I Love the 80s Strikes Back: Nerds of the 80s
by renebird | created - 11 Aug 2019 | updated - 06 Mar 2023 | PublicGedde Watanabe ("Sixteen Candles") has presented you with the nerds of the 80s.
1. Steve Jobs
Producer | Toy Story
Steven Paul Jobs was born on 24 February 1955 in San Francisco, California, to students Abdul Fattah Jandali and Joanne Carole Schieble who were unmarried at the time and gave him up for adoption. He was taken in by a working class couple, Paul and Clara Jobs, and grew up with them in Mountain View...
2. Elvis Costello
Soundtrack | Cold Mountain
Elvis Costello was born Declan Patrick MacManus in London, England and raised in Liverpool. The son of British band leader Ross McManus, Costello took his pseudonym from Elvis Presley and his father's stage name (Day Costello). He began performing professionally in 1969 and was a musician and/or ...
3. Anthony Daniels
Actor | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Initially not a science fiction fan, theatre actor Anthony Daniels was persuaded by his agent to meet George Lucas for the casting of C-3PO in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). He went on to perform the character, both his voice and body in the suit, for all the episodic Star Wars films ...
(as C-3PO)
4. King Charles III
Actor | Coronation Street
King Charles III was born November 14, 1948. His first military services appointment was in 1969. His favorite food is scrambled eggs and he likes to drink whisky. He enjoys going to Scotland, UK; Klosters, Switzerland; and the Eleuthra in the Caribbean. He enjoys hunting, shooting, fishing, polo, ...
5. Ric Ocasek
Soundtrack | Super 8
Ric Ocasek was born on March 23, 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Super 8 (2011), The Saint (1997) and Transformers (2007). He was married to Paulina Porizkova, Suzanne LaPointe and Constance Campbell. He died on September 15, 2019 in Manhattan, New York ...
6. Bill Gates
Actor | Frasier
Born William Henry III is an American entrepreneur, business mogul, investor, philanthropist, and widely known as one of the most richest and influential people in the world. William Henry III was born to attorney, William Henry II and teacher, Mary Maxwell Gates in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Bill ...
7. Thomas Dolby
Soundtrack | Howard the Duck
Thomas Dolby was born on October 14, 1958 in London, England, UK. He is a composer and actor, known for Howard the Duck (1986), Mission: Impossible III (2006) and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997). He has been married to Kathleen Beller since July 2, 1988. They have three children.
8. Marc Price
Actor | Family Ties
Marc Price is co-executive producer and creator of Green Collar Comedy Show (2010), a one-hour special on Showtime that lets the environmental movement show its sense of humor while delivering a vital message (Premiered Earth Day, April 22nd, 2010).
His past production credits include executive ...
(as Irwin "Skippy" Handelman)
9. Sarah Jessica Parker
Actress | Sex and the City
Sarah Jessica Parker was born March 25, 1965, in Nelsonville, Ohio, to Barbra Forste (née Keck), a teacher who ran a nursery school, and Stephen Parker, a journalist. Her parents divorced, and her mother later remarried to Paul Forste and had four more children, bringing the total to eight. Sarah ...
10. LeVar Burton
Actor | Star Trek: Generations
LeVar Burton was born on February 16, 1957 in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He is an actor and director, known for Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). He has been married to Stephanie Cozart Burton since October 3, 1992. ...
11. Ross Bagdasarian Jr.
Actor | Alvin & the Chipmunks
Ross Bagdasarian Jr. was born on October 25, 1949 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Alvin & the Chipmunks (1983), The Chipmunk Adventure (1987) and Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007). He has been married to Janice Karman since September 27, 1980. They have two ...
(as Simon Seville)
12. Martin Short
Actor | Innerspace
Martin Hayter Short OC is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, singer, and writer. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2019 Short became an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has received Medals from Queen Elizabeth II, including in 2002 the ...
(as Ed Grimley)
13. Alex Trebek
Producer | Jeopardy!
Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Alex Trebek graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in Philosophy. After his first decision to become a newscaster, he joined the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company), Canada's premier network in 1961. As he was working, he helped organize national ...
14. Gedde Watanabe
Actor | Sixteen Candles
Gedde Watanabe was born on June 26, 1955 in Ogden, Utah, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Sixteen Candles (1984), UHF (1989) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).
