Nerds, dorks and geeks in pop culture

By Jessica Wedemeyer 12:02am PST, Jan 24, 2017

It's been five years since NBC's "Chuck" came to an end on Jan. 27, 2012. Zachary Levi starred on the action-comedy series as the titular computer service expert at an electronics store (think Best Buy) who's recruited by the CIA after the database for the CIA and the NSA is accidentally implanted in his brain. In honor of the anniversary of the show's conclusion, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at more of our favorite nerds in pop culture. Keep reading to check out more of our fave geeks, dorks, techies and smarty pants…

They don't come much smarter — or much nerdier! — than the four scientist pals at the center of "The Big Bang Theory." And we're not the only ones who're obsessed with Ray (Kunal Nayyar), Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Howard (Simon Helberg) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons). The CBS sitcom was one of the top-rated shows of the 2015-2016 TV season.

Anthony Edwards and Robert Carradine starred as Gilbert and Lewis — best friends majoring in computer science who start a fraternity of geeks and dorks and take on the cool frat of bullies and jocks — in the 1984 comedy "Revenge of the Nerds."

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Before she was one of the most powerful witches on the planet, Willow Rosenberg was your average, run-of-the-mill super-smart but unpopular high school sophomore. Alyson Hannigan starred as Buffy's bestie on The WB's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" from 1997 to 2003.

Jaleel White starred as super-nerd Steve Urkel on ABC's "Family Matters" from 1989 to 1998. From his suspenders and oversized glasses to his high-pitched voice, clumsiness and obsession with Laura, Urkel was the stereotypical geek in every sense of the word.

Anthony Michael Hall made a career of playing nerdy high schoolers during the '80s. He portrayed a character credited as The Geek in 1984's "Sixteen Candles" (pictured). The following year, he starred as Brian — a member of both the math and physics clubs who contemplates killing himself with a flare gun because he's failing shop — in "The Breakfast Club." That same year, he played Gary, one of two nerds who create their dream girl using a computer and a doll, in "Weird Science."

Engineer and bow-tie enthusiast Bill Nye entered the hearts and homes of children around the world with his PBS series "Bill Nye the Science Guy," which aired from 1993 to 1998. Each episode of the wide-ranging educational program centered around a different science subject — from gravity and electricity to dinosaurs and animal locomotion.

America Ferrera won an Emmy in 2007 for her portrayal of Betty Suarez — the titular personal assistant of the editor-in-chief of Mode, a fictional high-fashion magazine — on ABC's "Ugly Betty," which aired from 2006 to 2010. With her braces, red glasses and eccentric wardrobe choices, Betty was the ultimate nerd girl!

"Stranger Things" was arguably the biggest thing to happen on television (and by that, we mean on Netflix!) in 2016. Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard and Noah Schnapp starred as middle school students and best friends who share a deep passion for Dungeons & Dragons on the hit sci-fi-horror series, which chronicles the odd occurrences in a small town after one of the boys mysteriously disappears.

Drew Barrymore starred as Chicago Sun-Times copy editor and former high school nerd Josie Geller — who was cruelly called Josie Grossie by her classmates and has, you guessed it, never been kissed — in the 1999 rom-com "Never Been Kissed." When she goes back to high school on an undercover assignment, she's originally drawn to a group of smart kids called The Denominators but eventually works her way into the cool clique with the help of brother Rob.

John Francis Daley's Sam Weir, Martin Starr's Bill Haverchuck and Samm Levine's Neal Schweiber comprised the titular geeks on the beloved but short-lived NBC comedy-drama "Freaks and Geeks." The '80s-set series, which aired from 1999 to 2000, chronicled the trio's attempts to survive bullies and fit in at their high school.

Mark Zuckerberg famously created Facebook in early 2004 while he was studying at Harvard. As of early 2016, the computer programmer and entrepreneur is the fifth richest person in the world. But it's what he's doing with his money that makes us fans: Last year, he and his wife pledged to invest at least $3 billion over the next 10 years to various charitable causes. According to The New York Times, the power couple aim to assist in finding ways to prevent, cure or manage all diseases by the end of the century. Lofty!

Following his acting debut as Fogell in 2007's "Superbad," Christopher Mintz-Plasse sealed his fate as Hollywood's go-to young actor for high school-aged nerd roles when he starred as teen LARPer (live action role player) Augie — or Bluffkin, as he prefers to be called — in the hilarious 2008 comedy "Role Models."

Lindsay Lohan's Cady Heron in the 2004 teen comedy "Mean Girls" may have conned her way into the cool clique, but deep down, she's still a big ol' nerd. She helps the Mathletes win the state championship finals, after all! Just remember: The limit does not exist.

Science-whiz high school student by day, superhero by night! Though he's battled some of the most ferocious villains to wreak havoc on New York City as Spider-Man, Peter Parker (as played by Tobey Maguire in the Sam Raimi-directed trilogy) still deals with bullies in his everyday life. While many superheroes — from Tony Stark's Iron Man to Bruce Banner's Hulk — are gifted in the field of science, none are as nerdy as Peter, who designed and built his web-shooters when he was just a teenager.

As Rachael Leigh Cook's loner art-geek Laney Boggs taught us in the 1999 teen rom-com "She's All That," you don't have to be smart to be a nerd. (Laney tells Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Zack Siler that she's not smart and can't tutor him when he first attempts to befriend her.) She also taught us that even if you're gorgeous, wearing your hair in a ponytail with glasses and paint-splattered overalls makes you an instant dork.

Mary Lynn Rajskub starred as CTU analyst Chloe O'Brian, Jack Bauer's most trusted friend and teammate, on "24" from 2003 to 2010 — starting during Season 3 — and again on the 2014 revival "24: Live Another Day." The socially awkward computer expert won our hearts with her sassy 'tude and unflinching loyalty to Jack on the FOX thriller.

David Schwimmer starred as paleontologist Ross Geller, the nerdiest member of the gang, on NBC's "Friends" from 1994 to 2004. We'll never forget how excited he got when he rediscovered his childhood rock polisher.

In 2010, Chris Hardwick launched "The Nerdist Podcast," which eventually lead to the creation of Nerdist Industries, the funnyman's empire of podcasts, plus his website, premium YouTube channel and gameshow "@midnight." Explains the "Talking Dead" host on his website, "There are nerds, and then there are nerdists. A nerdist is, more specifically, an artful nerd. He or she doesn't just consume, he or she creates and innovates."

Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley released four funk-rock albums between 2002 and 2010 as N*E*R*D, which stands for No-one Ever Really Dies. They scored a major hit with their first single, 2001's "Lapdance." But aside from their name, there's not much that's nerdy about this group!