William Atherton—the 80's most hated man

This man most certainly has a dick. William Atherton in Die Hard 2 (1990) This man most certainly has a dick. William Atherton in Die Hard 2 (1990)

William Atherton has appeared in over 60 movies and TV shows throughout his career, but for those who grew up in the 1980's, Atherton is likely best know for his "Asshole Trilogy". His incredible performances as an asshole bureaucrat in Ghostbusters (1984), an asshole academic in Real Genius (1985) and an asshole reporter in Die Hard (1988) made a huge impression on that generation's movie goers. Atherton has certainly played other asshole characters since (see Bio-Dome (1996)), but those three from the 1980's perfectly represented a certain sleazy ethos of the time.

For more on Atherton, be sure to check out The A.V. Club's great interview with him from 2010 in which they discuss his career and the reputation he created from those three infamous roles: http://www.avclub.com/article/william-atherton-40332