There's No Way You Can Name All These Nerdy Actors
- by Dylan Dembrow
- – on
- in Movies and TV
We get so accustomed to watching our favorite actors play superheroes and action stars that it’s easy to forget that at the end of the day they’re ultimately just playing make-believe. So while some actors are undeniably hardcore — like Harrison Ford and Mark Wahlberg — a lot of them are nerds at heart. After all, most A-list actors probably began their acting careers by starring in school plays, studying theater in college, or attending improv classes — which are all pretty “nerdy” activities to partake in.
But then, of course, there are other actors who are unmistakably nerds both on screen and off. Whether it be because they can play being awkward so convincingly, or they can’t stop gushing about their love for pop culture, these are the actors who are no doubt all the more endearing to their fans.
While plenty of people would be able to pick out Luke Skywalker from a poster or remember which actor appeared on which sitcom, not everyone is as skilled when it comes to remembering their favorite nerdy actors by name. But if you're also a nerd at heart, you know the obsession of learning everything there is to know about your favorite show or film series -- meaning that naming these actors should also be a walk in the park.
Name the nerd
Best known from her role as Jessica Day on the hit FOX sitcom New Girl, this American actress, singer, and model began her career in the late 1990s with her debut appearance in the 1999 film Mumford. She went on to gain widespread recognition for her performances in films including Almost Famous, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Yes Man, and (500) Days of Summer. But despite a successful career in movies, this actress decided that she wanted to headline her own show, and though she didn’t create New Girl, she does work as a producer on the series.
Name the nerd
You’d have to be living under a rock to not know this actor’s name, as he played one of the most iconic fantasy heroes of the modern era. The English actor landed the role of Harry Potter when he was just 11 years old, and would go on to playing the iconic wizard for ten years and eight feature films. Luckily, the actor has survived becoming synonymous with the iconic character, as he has continued to have a successful film career with movies like The Woman in Black, Swiss Army Man, and Now You See Me 2.
Name the nerd
This actress/writer/ comedian first achieved widespread recognition when she became a recurring cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1997 to 2006. She went on to host the Weekend Update segment of the show alongside Jimmy Fallon and eventually Amy Poehler, while also serving as the show’s head writer. As if that wasn’t already enough, she went on to create, write, and star in the hit NBC show 30 Rock, which was largely based on her time at SNL. Since then, she has continued to create and produce other sitcoms, including Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Name the nerd
Maybe one of the greatest sitcom nerds of all time, this American actor starred as the uber-geeky Dwight Schrute on nine seasons of the hit NBC show The Office. Season after season, the character demonstrated his love from everything from The Lord of the Rings to Battlestar Galactica. While the actor might not be quite as nerdy as his on-screen counterpart, he has starred in a number of other nerd fan-favorites, including the 1999 film Galaxy Quest and his 2010 superhero movie, which was simply titled Super.
Name the nerd
Though she’s played a number of characters who could not be any different from one another, this American actress has a tendency to play women who aren’t exactly social competent or fashion forward. Her breakthrough performance came when she starred as the awkward and unattractive Mia Thermopolis in Disney’s The Princess Diaries before she played yet another character who didn’t know how to dress herself in The Devil Wears Prada. She’s also made appearances in a number of sci-fi and fantasy films, including The Dark Knight Rises and Alice in Wonderland.
Name the nerd
This Canadian actor first broke big by playing the uncomfortably awkward character of George Michale Bluth on the criminally-canceled Fox series Arrested Development. But not long after the sitcom was canceled, this actor landed a leading role in 2007’s Superbad, which went on to make him a household name. The actor has a tendency to play social awkward characters, making him very relatable to most real-life nerds. In fact, the reason he wanted to become an actor in the first place was due to his profound love for Ghostbusters.
Name the nerd
Throughout her 30-plus year career, this American actress has almost played nothing but nerdy characters. She first gained widespread recognition for playing Willow Rosenberg on the hit WB show Buffy the Vampire Slayer alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicholas Brendon as one of the series’ main characters. During this time, the actress popped up in the popular R-rated American Pie comedy trilogy, where she played the band geek Michelle Flaherty. More recently you’ve probably seen her on countless reruns of How I Met Your Mother.
