| “ | You honestly think hard work creates wealth? The only thing that creates wealth is wealth and we have it, you don't! | „ |
| “ | You make me sick. You know what's wrong with America? Everyone just wants a handout, Take Take Take! From the people who earn their money honestly! | „ |
Bert Hanson is the secondary antagonist of the 2014 sequel, Horrible Bosses 2. He was the main antagonist for the majority of the film, but was eventually outranked and killed off by the true main villain.
He is portrayed by Christoph Waltz, who also portrayed Mandrake, Walter Keane, Hans Landa, Franz Oberhauser and Chudnofsky.
Horrible Bosses 2
After Nick, Dale and Kurt decide to launch their own business, Bert and his son, Rex, meet them at a golf course. Bert orders 100,000 Shower Buddies from them, only to cancel the order, leaving them with a half-million-dollar debt. Later on, after Rex's kidnapping was staged, Bert called the police after they told him not to, proving that money is his main priority. In a bottom floor of a hotel parking garage, NIck, Kurt and Dale wearing homemade ghost masks ordered him to give up the money and his jacket and suit so that Kurt can impersonate Bert. While giving up the $5 million in cash inside a vinyl bag, Bert refused to give up his jacket and suit. Nick, Kurt and Dale didn't know what to do and instead kept demanding him to do so threatening they would shoot him (as NIck was carrying an unloaded Smith and Wesson 60). Bert scoffs they would shoot him and insults "Big mouth! Nothing behind it!" before getting shot in the chest. Nick, Kurt and Dale panic over this and Kurt and Dale immediately blame Nick for this. Rex cackles in laughter behind them, revealing that he was the one who shot Burt in the chest. Rex then shoots Bert again in the head with his Colt Python.
Personality
Bert was a very greedy and ruthless businessman who only cared about money. However, unlike his son Rex, he had moral principles, as shown when he chided Rex about gloating when he screwed over the protagonists. He had a special disdain for people who asked for handouts since he was selfish and praised American wealth inequality, ignoring the fact that Nick, Kurt and Dale only forced him to give them a handout because he intentionally sabotaged their financial state. His fatal flaw proved to be his love of money and his neglect of Rex.
Trivia:
- Christoph Waltz worked with Jamie Foxx in the 2012 film, Django Unchained, as a father figure and close ally to Django Freeman.
- He also worked with Jason Sudeikis in the 2013 film, Epic, where he played the main villain, Mandrake against Jason Sudeikis' character's daughter, MK, played by Amanda Seyfried.
- He is the second villain played by Christoph Waltz to be a father.
- Prior to the film's release, Bert was promoted as the main antagonist, but it turns out that his son, Rex, is the true main villain.
- Bert is similar to David Harken from the first film, as they were wealthy and greedy businessmen who enjoyed screwing people over. However, Bert gets killed by his own son Rex for his greed. At one point, it is implied that Harken and Bert know each other.
- Bert bears a strong resemblance to Alex Trebek, the host of Jeopardy!.