Richard Riehle Net Worth

What Is Richard Riehle's Net Worth?

Richard Riehle is an American actor who has a net worth of $2 million. One of Hollywood's most prolific and recognizable character actors, Richard Riehle has accumulated more than 400 film and television credits during a career spanning more than five decades. He is perhaps best known for playing the frequently frustrated Tom Smykowski in the 1999 workplace comedy "Office Space" and Walt Finnerty, the father of Sean Finnerty, on the television sitcom "Grounded for Life."

Riehle has built his career around supporting characters who are immediately memorable even when they appear for only a few scenes. His film credits include "Glory," "Fried Green Tomatoes," "The Fugitive," "Of Mice and Men," "Casino," "Lethal Weapon 4," "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," "Wedding Crashers," and "Bridesmaids." On television, he has appeared in series including "The West Wing," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Boston Legal," "Psych," "Modern Family," "Black-ish," and "Fuller House."

Before becoming a familiar face on screen, Riehle spent years working in regional and repertory theater. That foundation helped him sustain an unusually long career encompassing studio films, network sitcoms, independent productions, voice acting, and Broadway.

Early Life

Richard Mathias Riehle was born on May 12, 1948, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. His father died when Richard was 13, leaving his mother, a nurse, to support the family. As a teenager, Riehle worked long hours at a local grocery store and contributed part of his earnings to the household.

He attended the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor's degree in speech and drama in 1970. Riehle then received a Master of Fine Arts in theater arts from the University of Minnesota. While completing his graduate studies, he began acting professionally in local theater productions.

Theater Career

Riehle began his professional stage career at Meadow Brook Theatre in Michigan. He subsequently worked with regional companies throughout the United States, including the Guthrie Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre, and Goodman Theatre.

For years, he moved between companies along the West Coast, performing everywhere from Alaska to Arizona. His stage work included Shakespeare, contemporary drama, comedy, and new plays.

Riehle also appeared on Broadway in productions of "Execution of Justice," "The Iceman Cometh," and "The Man Who Had All the Luck." His extensive theatrical training allowed him to move easily between broadly comic characters and more serious dramatic roles.

Film Career

Riehle received one of his earliest film opportunities in the John Wayne movie "Rooster Cogburn." His appearance as a corrupt quartermaster in the 1989 Civil War drama "Glory" helped establish him as a screen character actor.

He went on to portray Reverend Scroggins in "Fried Green Tomatoes," Carlson in "Of Mice and Men," and the prison guard whose mistake allows Harrison Ford's character to escape in "The Fugitive." Riehle also appeared in "Free Willy," "The Paper," "Jury Duty," "Executive Decision," "Mercury Rising," and Martin Scorsese's "Casino."

In 1999, he played Tom Smykowski in Mike Judge's "Office Space." Although the film was initially only a modest theatrical success, it became a cult classic, and Tom's ill-fated "Jump to Conclusions" mat became one of its most enduring jokes.

Riehle's later credits included "Hatchet," "The Man from Earth," "Wedding Crashers," "Bridesmaids," "Transformers: Age of Extinction," and "Pee-wee's Big Holiday." He has continued working regularly in independent movies, short films, television movies, and streaming productions.

Television Career

Riehle's most substantial television role came as Walt Finnerty on "Grounded for Life." He appeared in 45 episodes between 2001 and 2005, playing the eccentric father of Donal Logue's character. He also had a recurring role as Uncle Dave on "Married to the Kellys."

Across the "Star Trek" franchise, Riehle portrayed Batai in the celebrated "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Inner Light," Seamus Driscol on "Star Trek: Voyager," and Dr. Jeremy Lucas on "Star Trek: Enterprise."

His many other television appearances include "Murder, She Wrote," "Roseanne," "Home Improvement," "ER," "The West Wing," "Boston Legal," "George Lopez," "The Young and the Restless," "Burn Notice," "Psych," "The Middle," "Modern Family," "Black-ish," "NCIS," and "Fuller House."

Personal Life

Richard married Jane Latham in 1970. They have four children. Despite having worked steadily for decades, Riehle has generally remained outside the celebrity spotlight and has described acting as a practical profession as well as a creative pursuit.

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