Name the nerd
This British actor and comedian basically broke onto the scene by starring in homages to many nerd favorite films and TV shows. After working as a writer and playing supporting characters in a number of series, he played the leading role in the 1999 show Spaced, which was replete with pop culture references and nerdy homages. Then in 2004, he starred alongside other Spaced regular Nick Frost in Shaun of the Dead — a send up to the zombie genre which earned him widespread recognition.
Name the nerd
If you prefer your nerds with a sarcastic edge, then you’ve no doubt taken note of this geeky actress who has appeared in everything from the short-lived Freaks and Geeks to the more recent Showtime drama Masters of Sex. The American actress probably first captured audiences attention with her supporting role in Mean Girls before going onto star in the unconventional creature-feature Cloverfield. She’s also starred in other nerd favorite films including Hot Tub Time Machine and The Interview.
Name the nerd
Another actor who is a true nerd at heart, this celebrity isn’t just known for starring in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Austin Powers series, he’s also the voice of Chris on Family Guy and the creator of his own animated series, Robot Chicken. Born in 1974, this actor and comedian started acting when he was just ten, landing the role of Richie Tozier in the 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s It. In 2010, he married fellow nerd and actress Clare Grant.
Name the nerd
While she might not be nerdy in the conventional sense, this actress none the less won over audiences with her endearing awkwardness throughout nine seasons of The Office. Here, she played beloved receptionist Pam Beesly who goes on to marry Jim Halpert while also being promoted to the position of Saleswoman throughout her time at Dunder Mifflin. The American actress has also starred in a number of hit comedy films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Hall Pass. She currently stars in the ABC sitcom Splitting Up Together.
Name the nerd
Much like Michael Cera, this American actor has a tendency of playing socially awkward and cringe-inducing characters, as seen in films like Adventureland, The Social Network, and Zombieland. That being said, some of his more recent characters have a little more bite to them, which has resulted in the actor taking on some more villainous and action-heavy performances in films like American Ultra and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where he was cast to play a young Lex Luthor.
Name the nerd
Nerds everywhere first fell in love with this actress when she starred as the title character on Veronica Mars, which followed a high school student who also moonlights as a private investigator. While the series was eventually canceled, it was given a second life through a crowd-funding film which broke the record for fastest project to earn both $1 million and the $2 million dollars. The actress married fellow nerdy actor Dax Shepard in 2013, and she can currently be seen on the NBC series The Good Place.
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Before he landed the role of experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter in the long-running FOX sitcom The Big Bang Theory, this American actor has a recurring role as David Healy on the 1990s sitcom Roseanne — a role that he has recently reprised for the revival series. On top of his successful TV career, you may actually remember the actor from his performance in 1989’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, where he played the young Rusty Griswold. He more recently starred in the 2017 horror film Rings.
Name the nerd
Born on January 28th in 1998, this 20-year-old American actress shot to stardom after being cast in the role of Alex Dunphy on the hit ABC sitcom Modern Family. Out of the three Dunphy children, Alex is easily the most intelligent, though she struggles in many social situations and must rely on the advice of her ditzy older sister, Haley. Before being cast on the sitcom, the actress had actually already starred in a number of hit movies and TV shows, including Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Horton Hears a Who!, and ER.
Name the nerd
When this actor was in the second grade he was so obsessed with Star Wars that he actually wrote a letter to Mark Hamill asking him to attend his birthday party. Then, decades after becoming an actor himself, he finally met Hamill during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he was gifted a Lightsaber by Luke Skywalker himself. But on top of being a real-life nerd, this American actor has had a successful career across both television and film, and he is probably best known for his recurring role on Parks and Recreation as Ben Wyatt.
