Talladega Nights, Dodgeball, Office Space star talks

                    

	Gary Cole's portrayal of Bill Lumbergh in Office Space was Oscar-worthy. Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
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It's one of the most indelible characters in modern cinema. Even the worst imitations of his mundane voice and humdrum mannerisms are easily recognizable.

"So, Peter, what's happening? Aahh, now, are you going to go ahead and have those TPS reports for us this afternoon?"

Now, Gary Cole, who played Bill Lumbergh in Office Space, has appeared in nearly a hundred movies and television shows during his career, but that's how I'll always remember him. No matter what he does, it's impossible for me not to picture him with suspenders, glasses and an office ID badge hanging from his belt. Yet, someway, somehow, Cole got me to forget about Lumbergh the moment he introduced himself to Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Maybe it was his gray stubble; Coors can tank top or the way he delivered the big news to his long-lost son.

"I'm your daddy. Reese Bobby. Me and your momma did it in a Rustlers Steakhouse bathroom when I was 17 and then you showed up."

On the eve of the release of Talladega Nights on DVD, I caught up with Cole to talk about his role as a NASCAR driver's father, his love for the Chicago Cubs and how Lumbergh would do if he was put in charge of sports franchise.

SI.com: What kind of research did you do to become the long-lost father of a NASCAR driver?

Cole: [In a southern accent] I drove moon shine up in North Carolina. [Laughs] Really, the only thing I did do was read a book. I picked up At the Altar of Speed: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of Dale Earnhardt, and I read that. It had a whole bunch of stuff about his father, who was doing this before NASCAR became what it is today. They were mechanics and there was some moonshine driving involved, but on Sunday afternoons when they weren't working in the garage, they would get their cars and take it to a dirt track and race each other for money. That was his father; that was Dale Earnhardt's father. He grew up in a garage tinkering with cars and when his father would race on Sundays, he would go with him and change tires and work on the engine and stuff like that. I thought that was great background for this guy.

SI.com: What about your disheveled look, can we trace that back to Earnhardt as well?

Cole: Sure. Dale Earnhardt is God in Charlotte. He's still the best. My wig was kind of based on a 1978 version of Dale Earnhardt with the mustache and that whole thing. I added in the Members Only jacket.

SI.com: How was the feedback you got from people in NASCAR about the movie?

Cole: I don't know. I never heard any official word. I never really followed NASCAR. I think they were certainly supportive of the movie. They opened up every temple they have from Talladega to Loew's. I think they liked it. I think they had fun with it.