Getty Chris Hardwick has been a staple in comedy, television and voice acting since the early 1990's. Aside from his popular talk shows, he is also founded the Nerdist.
Chris Hardwick is under fire after his ex-girlfriend Chloe Dykstra accused the comedian and actor of being both emotionally and sexually abusive during their three year relationship.
Hardwick is the founder of the entertainment site Nerdist, and is best known for his shows Talking Dead and @midnight. Hardwick’s net worth is $15 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Here’s what you need to know about Hardwick’s rise to fame:
1. Hardwick Began His Career in Radio Before Branching off to Act & Direct Movies with Rob Zombie
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 10: TV personality Chris Hardwick, winner for Outstanding Achievement In Interactive Media ? Social TV, poses in the press room at the 2016 Creative Arts Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 10, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Hardwick began his career in radio on the KROQ-FM station in Los Angeles. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he also appeared on UPN sitcom Guys Like Us.
Shortly after he left radio, he branched off into acting, appearing in Rob Zombie’s film House of 1000 Corpses. He also teamed up with Zombie again to direct the film Halloween II in 2009.
During the period 2001 to 2003 he hosted for the popular TV dating show ‘Shipmates’. Following his film experience, he started appearing in a fair number of television shows, including CSI, I Love the 90’s, and Zoey 101.
2. Hardwick Appeared in Several Television Shows Such as “Boy Meets World” & Also Dabbled With Voice Acting
GettySAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 22: Comedian Chris Hardwick on the #IMDboat at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 at The IMDb Yacht on July 22, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)
Hardwick is probably best known as a TV host and comedian. He was the host on MTV’s reality dating show “Singled Out,” in 1995. After the show ran its course, he “hopped from show to show,” briefly serving as host to G4’s Web Soup.
During 1996 he appeared in the hit TV series Boy Meets World, guest starring as himself, and acted in the movie Beach House.
Hardwick is also a voice actor, voicing characters such as Glowface in the cartoon “The X’s,” Otis in “Back at the Baryard,” and Craig in the show “Sanjay and Craig.”
3. Hardwick is the Founder & CEO of the Incredibly Successful Website “Nerdist,” as well as the Nerdist Podcast & YouTube Channel
GettySAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 22: Moderator Chris Hardwick attends Comedy Central “South Park 20” during Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Hardwick currently serves as founder, CEO, and creative head of Nerdist Industries, a media empire under the Legendary Digital Network that “encompasses the Nerdist.com website, YouTube channel, and Hardwick’s incredibly successful Nerdist Podcast, which he continues to host and garners over 6.9M downloads per month,” according to his biography on Nerdist.
In July 2012, movie studio Legendary pictures purchased Nerdist Industries for an undisclosed price, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Today, the Nerdist company operates the extremely popular website, production company and podcast.
Nerdist is an entertainment site dedicated to all things “nerd,” including articles and reviews on movies, video games, television shows and other pop-culture fads.
“With daily news, hilarious videos and reviews of the latest games, movies and comics, join Nerdist’s team of Jessica Chobot, Rachel Heine, Dan Casey, Kyle Hill, Alicia Lutes, Kyle Anderson, and Matt Grosinger as they explore the nerd fabric of today’s pop-culture landscape,” the site states in the “about” section.
4. Hardwick Hosted Several AMC Talk Shows, Including “Talking Dead” & “Talking Bad,” as well as His Hit Show @Midnight
ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 24: Moderator Chris Hardwick speaks onstage during AMC’s ‘Fear of the Walking Dead’ panel at WonderCon at Anaheim Convention Center on March 24, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AMC )
Hardwick rose to fame even quicker after snagging a his talk show, the “Talking Dead” on AMC in 2011. The live, hour-long show followed AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead after new episodes aired. Hardwick talked with celebrity fans of The Walking Dead, members of the cast and crew, re-aired clips of the episode and offered exclusive clips of the upcoming episode. The show is currently in its fifth season.
In August 2013, Hardwick began hosting Talking Bad, a live half-hour talk show companion series to the final eight episodes of AMC’s other hit series, Breaking Bad. He also hosted “Talking Saul,” another follow-up live show to AMC’s Better Call Saul.
Another of Hardwick’s well-known gigs, @midnight was a 30 minute segment Hardwick hosted, providing information about the internet while being scrutinized by comedians. “The show consists of clips, gifs, pictures, and etc. that thrive within the dark shadows of what is known as the Internet,” IMDB states.
5. He and His Wife Own Several Multi-Million Dollar Properties in California; Hardwick Reportedly Bought “The Chateau” to Keep the House From Being Redeveloped
HOLLYWOOD, CA – APRIL 23: TV personality Chris Hardwick (L) and actor Lydia Hearst attend the Los Angeles Global Premiere for Marvel Studios? Avengers: Infinity War on April 23, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Variety reports that Hardwick was looking to buy “The Chateau,” a grandiose estate in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles, which was listed at $5.595 million.” Hardwick purchased the home for #5.25 million.
The purchase was confirmed by Hardwick’s mother, Kobeissi Properties real estate agent Sharon Hills, who told Curbed the comedian was looking to buy the house because he was concerned the 2.86-acre spread might be “redeveloped or insensitively altered” and, thus, bought this property to preserve it.
Hardwick and his wife Lydia Hearst already own an even larger home than The Chateau – a restored “Spanish Colonial Revival-style villa with several satellite offices and guesthouses” in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. They purchased the home in the fall of 2015, almost a year before they were married, for a neighborhood record-setting price of $11 million, according to Variety.