Name the nerd
Long before being a nerd was considered cool, this actress starred as the highly intelligent and skeptical FBI Special Agent Dana Scully on the hit FOX series The X-Files. The show ran for nine seasons between 1993 and 2001, but due to its lasting popularity, this actress — along with co-star David Duchovny — have returned for two truncated seasons of the show within the last few years. This American-British actress has more recently appeared on the Starz series American Gods, where she plays the character of Media.
Name the nerd
Here’s an example of someone who clearly doesn’t look like a nerd on the outside, and as a result, he doesn’t often end up playing very nerdy characters. But despite being one of the biggest action stars of the last few decades, this American actor has been outspoken about his life-long love with Dungeons and Dragons, which allowed him to foster his creativity from an early age. He is best known for playing Dominic Toretto in The Fast and Furious series, though he has also played Riddick in The Chronicles of Riddick sci-fi film series.
Name the nerd
If you’re a fan of superhero shows, then you’ve no doubt come across this actress, who has played Felicity Smoak on a number of connected CW shows, including Arrow, Vixen, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow. The Canadian actress was born on July 24th of 1991 in British Columbia before she went on to attend Vancouver Film School where she studied acting. After graduation, she began professionally acting around 2008, and just a few years later landed her role on Arrow that would make her a star.
Name the nerd
After appearing in a number of sketches on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, this American actor and comedian landed a role on Tina Fey’s 30 Rock, where he played the innocent NBC page, Kenneth Parcell. The actor was nominated for numerous awards for his performance as this geeky character, which eventually won him a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also starred in a number of comedy films, including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Name the nerd
Though she may have fallen into the “freaks” category during her time on the cult hit TV series Freaks and Geeks, this American actress has no doubt played her fair share of geeky characters as well. While she may forever be loved as playing Lindsay Weir on this show, the actress has also gone on to have recurring roles in ER and Mad Men. She’s also popped up as Laura Barton — Hawkeye’s wife — in Avengers: Age of Ultron, as well as played the nerdy Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films.
Name the nerd
If there anything nerdier than writing, creating and voicing a number of the characters in your own animated show? Though that’s exactly the case for this American actor, he still has the distinct ability to come off as the coolest guy in the room — despite the fact that he’s built his career making an adult animated show that heavily relies on crude humor. But ever since Family Guy’s success, this celebrity has branched out into film work and live-action acting with his movies Ted, Ted 2, and A Million Ways to Die in the West.
Name the nerd
After starring in a number of popular films, including Real Women Have Curves and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this American actress broke big after anding a leading role in the ABC sitcom Ugly Betty. The series ran from 2006 to 2010 and found the actress donning a pair of horn-rimmed glasses and a mouthful of braces to play the awkward series protagonist. While she no doubt ended up winning over the hearts of fellow nerds with the part, it also won her a number of awards in the process, including a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
Name the nerd
Best known for playing Marshal Eriksen on the long-running CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, this American actor achieved widespread recognition after appearing on the cult classic TV series Freaks and Geeks alongside James Franco and Seth Rogen. Since then, he’s also enjoyed a successful film career, staring in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which he also wrote), I Love You, Man, and The End of the Tour. If that’s not already enough nerd cred, he also helped revitalize the Muppets with their 2011 feature film.
Name the nerd
This American actress, who stars on the super geeky sitcom The Big Bang Theory, also happens to have a PhD in neuroscience — meaning that as long as she lives, her nerd cred can never be drawn into question. Before she ever landed the role of Amy Farrah Flower on Big Bang, the actress actually had a starring role on the NBC series Blossom from 1991 to 1995. On top of a busy acting career, this actress has even penned a number of books that cover everything from parenting to eating a vegan diet.
Name the nerd
After a number of supporting roles in both television and film throughout the mid and late ‘90s, this quirky actor landed the leading role of J.D. on the medical comedy Scrubs, which ran for nine seasons between 2001 and 2010. In 2004, this actor also wrote, directed, and starred in Garden State, a film about an actor who must return home to New Jersey following his mother’s death. He currently stars in the ABC sitcom Alex Inc., where he plays a podcaster who launches a startup company.
