Chris Hardwick: Comedian, Host, and Media Personality Chris Hardwick, a comedian and media personality, gained fame hosting *Talking Dead*, *The Wall*, and *@midnight*, while also excelling in podcasting, stand-up, and voice acting.

Christopher Ryan Hardwick (born November 23, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, television and podcast host, writer, and producer. He is best known for hosting Talking Dead, the AMC aftershow for The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, and as the host of The Wall, a game show on NBC. Hardwick was also the creator behind Nerdist Industries, which housed The Nerdist Podcast, now known as ID10T with Chris Hardwick.

Hardwick was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. His father, Billy Hardwick, was a professional bowler, and his mother, Sharon Hills, was a real estate agent. Hardwick attended several high schools before graduating from Loyola High School in Los Angeles. He studied philosophy at UCLA, where he was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity, graduating in 1993.

In the 1990s, Hardwick became best known as the host of MTV's Singled Out, a dating show he co-hosted with Jenny McCarthy. From there, he hosted Wired Science on PBS, Web Soup on G4, and the Ministry of Laughs on BBC America. For the most part, however, Hardwick is known for his hosting jobs, beginning with Talking Dead, where he provided analysis and cast interviews for The Walking Dead, as well as Talking Bad and Talking Saul alongside their Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul counterparts. From 2013 to 2017, he hosted @midnight with Chris Hardwick, a late-night comedy game show on Comedy Central.

Hardwick worked not only as a host but also as a stand-up comedian. In that context, he worked in the comedy duo Hard 'n Phirm with Mike Phirman, which led to a Comedy Central special. His 2012 solo stand-up special, Mandroid, was very well received. He wrote for Wired magazine and authored a self-help book, The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life), published in 2011.

Hardwick was also heavily engaged in voice acting. He voiced Otis the Cow in Back at the Barnyard, Green Arrow in The Batman, and several characters in both The Legend of Korra and Futurama. He also appeared in video games, such as in Tales from the Borderlands and Borderlands 3.

With the creation of Nerdist Industries, a company dedicated to geek culture, Hardwick's influence in the realm of digital media expanded. He established The Nerdist Podcast in 2010, which became a significant platform for interviews with celebrities and pop culture figures. In 2012, Nerdist Industries was acquired by Legendary Entertainment, and Hardwick became co-president of Legendary's digital business. He then stepped away from Nerdist, rebranding his podcast to ID10T with Chris Hardwick.

Throughout his professional tenure, Chris Hardwick has been candid about some struggles in his personal life. He has spoken about coping with alcoholism, being clean since 2003. He was first engaged to model and actress Jacinda Barrett, then he had a long-term relationship with comedian Janet Varney. He wed actress and model Lydia Hearst in 2016, and the couple welcomed their first child in 2022.

In 2018, Hardwick's ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra, accused him of emotional and sexual abuse. While no name was mentioned, many assumed that this was about Hardwick. As a result, AMC temporarily suspended him from Talking Dead and removed his name from Nerdist. AMC reinstated him after an internal investigation whereas NBC allowed him to reclaim his host position for The Wall. Hardwick managed to carry on with his television career and digital media, even amidst protests.

Chris Hardwick is one of the powerful people in the entertainment industry, mostly for his work in comedy, television, and podcasting. His ability to connect with audiences through humor and insight has secured his position as a versatile and influential media personality.