Richard Riehle

• Name — Richard Riehle • Born — 12 May 1948 • Birthplace — Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, U.S. • Education — University of Notre Dame (BA) University of Minnesota (MFA) • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1977–present

Riehle was born on May 12, 1948, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Notre Dame and then completed an MFA at University of Minnesota. Riehle began acting at the Meadow Brook Theatre in Rochester, Michigan and was doing regional theatre in the Pacific Northwest when he appeared in the John Wayne film Rooster Cogburn. Riehle has portrayed Santa Claus in eight different projects, including five films, two television shows, and a television movie. On television, he portrayed Walt Finnerty on Grounded for Life (2001–2005). He has also had multiple appearances across the Star Trek franchise, including the role of Batai in The Next Generation episode "The Inner Light". He also had guest roles in shows like NCIS, The Middle, and The West Wing. In film, Riehle played Tom Smykowski, the self-described "people person" who serves as an intermediary between the engineers and customers at the software company Initech in Office Space. His other roles include the ranch hand Carlson in Of Mice and Men (1992), the guard who allowed Harrison Ford to escape custody in The Fugitive (1993), Principal Beasely in the Pauly Shore comedy Jury Duty (1995), Executive Decision (1996), Mercury Rising (1998), Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), and Wedding Crashers (2005).

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1978 — The Other Side of Hell — Tattooed Man — Television film • 1989 — My Two Dads — Ed Steinbauer Jr. — Episode: "Say Goodnight, Gracie" • Dragnet — Oliver Brady — Episode: "Nouveau Gypsies" • Falcon Crest — George Beeker — Episode: "Payback" • Cross of Fire — Duvall — Television film • Cast the First Stone — Dickson — Television film • 1989–1990 — Quantum Leap — Clifford Vargas, Lieutenant Lannon — 2 episodes • 1989, 1992 — Murder, She Wrote — Sergeant Devon O'Malley, Aaron — 2 episodes • 1989–1993 — L.A. Law — Roger Beekman, Edmund Clancy — 3 episodes • 1990 — Nasty Boys — Gardner — Episode: "The Good, the Bad, and the Nasty" • His & Hers — Mr. Mueller — Episode: "Dueling Therapists" • People Like Us — Anthony Feliciano — Television film • Broken Badges — Unknown Character — Episode: "Pilot" • 1990–1991 — Ferris Bueller — Principal Ed Rooney — 13 episodes • 1991 — Father Dowling Mysteries — L.A. Detective Miller — Episode: "The Malibu Mystery" • The Golden Girls — Detective Parres — Episode: "Never Yell Fire in a Crowded Retirement Home: Part 1" • Keeper of the City — Captain Walder — Television film • 1992 — Civil Wars — Richard Sturdevant — Episode: "Whippet 'Til It Breaks" • Roseanne — Mr. Evans — Episode: "Lies" • Star Trek: The Next Generation — Batai — Episode: "The Inner Light" • On the Air — Dr. Winky — 2 episodes • 1993 — For Their Own Good — Dave Butler — Television film • Shaky Ground — Henry McCallister — Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor]" • Sirens — Irving Chattle — Episode: "Keeping the Peace" • Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life — Judge Longley — 4 episodes • Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss — Mort Aberdine — Television film • 1994 — Shadow of Obsession — Applegate — Television film • Gambler V: Playing for Keeps — Frank DiMaio — Television film • 1995 — Get Smart — Mr. Winters — Episode: "Pilot" • Trial by Fire — Fred Cobb — Television film • Too Something — Unknown Character — Episode: "The Candidate" • 1996 — The Client — Sergeant Phil Rucker — Episode: "Motherless Child" • Terminal — Security Chief — Television film • Murder One — Pat Ferguson — Episode: "Chapter Twenty-Three" • Kirk — Dr. Arthur Bacanovic — 2 episodes • The Single Guy — Mr. Van Wagner — Episode: "Best Man" • 1996, 1999 — Diagnosis: Murder — Deputy Sheriff Harmon Tolliver, Dustin Woods — 2 episodes • 1997 — Men Behaving Badly — Stranger — Episode: "The Odds Couple" • High Incident — Roy — Episode: "Knock, Knock" • Perversions of Science — Gorn — Episode: "People's Choice" • Ally McBeal — Jack Billings — 2 episodes • The Visitor — Principal Shinagel — Episode: "Fear of Flying" • The Practice — Mr. Holt — Episode: "Sex, Lies, and Monkeys" • Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest — Jack Ogden — Television film • 1998 — Brooklyn South — Donald Jarman — Episode: "Tears on My Willow" • The Pretender — Graham Hawkes — Episode: "Indy Show" • The Pentagon Wars — General Vice — Television film • Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Merrick — Episode: "Becoming: Part 1" • When the Bough Breaks II: Perfect Prey — Detective Bevlan — Television film • The Ransom of Red Chief — The Narrator, Sheriff "T-Bone" Yankum — Television film • Mr. Murder — John Wexel — Television film • Chicago Hope — Milo Schwarz — Episode: "Sarindipity" • Maggie — The Frog — Voice, episode: "The Greatest Story Ever Toad" • Home Improvement — Detective Roberts — Episode: "Bewitched" • Route 9 — Agent Wallace — Television film • 1998, 2001 — Columbo — Sergeant Degarmo — 2 episodes • 1999 — Hard Time: The Premonition — Captain Waters — Television film • Au Pair — Sam Morgan — Television film • Hard Time: Hostage Hotel — Captain Waters — Television film • 2000 — Star Trek: Voyager — Seamus Driscol — 2 episodes • City of Angels — Dr. Whitney — Episode: "Ax and You Shall Receive" • Providence — Simon, Inspector — Episode: "The Storm" • Sabrina, the Teenage Witch — Jedediah — Episode: "The Wild, Wild Witch" • Any Day Now — Unknown Character — Episode: "Nothing Personal" • 2001 — The West Wing — Officer Jack Sloan — 2 episodes • 2001–2005 — Grounded for Life — Walt Finnerty — 45 episodes • 2002 — The Laramie Project — Henderson Trial Judge — Television film • ER — Mandrake Patient — Episode: "A Hopeless Wound" • Another Pretty Face — Hilton March — Television film • 2003 — Fillmore! — Leo Grant — Voice, episode: "Masterstroke of Malevolence" • Tremors — Helmut Krause — Episode: "The Key" • Monster Makers — Detective Brennan — Television film • 2003–2004 — Married to the Kellys — Uncle Dave — 10 episodes • 2004 — MNTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 — Ernie Wilson — Television film • Star Trek: Enterprise — Dr. Jeremy Lucas — 2 episodes • 2005 — Detective — Father Uxbridge — Television film • Boston Legal — Dr. Barry Glouberman — Episode: "The Ass Fat Jungle" • 2006 — George Lopez — Eddie Carter — Episode: "It's a Cliffhanger, by George" • All of Us — Sergeant Nelson — Episode: "Police... Open Up" • 2007 — 7th Heaven — Crossroads Mayor — Episode: "Inked" • American Body Shop — Bishop Thomas K. O'Banyon — Episode: "The Bishop and the Pawn" • The Young and the Restless — Warden McQueen — 10 episodes • 2008 — Our First Christmas — Santa — Television film • 2008–2011 — Poor Paul — Grandpa Paul, Big Chief Malcolm Roaring Boar — 10 episodes • 2009 — Psych — Army Johnson — Episode: "Earth, Wind and... Wait for It" • Better Off Ted — Bob — Episode: "Get Happy" • 2010 — Funny or Die Presents — Jerry, The Mayor — Episode: "Episode Five" • 2010–2011 — Nick Swardson's Pretend Time — Ellen's Grandfather, The Mayor — 2 episodes • 2011 — Kickin' It — Mr. Coburn — Episode: "The Great Escape" • 2012 — Lake Effects — Chairman McCarren — Television film • The Client List — Jim Richardson — Episode: "Games People Play" • Men at Work — Gus — Episode: "Wake and Bake" • The League — Santa Claus — Episode: "A Krampus Carol" • 2013 — The Mindy Project — George Menken — Episode: "Mindy's Brother" • Modern Family — Norman — Episode: "The Future Dunphys" • Mob City — Sergeant Kuzyk — Episode: "Red Light" • 2013–2014 — The Legend of Korra — Bumi, Additional Voices — Voice, 17 episodes • 2013, 2018 — Drunk History — James Roche, Ralph Himmelsbach — 2 episodes • 2014 — Maron — David Anthony Sr. — Episode: "The Mom Situation" • Comedy Bang! Bang! — Umpire Bill Kessel — Episode: "Nick Offerman Wears a Green Flannel Shirt & Brown Boots" • Mystery Girls — Walt — Episode: "Haunted House Party" • Mom — John — Episode: "Chicken Nuggets and a Triple Homicide" • Two and a Half Men — Santa — Episode: "Family, Bublé, Deep-Fried Turkey" • 2015 — Black-ish — Solomon — Episode: "Big Night, Big Fight" • The Soul Man — Larry — Episode: "Tell It Like It Isn't" • Axe Cop — Science Corp Scientist, Secret President Larry, Tutukaka Male — Voice, 2 episodes • 2015, 2017 — NCIS — Walt Osorio — 2 episodes • 2016 — Major Crimes — Mr. Lutz — Episode: "Skin Deep" • The Real O'Neals — Father Bernard — Episode: "The Real Move" • 2016–2018 — The Middle — Sheriff Dugan — Episode: "Roadkill" • 2017 — Love at First Glance — Wally Moore — Television film • Real Rob — Kyle — Episode: "Priorities" • Superior Donuts — Murray — Episode: "Flour Power" • Mr. Student Body President — Principal — Episode: "Last Year" • In the Rough — Duke "Chopper" McNeil — 7 episodes • 2018 — Another Period — Congressman — Episode: "Congress" • Corporate — Hubert — Episode: "Society Tomorrow" • A Very Nutty Christmas — Dosselmeyer — Television film • 2019 — Now Apocalypse — Neil — Episode: "The Downward Spiral" • American Housewife — Gerald — Episode: "Field Trippin'" • 2020 — Fuller House — Uncle Monty — Episode: "Family Business" • 2023 — Barry — Warden Reynolds — 2 episodes

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1996 — Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom — Chief Technician Robert "Pliers" Sykes