Nothing was more adorable than Kevin Arnold’s crush on Winnie Cooper. The super-smart sweetie and Kev seemed like a perfect match. But did life imitate art? Or did art imitate life? Because in real life Danica McKellar became a superstar math whiz. There was no denying that her nerdy role as Winnie was completely unforgettable.
Not only has she penned a shelf load of math books for teens, but she also co-published a unique math theorem at UCLA where the actress graduated summa cum laude. Or should we say, summa *cool* laude? Sorry for the dad-joke. We’ll see ourselves out.
Linda Cardellini – Scooby-Doo
As kids watching Scooby Doo and his mystery-solving cartoon entourage, we could never imagine a live-action rendition, but it happened. Velma Dinkley was always a quintessential nerd ever since she appeared in the animated version. But Linda Cardellini honored that nerdiness perfectly.
And Cardellini, who was one of the lead actresses in "Freaks and Geeks" as well, is good at playing one, but wow, she sure does not look like a nerd! In 2009, she got an Icon Award from TV Land, and we all know you don't get that unless you're uber-cool. She has even had a minor role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Jasika Nicole – Fringe
Another natural-born geek actress is Jasika Nicole. In "Fringe" as agent Astrid Farnsworth, she majored in music and linguistics, minored in computer science, and was fluent in five languages. But when you're going up against the likes of Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, and Joshua Jackson, you're never going to look as cool.
In "The Good Doctor," she was the head of pathology. With those nerd credentials, you’d think she’d be one in real life, but she is as cool as it gets. She even designs and makes all of her own clothes! She even showed up in the revival of the '80s series "Punky Brewster."
Amy Acker – Person of Interest
Root, from "Person of Interest," is a complicated villain. She is a dangerous cyber sleuth and an occasional assassin. She survives as an opportunist who does not take sides, and she is inventive enough to develop a special digital relationship with The Machine.
Eventually, Amy Acker voices The Machine. But in real life, she is both cool and studious as a former model and as a graduate of Southern Methodist University. In more recent times, she has had a memorable role in the X-Men-inspired "The Gifted." Acker also starred in a handful of episodes alongside Rob Lowe in the firefighter series "9-1-1: Lone Star."
Kumail Nanjiani – Silicon Valley
In "Silicon Valley," Dinesh Chugtai plays an adorable Pakistani programmer who excels at coding JavaScript. Like most programmers, he and his buddies are trying to launch a startup by developing an app.
The funny part is that the character Dinesh Chugtai is a lot like Kumail Nanjiani. As a computer science and philosophy major, Nanjiani said, “When I graduated college, I sort of assumed my life was going to be working with computers.” But he told NPR, “The problem was I wasn’t very good at it, and I wasn’t interested in it at all.” From a computer nerd to Hollywood stardom? Coolness overload!