Kehler was best known to audiences for his role in the 1998 Coen Brothers movie The Big Lebowski, in which he played Marty, the landlord to Jeff Bridges’ titular character, Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski.

Primarily a character actor, Kehler had over 170 credits to his name across almost 40 years in the film and television industry.

Other films Kehler has featured in include Men In Black II, Waterworld, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. On television, Kehler had small roles in several notable shows—among them Mad Men, 24, Monk, and NYPD Blue. Prior to his death, he was working on a film entitled The Platinum Loop.

Television writer Jay Faerber has remembered Kehler as “a great character actor," praising his role in 1991’s The Last Boy Scout:

Actor and director Jeff Daniel Phillips – who worked with Kehler on the 2010 short errand_boy – has remembered Kehler as a “dear talented friend”, as well as a “dedicated artist” who “gave everything to all his roles”:

He is survived by his wife, Shawn Casey, as well as son Eddie, daughter-in-law Mari-Anne, and grandson Liam.