It's well-known that villains make for some of the best roles and that businessmen (and women) make for some of the best villains.
So it's no wonder there are so few Oscar-lauded performances as evil entrepreneurs or corporate types. (Perhaps Hollywood's Oscar voters find nothing particularly exotic about tyrannical, power-hungry one-percenters.)
Nonetheless, Bloomberg BusinessWeek assembled the eight most scheming and terrifying private-equity sharks and turn-of-the-century oil titans, who should strike fear in the hearts of all law-abiding Oscar lovers.
Photographs by Everett Collection
Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)
Played by: Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Actor, 2007
Occupation: Oilman
Evilest Deed: Bludgeoning a minister to death with a bowling pin
Memorable quote: "If you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, that's a straw, you see? You watching? And my straw reaches across the room, and starts to drink your milkshake ... I ... drink ... your ... milkshake! Sschhlllluuuuurrrrrrp. I drink it up!"
Michael Corleone (The Godfather: Part II, Best Picture, 1974)
Played by: Al Pacino, Best Actor nominee, 1974
Occupation: Olive oil importer (secondarily: casino owner, racketeer, drug kingpin, mob don, Cuban resort investor)
Evilest Deed: Whacking his brother, Fredo
Memorable quote: "If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.
Karen Crowder (Michael Clayton)
Played by: Tilda Swinton, Best Supporting Actress, 2007
Occupation: Corporate attorney
Evilest Deed: Screwing over George Clooney
Memorable quote: "When you really are enjoying what it is you do, who needs balance? There's your balance!"
See the rest of the story at Business Insider