Name the nerd
Though she may not come across quite as nerdy as her sister and fellow actress, this female celebrity has played her fair share of nerdy characters — most notably the leading role of Temperance Brennan on the long-running Fox show Bones. And by long-running, we mean the show literally lasted for 12 seasons and nearly 250 episodes, which means audiences just couldn’t get enough of this quirky and highly intelligent forensic anthropologist. The actress has also appeared in the feature films Spider-Man 2 and My Sister’s Keeper.
Name the nerd
Ever since the Star Wars rant in his 1994 directorial debut Clerks, there was no mistaking this writer/ director/ actor as being a full-blown nerd. Many of his subsequent films have included references to wide variety of pop culture staples, though it’s clear that the original Star Wars trilogy will always hold a fond place in this director’s heart. In 2012, he even starred in his own reality series about the happenings of his own comic book store, Jay and Silent Bobs Secret Stash, which is located in New Jersey.
Name the nerd
Much like Tina Fey, this comedic actress also came up through Chicago’s Second City improv group before going on to land a role as a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live. She appeared on the show from the 2001 to 2008 season, and she served as a co-host alongside Fey on Weekend Update for a number of those years. Since then, the two SNL alums have continued to appear together on awards shows and in movies. But this American actress is probably best-known for playing the plucky Leslie Knope on NBC’s Parks and Recreation.
Name the nerd
Yet another comedy nerd, this comedic actor and musician first gained widespread notoriety after becoming a cast member on Saturday Night Live in 2005. During his time there, he popularized the weekly Digital Shorts, often with the help of his musical comedy group known as The Lonely Island. He is gone on to star in a number of feature films, including Hot Rod, I Love You, Man, and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. He currently plays Detective Jake Peralta on the FOX cop sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Name the nerd
While some of these actors seem like they’re way more nerdy on film than they are in real life, here’s an actress who genuinely seems like she’s into the same pop culture that she’s been such a big part of. The actress is probably best known for playing the plucky mechanic Kaylee Frye on the short-lived cult classic Fox series Firefly. She went on to reprise that role in the follow-up film, Serenity, before going on to star in a number of other sci-fi movies and shows, including Stargate Atlantic, Warehouse 13, and Supernatural.
Name the nerd
Though this actor hasn’t appeared in a live-action movie since 1997, that shouldn’t stop older audience members from remembering him playing pretty much every likable nerd in any major film from the 1980s to the 1990s. After starring in in the popular sketch comedy show Second City Television, this Canadian actor appeared as Louis Tully in the 1984 film Ghostbusters. He followed this up with performances in Little Shop of Horrors, Space Balls, and the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids film series.
Name the nerd
Though you’ve probably seen this actress a handful of times on TV and in movies before, you might have a hard time actually recalling her name. This might be due to the fact that the actress was born in the Netherlands, and her name isn’t all that easy to pronounce — or remember for that matter. The Dutch actress is probably best known for playing Jean Grey in the long-running X-Men film series, but she’s appeared in a number of other genre films and TV shows, including the Taken action series and Netflix’s Hemlock Grove.
Name the nerd
While certain actors — like Harrison Ford — seem to have a love-hate relationship with their massive nerd following, other — like this actor — seem to embrace it at every turn. While he is best known for playing the action hero Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, this American actor is very much a nerd himself who has been a lifelong collector of pop culture items. Though he hasn’t done much live acting outside of the Star Wars series, he has long provided the voice of the Joker in cartoons, animated movies, and video games.
Name the nerd
On the surface, this American actress might not seem like your typical nerd. But we’ll have you know that this starlet is a self-proclaimed Star Trek fanatic, calling herself a Trekkie and even being able to speak a bit of Klingon. On top of this — while the actress doesn’t usually play nerdy characters — she has appeared in a number of comic book shows and films, including Sin City and Daredevil. In fact, she’s reprised her Daredevil character of Claire Temple in every Netflix/ Marvel series to date.