Random Most Memorable Nerds In Movie History (17 items)

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  (#16) Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) From 'Ball Of Fire'

  Professor Bertram Potts lives with other professors who are all compiling a book of human knowledge, with his specialty being linguistics.

  He strays from his everyday life of researching among his peers to study the slang of a nightclub performer named "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck). He soon finds himself in love with her and plotting a way to save her from marrying a mob boss named Joe Lilac (Dana Andrews) who needs to keep Sugarpuss from testifying against him.
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  (#3) George McFly

  • Back to the Future Part II, Back to the Future Part III, Back to the Future, Back to the Future

  As the nerdy father of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), George is awkward, complacent, and pathetic as an adult. However, his tendencies toward sci-fi and "bird-watching" in high school prove he's always been a dorky target for bullies.

  Excellent at his studies, George spends most of high school completing homework for Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) and pining over the lovely Lorraine (Lea Thompson) from afar. It isn't until his son travels back in time that George gathers the courage to stand up for himself while refusing to give up the nerdy hobbies he loves, leading to a better future for the whole McFly clan.
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  (#14) Mark Zuckerberg

  • The Social Network

  Using his nerd powers for evil, Mark Zuckerberg starts his Facebook empire as a sort of online burn book used to trash talk the women who refuse his advances. The fact that he's a real person makes Zuckerberg even more notable in the world of movie dorkdom, as he continues to use his intelligence to build an empire founded on ill intent.

  From algorithms to questionable privacy practices, seeing the turmoil and strife that went into making Facebook the juggernaut it is today makes it certain that Zuckerberg will never be forgotten.
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  (#12) Harold Lamb (Harold Lloyd) From 'The Freshman'

  The oldest nerd on this list (the movie is from 1925), Harold Lamb wants to change his persona now that he is away at college. Harold takes on the nickname Speedy and impersonates all of the qualities he believes a big man on campus should have, including mocking people when he meets them. Blissfully unaware of the fool he's become due to a joke spread by his rival College Cad (Brooks Benedict), Harold continues his attempts to win the affection of Peggy (Jobyna Ralston) and make the football team. 

  His tryout for the team goes awry when he takes the place of a tackling dummy, and he ends up becoming the water boy instead of a player. Through other mishaps, Harold maintains a positive outlook and eventually saves the day in a football game where the coach has no choice but to put him on the field.
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  (#6) Andy Stitzer

  • The 40-Year-Old Virgin

  Naive, awkward, and eager to be one of the guys, Andy's brand of nerdiness is evident in his piles of boxed action figures and comic books, and even in his job selling electronics.

  Although Andy attempts to conform to what he believes to be society's standards for a man, in the end, he maintains his personality and dorkiness - and still gets to fall in love. 
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  (#5) Michelle Flaherty

  • American Wedding, American Reunion, American Pie, American Pie 2

  Not a single viewer in theaters was properly prepared for the bombshell dropped by Michelle Flaherty in American Pie once she and Jim (Jason Biggs) make their way to prom.

  Shown only as a breathless talker fixated on her time at band camp throughout high school, Michelle is definitely a band nerd with a saucy side. It's that perverted twist on her geek persona that makes her such a memorable part of a flick full of scenes that cannot be unseen.

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