Gary Cole’s history of jerks before Chicago Fire

1. Bill Lumbergh, Office Space

Office Space is almost 20 years old, but Gary Cole’s finest jerk role will always be this cult classic from Mike Judge. Yes, the same man who gave us Beavis & Butt-Head and Silicon Valley also stuck us with Bill Lumbergh.

Lumbergh is every stereotype of the corporate boss rolled into one and deliberately exaggerated, and that’s why he’s such a memorable character. He’s purposefully designed to be the guy that you love to hate; unlike Chicago Fire, he doesn’t even pretend that he isn’t a walking headache. It is a larger than life performance for Gary Cole, because it’s clear that Bill Lumbergh has no idea how much of a tool he is, and if he did he wouldn’t care.

Everyone has had a boss who reminds them of Lumbergh in some way. Whether it’s asking you to work on Saturday or speaking to you like you’re the one who doesn’t have a clue, he’s everything you hate about work in one man. He’s a terrible boss, although based on what we’ve seen so far, we’re convinced that Carl Grissom will be worse.

Lumbergh is arrogant, stupid and short-sighted, but he’s meant to be that way. And Gary Cole is pitch-perfect in the role. He’s clearly having a great time being this bad, which makes it great for fans every time he shows up. Just make sure you file those TPS reports, mmkay?

Next: 5 reasons Chief Grissom will be a terrible boss

Do you have a favorite (or least favorite) Gary Cole character? Did you recognize him when he turned up on Chicago Fire? Let us know in the comments!

Chicago Fire returns to NBC on Sept. 26.