(as Long Duk Dong)
15. Crispin Glover
Actor | What Is It?
While he's never been a typical leading man, Crispin Glover has distinguished himself as one of the most intriguing personalities in the movie business. His unusual characters and personal projects have inspired a cult-like following that has dubbed him both madman and genius.
The son of actress and...
16. Lukas Haas
Actor | Inception
Lukas was born on April 16, 1976 in West Hollywood, California. His Texas-born mother, Emily Tracy, is a writer, and his German-born father, Berthold Haas, is an artist. He has twin brothers, Simon and Nikolai. It's widely noted that Lukas was discovered at the age of five by casting director ...
17. Larry King
Actor | Ghostbusters
Larry King was born on November 19, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for Ghostbusters (1984), Shrek 2 (2004) and Enemy of the State (1998). He was married to Shawn Ora Engemann, Julie Alexander, Sharon Lepore, Alene Akins, Mickey Sutphin, Annette ...
18. Max Wright
Actor | ALF
Max Wright was born on August 2, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for ALF (1986), All That Jazz (1979) and The Shadow (1994). He was married to Linda Ybarrondo. He died on June 26, 2019 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.
(as Willie Tanner)
19. Rick Moranis
Actor | Parenthood
Rick began his career as a radio DJ while he was still at high school which led to him writing, producing and being on air in his own show. He joined the Canadian TV series, SCTV (1976), winning an Emmy for writing and portraying the character, Bob McKenzie, which became the basis for the film, ...
20. John Ratzenberger
Actor | Cheers
John started the improvisational duo group, "Sal's Meat Market", in Bridgeport, Connecticut with fellow actor and friend Ray Hassett. He was later affiliated with the ensemble group, "The Downtown Cabaret". Coincidentally, he was a friend of Susan Ryan, the mother of Meg Ryan. A mutual friend, also...
(as Cliff Clavin)
21. David Faustino
Actor | Married with Children
David Faustino was born on March 3, 1974 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Married... with Children (1987), The Legend of Korra (2012) and Star-ving (2009). He was previously married to Andrea Faustino.
(as Bud Bundy)
22. Gilbert Gottfried
Actor | Aladdin
At the tender age of 15, Gilbert Gottfried began doing stand-up at open mike nights in New York City and, after a few short years, became known around town as "the comedian's comedian". After spending several years mastering the art of stand-up comedy, producers of the legendary NBC late-night ...
23. Mike Mills
Soundtrack | Man on the Moon
Mike Mills was born on December 17, 1958 in Orange County, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Man on the Moon (1999), Independence Day (1996) and Vanilla Sky (2001).
24. Josh Saviano
Actor | The Wonder Years
Josh Saviano was born on March 31, 1976 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for The Wonder Years (1988), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Camp Cucamonga (1990). He has been married to Jennifer Romer since August 3, 2002. They have one child.
(as Paul Pfeiffer)
25. Grant Shaud
Actor | Murphy Brown
Grant Shaud was born on October 17, 1960 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Murphy Brown (1988), Antz (1998) and Wall Street (1987).
(as Miles Silverberg)
26. Dustin Diamond
Actor | Saved by the Bell
Attended Zion Lutheran School in Anaheim, California. While in fifth grade, he portrayed 8th-grader Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television series Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1987), which evolved into Saved by the Bell (1989) and its various television movies and spin-offs. Also appeared in the ...
(as Samuel "Screech" Powers)
27. Woody Allen
Writer | Annie Hall
Woody Allen was born on November 30, 1935, as Allen Konigsberg, in The Bronx, NY, the son of Martin Konigsberg and Nettie Konigsberg. He has one younger sister, Letty Aronson. As a young boy, he became intrigued with magic tricks and playing the clarinet, two hobbies that he continues today.
Allen ...
28. Jaleel White
Actor | Family Matters
Jaleel White is an American actor, producer, and writer who is known for playing Steve Urkel from "Family Matters" and voicing Sonic the Hedgehog in three cartoon series released during the 1990s. He also acted in "Big Fat Liar" starring Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes, "Scooby-Doo", "Guess Who", "...
(as Steve Urkel)
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