Veteran character actor Richard Riehle, best known to many fans for his memorable role in the cult comedy Office Space, has died. He was 78.

Riehle died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 15, according to TMZ.

The actor had an extraordinarily busy career in Hollywood, appearing in more than 400 film and television projects over several decades.

His Memorable Role in ‘Office Space’

Riehle is perhaps best remembered for playing Tom Smykowski in the 1999 workplace comedy Office Space.

Tom is a product manager at the fictional company Initech who has a particularly bad run of luck — before things take an unexpected turn in his favor.

After learning he is being laid off, Tom is involved in an accident. He ultimately receives a large financial settlement, allowing him to leave his miserable office life behind and pursue his dream of creating his unusual “Jump to Conclusions” mat.

The character was responsible for several memorable moments in the movie, and Riehle’s performance helped make Tom a fan favorite.

Directed by Mike Judge, Office Space initially had a modest performance at the box office but became much more popular after its home-video release. It eventually developed a devoted following, particularly among viewers who related to its jokes about frustrating bosses, office politics and the monotony of corporate life.

For Riehle, the movie became one of the most recognizable credits of an already extensive career.

A Career Spanning Hundreds of Roles

Riehle was born May 12, 1948, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Before becoming a familiar face on television and movie screens, he developed his acting skills through theater.

His career eventually took him to Hollywood, where he became the type of dependable character actor who could move easily between comedy and drama.

Riehle appeared in an impressive range of movies throughout his career. His film credits included Fried Green Tomatoes, Free Willy, The Fugitive, Casino, Executive Decision, Lethal Weapon 4 and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, among many others.

He also appeared as Walt Finnerty in the 1992 comedy Prelude to a Kiss, starring Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan.

Another memorable role came in the 2006 comedy The Benchwarmers, in which he played a man named Carlos.

While some actors become closely associated with a single television show or movie franchise, Riehle built his career by consistently taking on supporting roles. That resulted in a résumé stretching across hundreds of productions.

A Familiar Face on Television

Riehle was equally prolific on television.

Over the years, he appeared on numerous popular shows, often as a guest star or recurring character. His television credits included appearances in series such as Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Law, Quantum Leap, Roseanne, Ally McBeal, The West Wing, ER, Grounded for Life and NCIS.

One of his notable television roles was on the sitcom Grounded for Life, where he played Walt Finnerty, the father of Donal Logue’s character, Sean Finnerty.

Riehle also appeared in the Star Trek universe, taking on several different roles across various installments of the franchise.

His ability to disappear into supporting characters made him a dependable presence on television for decades.

A Long Career in Hollywood

Riehle continued working well beyond the period when many actors might have considered retirement. His hundreds of credits demonstrate just how consistently he worked throughout his career.

He could play a businessman, father, authority figure or eccentric comic character, sometimes appearing for only a handful of scenes while still leaving an impression.

For many movie fans, however, Riehle will always be Tom from Office Space — the frustrated Initech employee whose terrible day unexpectedly leads to a new life.

Riehle’s death brings to a close a Hollywood career that stretched across more than 400 projects and several decades, leaving behind an unusually large body of work for fans to remember him by.