Dr. Dana Scully from “The X Files” is one of our favorite TV nerds. This offbeat character is a legend in geekdom. Gillian Anderson grew up as an outsider. Her coolness was actually apparent from a very young age. As a teen, she moved from England to a small conservative town called Grand Rapids.
She said, “There were only six punks there. We were weird. It’s not like London.” Underneath the tough punk exterior, which included dyed and shaved hair, plus piercings (before the look was a global trend), was this gorgeous face. She even played Margaret Thatcher in Netflix’s “The Crown.”
Mayim Bialik – The Big Bang Theory
Amy Farrah Fowler is married to the nerdiest of them all — Sheldon Cooper, so we know her nerd credentials are solid. From the moment she burst onto the scene during the early seasons of "The Big Bang Theory," she proved to be a real nerd match for Sheldon and the gang.
But Mayim Bialik does not just play a neurobiologist on TV; she is a verifiable scientist with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Don't believe anything those kids in middle school told you. We all know that advanced degrees instantly make you a cool person. And it only takes some stylish clothes to see she’s beautiful on the outside too.
Wilmer Valderrama – That ‘70s Show
Wilmer Valderrama came of age as Fez on "That ‘70s Show." The out-of-place foreign exchange student amuses with his awkward attempts to fit in with American culture. He was most certainly out-cooled by the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Laura Prepon, that's for sure.
In real life, he’s so cool that he’s dated a virtual catalog of A-listers, including Ashlee Simpson, Mandy Moore, Lindsay Lohan, and Demi Lovato. Not to mention the fact that Valderrama looks nothing like his fictional counterpart in real life. Since his role as Fez, Wilmer has starred in movies such as "Encanto" and "Murder Mystery 2."
Zachary Levi – Chuck
In this "Slacker"-meets-Stanford television series, Chuck Bartowski is a geeky software whiz who ends up as a CIA asset. His character gets kicked out of Stanford (not his fault), and he ends up living with his sister and working an electronic superstore at the Geek Tech desk.
Zachary Levi certainly made the nerdy role his own. But that's not exactly what this actor is like in reality. Like, seriously, look at him. He’s no geek. Not only that but he's also played two iconic cinematic roles: Flynn Rider in "Tangled" and the title character in the DC superhero movie "Shazam!"
Jewel Staite – Firefly
Joss Whedon, the creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is behind the sci-fi FOX series "Firefly." The mothership in this futuristic tale is called “Serenity,” and Kaylee Frye is the vessel’s mechanic, even though she’s never been trained. Jewel Staite nailed the role in the spinoff film, but that didn't mark the end of her time in Hollywood.
The clever girl from 2517 was lovely then as Jewel Staite is today. Add that to her numerous roles in sci-fi and fantasy, and you got yourself the coolest girl in Comic-Con. In more recent times, she played a lawyer in The CW series "Family Law."