce Friend as Phone Tech
- Domestic Import as Sam the Mailman
- Down the P.C.H. as Ricky
2005
- Mysterious Skin as Charlie
- The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green as Hat Sister
- The 12 Dogs of Christmas as Mayor Noble Doyle
- Palindromes as Dr. Dan
- Neo Ned as Officer Roy Pendleton
2004
- Boston Legal as Dr. Barry Glouberman
- Home on the Range as Sheriff (voice)
- NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 as Ernie Wilson
- Death and Texas as Prison Warden
- The Gristle as Starnes
2003
- NCIS as Walt Osorio
- Two and a Half Men as Santa
- Tremors as Helmut Krause
- Married to the Kellys as Uncle Dave
- Ken Park as Murph
- Beethoven's 5th as Vaughn Carter
- Time Changer as Dr. Wiseman
- The Hebrew Hammer as Santa
- Monster Makers as Det. Brennan
2002
- Fillmore!
- George Lopez as Eddie Carter
- The Laramie Project as Henderson Trial Judge
- Another pretty face
2001
- Star Trek: Enterprise as Dr. Jeremy Lucas
- Grounded for Life as Walt Finnerty
- Joe Dirt as Car Dealer
- Bandits as Lawrence Fife
- Say It Isn't So as Sheriff Merle Hobbs
- The Fluffer as Sam Martins
- The Parlor as Beth
2000
- Crash Point Zero as Alan Douglas
1999
- The West Wing as Officer Jack Sloan
- Providence as Simon, Inspector
- Office Space as Tom Smykowski
- Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo as Bob Bigalow
- Balloon Farm as Earl
- Hard Time: Hostage Hotel as Capt. Rich Waters
- Hard Time: The Premonition as Capt. Waters
- The Arrangement as Det. Bert Hershak
- Blink of an Eye as Main Prison Guard
- Au Pair as Sam Morgan
- Kill the Man as Mr. Ellias
1998
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Dune Buggy Driver
- Lethal Weapon 4 as INS Agent
- Mercury Rising as Edgar Halstrom
- Mighty Joe Young as Commander Gorman
- Richie Rich's Christmas Wish as Sgt. Mooney
- Desperate Measures as Ed Fayne
- The Odd Couple II as Detective
- The Pentagon Wars as General Vice
- Mr. Murder as John Wexel
- Judas Kiss as Security Guard
- The Thin Pink Line as Governor Eastman
- The Ransom of Red Chief as Narrator / Sheriff 'T-Bone' Yankum
- Route 9 as Agent Wallace
- Perfect Prey as Detective Bevlan
- One of Our Own as Burt Herchak
- The Lesser Evil as Detective Smitts
- Driven as Leon
1997
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Merrick
- The Practice as Mr. Holt
- Ally McBeal as Jack Billings
- Brooklyn South as Donald Jarman
- The Visitor as Principal Shinagel
- One Eight Seven as Walter
- Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest as Jack Ogden
- River Made to Drown In as Heavyset Man
- Cold Night Into Dawn as Gerald
- Trading Favors as Highway Patrolman
- Dilemma as Captain Ross
1996
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as Jedediah
- The Pretender as Graham Hawkes
- 7th Heaven as Crossroads Mayor
- Men Behaving Badly as Stranger
- Executive Decision as Air Marshal
- The Fan as Shopkeeper
- Ghosts of Mississippi as Tommy Mayfield
- Killer: A Journal of Murder as Warden Quince
- Soul of the Game as Pete Harmon
- Terminal as Security Chief
- Too Fast Too Young as Sergeant
1995
- Star Trek: Voyager as Seamus Driscol
- Murder One
- Casino as Charlie Clark
- The Single Guy as Mr. Van Wagner
- Get Smart as Mr. Winters
- Stuart Saves His Family as Judge
- Jury Duty as Principal Beasely
- Lone Justice 2 as Mayor
- Trial by Fire as Fred Cobb
- A Stranger in Town as Sheriff
- Dominion as Larry
1994
- ER as Mandrake Patient
- Chicago Hope as Milo Schwarz
- Iron Will as Burton
- Lightning Jack as Marcus
- Holy Matrimony as Greeson
- Shadow of Obsession as DA Applegate
1993
- Diagnosis: Murder as Dustin Woods
- The Fugitive as Old Guard
- Free Willy as Wade
- Body of Evidence as Detective Griffin
- Ned Blessing
- A Dangerous Woman as John
- For Their Own Good as Dave Butler
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss as Mort Aberdine
1992
- Of Mice and Men as Carlson
- Shaky Ground as Henry McCallister
- Hero as Robinson
- Prelude to a Kiss as Jerry Blier
- The Public Eye as Officer O'Brien
1991
- Home Improvement as Detective Roberts
- Fried Green Tomatoes as Reverend Scroggins
- Shadows and Fog as Roustabout
- Keeper of the City as Capt. Sam Walden
1990
- Nasty Boys as Gardner
- Ferris Bueller as Ed Rooney
- Capital News
- Broken Badges
- People Like Us as Anthony Feliciano
- A Killer Among Us as Oscar Wendt
- So Proudly We Hail as Davis
1989
- Quantum Leap as Lt. Lannon
- Glory as Quartermaster
- Black Rain as Crown
- Cross of Fire as Duvall
- Cast the First Stone as Dickson
- Rachel River as Merv
1987
- Star Trek: The Next Generation as Batai
1986
- L.A. Law as Leland McKenzie
1985
- The Golden Girls as Detective Parres
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Aaron
1982
- American Playhouse as Merv
1981
- Falcon Crest as George Beeker
1978
- The Other Side of Hell as Tattooed Man
1977
- Joyride as Bartender
1971
- Columbo as Sergeant Degarmo