Nerds on TV tend to be caricatures of their real life geeky counterparts — all in the
name of comedy.
And it's not enough to just act the part.
The performers behind TV's most famous nerds have to look the part as well, and it's often
a radical departure from their actual looks.
Here's what these fictional geeks are like in real life.
Jaleel White as Urkel
For most of us, Jaleel White will always be Steve Urkel from Family Matters.
"I guess I do have a healthy does of the ole animal magnetism"
And that's been a problem for White's acting career.
People see the iconic Urkel every time they look at White, even though he tells TV Guide,
"I wasn't a nerd by any stretch of the imagination and [I was] decidedly more a jock."
Urkel was famous for his suspenders and high-waisted pants while White preferred Jordans and Nike
jumpsuits in those days.
Urkel geeked out over polka music while White opted for gangsta rap toward the end of the
show's run.
Now a goateed father in his 40s, White, who has landed lower-profile roles over the years,
learned to embrace his past.
And according to the Hollywood Reporter, he's even open to a Family Matters reboot.
"You did good."
"You love me don't ya"
Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton
It didn't take much to get Carlton Banks to break out into dance on The Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air.
"But Carlton, he's not exactly our type"
The actor who portrayed Banks, Alfonso Ribeiro, on the other hand, isn't as enthusiastic about
his trademark "Carlton dance," especially since it has come up every time he's appeared
in public for over two decades.
He told ABC News,
"I get asked to do the dance every day I leave the house.
I never want to take away their enjoyment of the moment.
But […] I'm not a dancing puppet."
Ribeiro — who shares Banks' wholesome reputation as the host of the family-friendly America's
Funniest Home Videos — is a former Dancing with the Stars champion.
And yes, he served up what his fans really wanted.
Rainn Wilson as Dwight
Because he was so believable in the role of Dwight Schrute, Rainn Wilson often has to
convince fans of The Office that he and his character are not the same person.
"I am not a hero, I'm a mere defender of the office.
You know who is a real hero?
Hero from Heroes"
He told Big Think,
"[Everyone] thinks I'm Dwight […] That I'm this kind of annoying, difficult, nerdy, creepy
guy.
[...] Although I'm a little bit nerdy, annoying and creepy, I'm not as much as Dwight Schrute."
Wilson's the first to admit he used to be a nerd in school.
He played Dungeons and Dragons and the bassoon, and was part of the chess team, computer club,
and marching band.
He told Seattle's KUOW,
"It was this weird little stinky petri dish of nerd-dom where we could just express our
humor and our weirdness.
And I'm really grateful for that."
Wilson has since gotten married and had a son.
He's a vegan and devoted follower of the Baha'i Faith.
Alison Brie as Annie
Alison Brie isn't a goody two-shoes.
She just plays them on TV — including Community overachiever Annie Edison.
"No!
I've never gotten a zero before"
She dished the truth to The New York Post, saying,
"The biggest misconception about me is that I'm very wholesome.
[...] And I'm really not.
I had a very wild 20s.
If I was going out with you, it was going to be a crazy night."
Not as crazy: Brie's teen years.
Like Edison, who ran for class president, Brie also got involved in extracurriculars,
telling the Daily Beast,
"I was kind of nerdy and by senior year was President of the Drama Club.
[...] And because I was in drama, I had to have good grades so I could do the plays."
She admitted to the Post she once rebelled and got her tongue pierced, but that only
lasted a week.
She said,
"I was too nerdy to have a tongue ring, and everybody knew it."
"You know the Charleston is like, my dance."
Jim Parsons as Sheldon
Sheldon Cooper wears his geekdom on his sleeve ...
"If I may use a superhero analogy."
"You may not."
OK I'll use real people"
The boy genius-turned-theoretical physicist— played by Emmy-winner Jim Parsons — likes
to flaunt his Star Trek fandom, spouting Klingon on occasion.
Just don't expect him to perfectly execute the Vulcan salute.
Parsons told Canadian media that a Big Bang Theory viewer once wrote an angry letter after
he attempted Mr. Spock's trademark hand gesture in an episode because his form wasn't up to
snuff.
But that's because Parsons isn't the sci-fi fanatic that he plays on TV.
He told Time,
"I'm very forthcoming.
I've never seen Star Trek.
I don't know Doctor Who."
Parsons isn't as studious as Cooper either.
He told Vanity Fair he failed meteorology in college, mostly because he skipped class
and was focused on theater.
"Science is everything, but I'm not watching more NOVA."
Melissa Rauch as Bernadette
The first thing you'll probably notice about Melissa Rauch is that she sounds nothing like
the character she plays on The Big Bang Theory.
"Damn.
All I got for Valentines day was a postcard saying my Vermont teddy bear was backordered."
Rauch told the Rubin Report some fans are caught off guard by her real voice, revealing,
"Sometimes I'll get recognized and then they'll hear my voice and be like 'Oh, that's not
you.
That's not you.'"
Rauch isn't the science geek that Bernadette is either.
She's a life-long stand up comedy fan who studied acting in college — not microbiology,
like her character.
She told the HuffPost,
"There's science information that's given to me in every script that are things I never
thought I would learn.
[...] My character did experiments with rhesus monkeys.
I didn't even know rhesus monkeys existed."
America Ferrera as Betty
Ugly Betty protagonist Betty Suarez isn't your classic beauty.
The clumsy fashion journalist played by America Ferrera started off the series with braces,
thick-rimmed glasses, unkempt eyebrows, and a wardrobe that constantly clashed.
"I know most of your magazines inside out I try to devour as much as I can."
"...clearly"
But Ferrera told Redbook that she could relate to Betty's "go-getter" spirit.
She revealed that friends and family used to tell her,
"You're Latino.
That's not really what they want in Hollywood.
You're short.
You're not the image, you know, of what a beautiful Hollywood star is."
Thankfully, she persevered.
Now that she's landed a starring role on Superstore, where she looks a little more like herself,
Ferrera admits she misses her Ugly Betty wardrobe.
She told Loose Women,
"As crazy as she looked, she was always wearing designer clothes.
I tried to take some of her clothes when the show was over actually."
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