Felicity Smoak, played by Emily Bett Rickards, was only supposed to be in one episode of “Arrow.” However, the quirky MIT computer nerd won the hearts of viewers and turned into the eponymous Oliver’s main love interest. She also delivered a lot of comic relief in an otherwise dark show. In real life, Rickards is a big philanthropist.
She has worked with campaigns of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, made a public service announcement in conjunction with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation for advancement in spinal injuries, and has founded an acting scholarship with Vancouver Film School. Now that’s cool!
Tracey Gold – Growing Pains
A lot of sitcom children go like this: cool older sibling, geeky middle child, and weird or mischievous younger sibling. Carol Seaver from “Growing Pains” fits in perfectly in the middle. She wants to be part of the cool kids, wants to do well in school, and wants to catch cute boys' eyes. In real life, Tracey had no problem getting attention from guys.
She married Roby Marshall in 1994, and the two now have four children together. Gold suffered from anorexia beginning in 1988 but managed to defeat it. At one point, she was down to five hundred calories a day and weighed only eighty pounds, but she's healthy and happy now.
Mary Lynn Rajskub – 24
Chloe O'Brian from “24” might lack a couple of social skills, but her abilities at the computer not only make her an important part of Jack Bauer's team but makes her a solid nerd. While the actress who plays her, Mary Lynn Rajskub, is best known for her portrayal of mission control for Bauer, she's done quite a lot else.
From “Mr. Show” to “The Kings of Summer,” Rajskub's filmography is quite extensive. She has also spent a lot of time on the stand-up comedy circuit, which is where she met her husband of ten years (and now ex-husband) Matthew Rolph.
John Ratzenberger – Cheers
Cliff Clavin might not be your standard nerd, but as an endless repository of random – and often incorrect – facts, he has a few qualities. He even makes it onto “Jeopardy” as part of the show, losing in the final round.
Even if you've never seen “Cheers,” you're probably familiar with Ratzenberger's voice. He's had a part in almost every Pixar film ever, from the piggy bank in the Toy Story films to Fennwick, the cyclops construction worker in “Onward.” “Soul” is the only Pixar film not to have him in a role. In fact, Ratzenberger has the largest aggregate box office for films he's appeared in EVER. That's pretty cool.
Kevin Weisman – Alias
Marshall Flinkman has an eidetic memory and a wide range of knowledge in plenty of fields. He creates all of the gadgets that SD-6 and later the CIA use in the field, and his awkward babbling turns him into one of the funniest nerdy characters on the list.
Once he finished portraying Flinkman, Weisman didn't stop acting, appearing in plenty of shows and movies. Most notably, he was in the show “Runaways” from 2017 to 2019 and has also had numerous movie gigs. Weisman now resides in Hollywood Hills with his wife and children. He practices yoga and is a vegan.