The word nerd wasn’t even something that people knew about when Theodore “The Beaver” Cleaver started to appear on television screens. However, a lot of his personality traits would become classic nerd things, being geeky and picked on, even if his older brother Wally was there to protect him.
In real life, Jerry Mathers was quite the lady’s man, getting married three times – Diana Platt, Rhonda Gehring, and Teresa Modnick. He has three children- all grown up. He was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1996 and later became the first male spokesperson for the weight loss program Jenny Craig. He’s still with us but has slowed down acting.
David Hyde Pierce – Frasier
Just like his older brother Frasier, Niles is witty and snarky and knows his way around a textbook. But even Frasier rolls his eyes when Niles spends a few minutes wiping down public chairs before sitting or fussing with his cufflinks.
Pierce has had a long number of roles even outside of the ten-plus seasons of “Frasier,” including “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The Fisher King,” “A Bug's Life,” and plenty more. Pierce came out as gay in 2007, and married partner Brian Hargrove in 2008. His big contribution off-screen is working with the Alzheimer's Association, publicly campaigning for more funding to find a cure for the disease.
Tony Hale – Arrested Development
He's the epitome of a mama's boy, having spent eleven months in the womb. He and Lucille Bluth participate in “Motherboy” events; he gets revenge on her by dating her nemesis (also named Lucille) and joins the army to get her goat.
The actor behind this strange character, Tony Hale, has been doing plenty but got an even bigger break by providing the voice of Forky from “Toy Story 5.” Hale also appeared as one of the main characters in “Veep” from 2012 until the show ended in 2019, which earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Support Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013 and 2015.
Jack McBrayer – 30 Rock
Some call him a nerd, and some call him much more. Kenneth Parcell was a country bumpkin who achieved his dream of working for NBC. He's eternally optimistic, eager to please, and works hard. Jack McBrayer began acting in 1999 as a bit part in “Early Edition,” quickly moving on to bigger and better things.
Not only does McBrayer have a huge collection of roles that continue to this day, but he's also been in a few video games, he's also, of all things, been in a Mariah Carey music video (“Touch My Body”) and was on Broadway in a production of “Crazy for You.”
Gabrielle Carteris – Beverly Hills 90120
In a crowd full of rich, fashionable kids, being the level-headed smart one of the group does not get you much acclaim. Still, Andrea Zuckerman had plenty of moments when her friends would have been much better off listening to her words of wisdom.
Gabrielle Carteris went on to be much more than braces and glasses – she went on to become the executive vice president of SAG-AFTRA, the trade union that represents over a hundred thousand actors and actresses, as well as other entertainment professionals. She's been hitched to Charles Isaacs since 1992 and has a pair of children.