Richard Riehle, the character actor fans know from the cult classic "Office Space," has died at 78 after a nearly five-decade career and more than 400 credits.

ABC News reported that Riehle’s representatives confirmed his passing this past weekend and announced it on Monday. He was 78.

Breitbart reported he died of natural causes in Los Angeles. No further medical details were released.

Riehle was best known as Tom Smykowski in the 1999 film "Office Space", the product manager who loses his job, survives a hit-and-run, and later lands a settlement that lets him chase what he actually wants. The role stuck with audiences long after the movie became a workplace cult favorite.

That kind of steady, recognizable face has faded from screens before. Fans recently mourned Michael Wright of The Five Heartbeats in similar fashion.

Four hundred projects, one working career

Artists & Representatives and Wright Entertainment, Inc. shared a statement mourning their client. Fox News carried the same message to its readers.

The agencies said:

"We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of our beloved client, Richard Riehle, this past weekend,"

They added:

"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."

And they praised the man behind the credits:

"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."

His résumé stretched far past one office comedy. He played Principal Ed Rooney in the 1990 series "Ferris Bueller," grandfather Walt Finnerty on early-2000s sitcom "Grounded for Life," and Warden Reynolds on "Barry" in 2023. Film work included the Quartermaster in "Glory," Reverend Scroggins in "Fried Green Tomatoes," and a turn in "Casino," along with "The Fugitive" and "Bridesmaids."

Other familiar screen names have left the stage in recent seasons, including Saved by the Bell actor Dennis Haskins.

Notre Dame stages to a life in the trades of acting

Riehle was born May 12, 1948. He got his start at the University of Notre Dame, working University Theatre and several stage productions, then earned a Master of Fine Arts in acting and directing from the University of Minnesota. From there he built the kind of career Hollywood rarely celebrates loudly: show up, hit the mark, do the work, move to the next set.

In November 2011 he arrived at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for the premiere of "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas", one more night in a long string of working-actor appearances.

Entertainment losses keep coming across music and film alike, from rock veterans such as Angry Anderson on a farewell tour to sudden tragedies that stop a career cold.

He is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and their four children.

Riehle never needed the activist microphone or the prestige-circuit speech. He did the job across nearly fifty years, raised a family, and left a body of work people still quote at the office, proof that craft and steadiness still matter more than the noise.