Chris Hardwick

In many ways, Chris Hardwick personified the "zero-to-hero" story arc that so many video games and comic book plotlines were based on. As a young man, Hardwick was the typical high school geek who preferred role-playing board games to working in front of cameras. His perception changed after moving to Hollywood and discovering his natural talent as a comedian. In the mid-1990s, Hardwick landed his breakout television role as the host of MTV's "Singled Out" (1995-97), a popular dating show that marked the network's transition from strictly airing music videos to reality and lifestyle programming. Hardwick parlayed his "Singled Out" success into the occasional acting appearance on scripted shows and in feature films, yet it was as a TV host that he truly shone. During the meteoric rise of digital media and electronic gaming in the 2000s, Hardwick reached a broader audience as host of the tech-based programs "Attack of the Show!" (G4, 2005- ) and "Web Soup" (G4, 2009- ). The self-professed nerd further increased his visibility by launching the popular "Nerdist Podcast" in 2010, a highly ambitious and personal Internet-radio show that expanded into television, books and other projects, establishing Hardwick as a multimedia mogul. This expanded out of the nerd culture niche into mainstream television as the host and moderator of TV chat shows "Talking Dead" (AMC 2011- ), the comedy quiz show "@ Midnight with Chris Hardwick: (Comedy Central 2013-17) and network game show "The Wall" (NBC 2016- ). In June 2018, Hardwick's status as the leading pop culture figure of geek culture was imperiled by accusations from ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra that Hardwick had been sexually and emotionally abusive toward her for the entirety of their three-year relationship. The revelation led to the end of Hardwick's association with the AMC network.