30 horrible bosses

Life


30 horrible bosses

By Stylist Team

14 years ago

As Jennifer Aniston's character in new film Horrible Bosses (out 22 July) proves, even the most demanding employer pales in comparison to the evil bosses from the big screen. Faking a sex video of your assistant to bribe them with? All in a day's work for Dr Julia.

But there are even worse bosses to be found in film history. From boardroom bullies to evil Alpha females, we've rounded up the worst movie bosses ever and their nastiest put-downs. So the next time your boss orders you to fetch their dry cleaning/the finance report/third latte of the day, just count your blessings you don't work for any of these workplace nightmares...

Have we missed any horrible bosses off our list? Share your favourites by commenting below.

Picture credits: Rex Features

Dr Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston), 'Horrible Bosses'

Killer quote: "Water?" (Her assistant Dale hands her the water) "Alright, let's see if this thing is working...ohhhhh!" (Squirts water all over Dale's pants) "I'm sorry, I'm a squirter, Dale. Oh, you know what? I think I can make out our little friend there..." (Squirts more water on Dale's pants) "Oooh, shabbat shalom, somebody's circumcised!"


Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), 'Bridget Jones Diary'

Killer quote: " Bridget...if walking past office was attempt to demonstrate presence of skirt...can only say that it has failed parlously."


Miranda Priestley (Meryl Strep), 'The Devil Wears Prada'

Killer quote: "By all means move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me."


Ebenezer Scrooge (Sir Seymour Hicks), 'Scrooge'

Killer quote:

Bob Cratchit (Donald Calthrope): "Mr. Scrooge?"

Ebenezer: "I'm busy."

Bob Cratchit: "Well, it's about Mr. Marley, sir! He's dying!"

Ebenezer: "Well, what do you want me to do about it? If he's dying, he's dying."


Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock, 'The Proposal'

Killer quote: "Listen carefully Bob. I didn't fire you because I felt threatened. No. I fired you because you're lazy, entitled, incompetent and you spend more time cheating on your wife than you do in your office. And if you say another word Andrew here is going to have you thrown out on your a** - OK?"


Jack Field, Your Store Manager (John Carroll Lynch), 'The Good Girl'

Killer quote: “Holden was a thief and a disturbed young man and what happened was a sad thing. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from this tragedy like don't steal and don't be disturbed.”


Barry (Steve Martin), 'Baby Mama'

Killer quote: "Congratulations, Kate. I want to reward you with five minutes of uninterrupted eye contact."


Franklin Hart Jnr (Dabney Coleman), '9 to 5'

Cutting quote: “If you think I am going to be intimidated or stopped by you three dim-witted broads you're mistaken! No woman takes me on and gets away with it! I'm gonna get loose. I'm gonna get loose even if I have to kill one of you to do it! I will not hesitate to kill a woman!”


Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglass), 'Wall Street'

Killer quote: “Fox, where the hell are you? I am losing MILLIONS! You got me into this airline and you sure as hell better get me out or the only job you'll ever have on the Street is SWEEPING IT! You hear me, Fox?"


Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver), 'Working Girl'

Killer quote: (Upon reading Tess' day planner) "Why that little... slut! B****! Secretary!"


George Wade (Hugh Grant), 'Two Week's Notice'

Killer quote:

Lucy Kelson: "You called everyone but Slurpee Heaven."

George Wade: "That is not true. I did call Slurpee Heaven. They didn't want you. Heard you had attitude. Said you weren't "Slurpee" material."


Meredith Johnson (Demi Moore), 'Disclosure'

Killer quote: (Turning mad as Tom leaves) "Oh, you son-of-a-b****. You get back in here and finish what you started. Do you hear me? Do you hear me? (Tom ignores her as heads down the stairs) "You get back in here and finish what you started or you're f***in' dead. You are F***IN' DEAD!"


Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey), 'Swimming with Sharks'

Killer quote: “You are nothing! If you were in my toilet, I wouldn't bother flushing it. My bathmat means more to me than you!”


Blake (Alec Baldwin), 'Glengarry Glenn Ross'

Cutting quote: “We're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.”


Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole), 'Office Space '

Killer quote: “I'm gonna need you to go ahead and come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around 9 that would be great, okay? Oh, and I almost forgot, I'm also going to need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday too, okay?”


E. Edward Grey (James Spader), 'Secretary'

Killer quote: "It's your behavior... It's very bad."


John Milton in The Devil's Advocate

Killer quote:

Kevin Lomax (Keanu reeves): "God dammit, what did you do to my wife?"

John Milton: "Well, on a scale of one to ten... ten being the most depraved act of sexual theatre know to man... one being your average Friday night run-through at the Lomaxes' household... I'd say, not to be immodest, Mary Ann and I got it on at about..." (Counts on his fingers) "...seven."


Mr Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), 'The Apartment'

Killer quote: “Normally, it takes years to work your way up to the twenty-seventh floor. But it only takes thirty seconds to be out on the street again. You dig?”


Mr Burns (Himself), 'The Simpsons Movie'

Killer quote: “Smithers... I don't believe in suicide, but if you'd like to try it, it might cheer me up to watch.”



Les Grossman (Tom Cruise), 'Tropic Thunder'

Killer quote:

Rob Slolom (Bill Hader): "Wow. 8 Oscars, 400 million dollars at the box office, and you saved Tugg Speedman's career."

Les Grossman: "I couldn't have done it without you."

Rob Slolom: "Really?"

Les Grossman: "No, d***head. Of course I could. A nutless monkey could do your job. Now, go get drunk and take credit at all the parties."


Mark Zuckerberg (Jessie Eisenberg), 'The Social Network'

Killer quote:

Mark Zuckerberg: "You signed the papers."

Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield): (almost in tears) "You set me up."

Mark Zuckerberg: "You're gonna blame me because you were the business head of the company and you made a bad business deal with your own company?"


Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), 'The Godfather'

Killer quote: "Some people will pay a lot of money for that information; but then your daughter would lose a father, instead of gaining a husband."


Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway), 'Network'

Killer quote: “I want ideas from you people. This is what you're paid for. And by the way, the next time I send an audience research report around, you'd all better read it, or I'll sack the f***ing lot of you. Is that clear?”


Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), 'In the Loop'

Killer quote: “Within your 'purview'? Where do you think you are, some f***ing regency costume drama? This is a government department, not some f***ing Jane fucking Austen novel!"


Frank Waturi (Dan Hedaya), 'Joe vs. The Volcano'

Killer quote: "But can he do the job. I know he can get the job but can he DO the job? I'm NOT arguing that with you. I'm not arguing that with YOU. I'm not ARGUING that with you. I'm not ARGUING that with you Harry! Harry... Harry... Yeah Harry... but can he DO the job. I know he can GET the job but can he do the job?"


Henry F Potter (Lionel Barrymore), 'It's a Wonderful Life'

Killer quote: "What are you but a warped, frustrated young man? A miserable little clerk crawling in here on your hands and knees and begging for help. No securities, no stocks, no bonds. Nothin' but a miserable little $500 equity in a life insurance policy. You're worth more dead than alive!"


Dick Jones (Ronny Cox), 'Robocop'

Killer quote: “What did you think? That you were an ordinary police officer? You're our product, and we can't very well have our products turning against us, can we?”


Avery Taylor (Gene Hackman), 'The Firm'

Killer quote: (To his co-worker's wife) "You know, I have a very bad reputation"


Robert Pujol (Fabrice Luchini), 'Potiche'

Killer quote: “You want my opinion? You’re job is to share my opinion, don’t waste my time.”


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