Chris Hardwick is the king of the Nerdist empire and AMC's many live after-shows.
He's hosted Talking Dead, Talking Bad, Talking Saul, Singled Out, and at midnight, among
others.
But there's more to him than that.
Let's go beyond the nerdy exterior and take a look at some of the things you probably
didn't know about Chris Hardwick.
Bowling is in his blood
He’s a guy who seems to have done just about everything.
But one career he hasn't pursued?
Professional bowling.
Sure, most people don't go into bowling as a real job, but Chris actually had pretty
good reason to consider it.
His parents met at a bowling alley owned by his grandfather.
Chris' father, Billy Hardwick, was a professional bowler who won 18 Professional Bowlers Association
titles, and was elected into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1977.
Instead, Chris opted to strike it rich on television, and has no time to spare to follow
in his father’s legacy.
He's a legit philosopher
Chris Hardwick has built a career around his ability to talk philosophically on just about
any nerdy topic under the sun.
But unlike most media pundits, Hardwick is an actual philosopher.
Seriously.
He received a degree in Philosophy from UCLA, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity,
which has included members like legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite.
Why philosophy?
Hardwick told the Chicago Tribune, "It's perfect for comedy.
It forces you to deconstruct."
He shared quarters with Wesley Crusher
If there's anyone who carries the nerd flag as proudly as Chris Hardwick, it's Wil Wheaton.
Wheaton is known for playing Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
“I know this might finish me as an acting ensign but, Shut Up Wesley”
With hosting duties on the web series TableTop and appearing on The Big Bang Theory, Wheaton,
like Hardwick, has made an entire career and life out of being a nerd.
Amazingly enough, the two geek icons were actually roommates in college.
They also met in an appropriately nerdy way: In line to see the 1990 horror comedy Arachnophobia.
MTV's Singled Out
In the early '90s, Chris Hardwick got his big break when he became a DJ at the influential
KROQ 106.7 in Pasadena, California.
Hardwick's radio popularity brought him to the attention of MTV, who hired him to co-host
their dating show, Singled Out, alongside Jenny McCarthy.
“Take me to the secret garden where all the other girls are buried”
The rest is history!
Well, sort of…
Alcohol addiction
After his stint as host of MTV's Singled Out came to an end, Hardwick's life went into
a tailspin due to alcoholism.
He put on weight and found himself in a personal and professional rut.
Finally, he decided to kick alcohol entirely and go sober, which he speaks openly about.
In his self-help memoir The Nerdist Way, Hardwick comes clean:
"I knew that I had two choices: I could continue living the way I was living and die pickled
and unemployed, or make sweeping changes with the hope of salvaging my life."
Serial killers, supervillains, and the Terminator
While Hardwick is best known for talking about TV shows and movies, he sometimes stars in
them too.
Well, depending on your definition of "star."
Among his many acting credits are minor roles in House of 1000 Corpses, Terminator 3: Rise
of the Machines, and as the voice of Green Arrow on The Batman.
“People are getting sick around here and it is because of that dirt bag Bruce Wayne.”
He's even butted heads with Handsome Jack as Vaughn in Tales from the Borderlands.
But perhaps his greatest role is Otis from Back at the Barnyard, a male cow with an inexplicable
udder.
That's not how cows work, you guys.
Engaged to an heiress
Over the years, Hardwick has been linked to several high profile starlets, including actresses
Jacinda Barrett and Janet Varney.
In 2015, he finally became engaged to one of the richest women in the world, Lydia Hearst.
An actress and fashion model, Lydia is the daughter of infamously unwilling bank robber
Patty Hearst.
She’s also an heir to the fortune of her deceased great-grandfather, the legendary
publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst.
That’s a whole lot of comic books for Chris.
He's a serious businessman
Being the world's preeminent nerd isn't just a full time job.
It's also big business.
In 2008, Hardwick founded Nerdist.
Three years later, Nerdist merged with GeekChicDaily to form Nerdist Industries, and later, he
became its Chief Creative Officer.
And when Nerdist Industries was purchased by Legendary Entertainment a year later, Hardwick
was promoted to co-president of their digital business.
It just proves that you can't be the top geek without having a serious helping of smarts.
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