Your favorite 80s nerds

Jon Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, Anthony Michael Hall, Anthony Edwards. Even the beloved John Cusack one or two times. The list goes on and on. Let's face it: The 80s were the decade of the movie nerd.

But what we need to know is this: Who was the ultimate nerd in the 80s? List time again, mates.

Here are some guidelines. Let's stick to movie nerds here. And they must have done their nerdy work in the 80s. And we ought to weigh the nerd work against their non-nerd work. So Anthony Edward's "Revenge of the Nerd" work might be canceled out by his role as "Lance" in "The Sure Thing." That's up to all of us to decide.

Here are a few of my favorites and food for thought:

ROBERT CARRADINE (Revenge of the Nerds): Possibly one of the single-greatest nerd performances of all time. But also his only nerd role. And it's watered down by his tough-guy turn in "Big Red One."

CURTIS ARMSTRONG (Better Off Dead): "Booger" in "Revenge of the Nerds" was even better teamed with John Cusack in "Better Off Dead." And don't forget his turn as "Miles" in "Risky Business."

ILAN MITCHELL-SMITH (Weird Science): It takes a pro to out-nerd Anthony Michael Hall, but "Wyatt Donnelly" is one of the great geeks of all time. These days, "Wyatt" is a professor of English at Angelo State University. Need I say more?

Leave a comment with your picks for the "Nerd of the 80s" trophy. (*All ballots with my name on it will be thrown out.)

Comments

[Walter Cox]

It's definitely Booger, mainly due to his longevity. Don't forget, he went on to be Herbert Viola on Moonlighting, so he was a double-threat with his nerdosity.

[Douglas Arthur]

You beat me to it Walter! I was going to mention his Moonlighting role as well.I think that might push "Booger" over the top. The last I saw him, he played a DJ on That '70s Show who played Dungeons and Dragons...I guess old stereotypes die hard!

[Marissa]

Curtis Armstrong was all over the 80s nerdy map
Risky Business ~ Miles

Revenge of the Nerds ~ Booger
Revenge of the NerdsII~ Booger

Better off Dead ~ Charles De Mar

One Crazy Summer ~ Ack Ack Raymond

Moonlighting ~ Herbert Viola

Based on the fact that his 80s career was based on being a nerd or social reject, I'd have to go with our man Curtis. And, unlike Carradine and Mitchell-Smith, I don't recall Armstrong's character ever walking away with the HOT girl in his movies.

(IMDb sidenote: He was also in Clan of the Cave Bear --not CARE Bear, but Cave Bear)

[speciak in Kentucky now]

Okay so I've been having to play major catch up here since our move from Germany to Kentucky over the holidays and boy have I had some reading to do.

I have to say that I totally agree with Curtis Armstrong being the biggest nerd of the 80s. He was hilarious as all of the above mentioned characters! From sniffing snow in Better of Dead to well his name Booger says it all in Revenge of the Nerds and as a grown up nerd in Moonlighting what can you say except he is the biggest nerd of the 80s.

[Marissa]

Hey Specialk~ I hope you managed to have a wonderful Christmas and New Year with your family. What a great gift that you were all together this year. Moving stinks from town to town, but country to country? Egads! My hat's off to you, lady.

[Jeff in Cuba]

Before anyone tosses out Eddie Deezen, let me state that the character he plays (and it's the same one, every time) isn't so much a nerd, but an abstract representation of "nerdiness".

It's like Cheetos (bear with me, I'm going to bring this home!) There isn't a cheese on the planet that sports that shocking, hunting vest orange color, and yet when we see it, we all understand that it's "cheesy". I guess sometimes we respond more to how we think things should be than to how they actually are.

(Sigh) I get very worried about how my mind works.

[Marissa]

Ah yes, Eugene! Like Armstrong, he has no chance of ever being the charming leading man. I recognize his voice on the many cartoons my son watches.

I believe it's in "Revenge of the Nerds" where it's explained how 'outcasts' are enveloped in the nerd category. Basically, anyone who isn't accepted readily by the stylish, cool kids.

[Jeff in Cuba]

SpecialK,

Fort Knox or Fort Campbell?

[DenverMatt]

Anthony Micheal Hall gets my vote. Farmer Ted set the standard for a new kind of nerd- "King of the Dipwads"

[Bassnote]

Curtis Armstrong for his entire 80's output.

Anthony Michael Hall for Sixteen Candles & Breakfast Club (& Weird Science)

Timothy Busfield as Arnold Poindexter in Revenge Of The Nerds

[malibu]

Curtis Armstrong, definitely! And he does voices on American Dad now, too--one of which is a nerdy friend of the son. He's drawn a bit like Curtis looks, too.

[Dominic]

Don't forget about the girl nerds. I nominate Sarah Jessica Parker. On TV, she was ubernerd Patty Green on "Square Pegs," in the movies she was a dancing nerd twice; as Rusty in "Footloose" and Janey in "Girls Just Want to Have Fun."

[Brad]

When I started reading this post I thought "Waste of time - Anthony Michael Hall in a landslide" but now I see the wisdom of 80's Nation.

Cast my vote for Curtis Armstrong - who I almost walked into coming around a corner at the office, a few years back. True story!

[Andy Fan]

Rick Moranis

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2
Little Shop of Horrors
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

[Marissa]

Oh! That's a beauty of a suggestion, Andy Fan. I bought my son the Ghostbusters double disc set for Christmas. We've watched both movies several times and I can't believe I didn't think of Rick Moranis! This is a "coulda had a V-8" moment.

[specialk in kentucky]

Thanx Marissa... it's been interesting after 6 years in Germany to come back here. What really sucks is missing all of the latest podcasts too, the computer that I get them on is in transit... should be here next week.
Jim we are at the lovely Fort Knox.

Ah and Rick Moranis.... how did we ever forget him? My kids LOVE Ghostbusters and Little Shop of Horror. Definetly classics but I still stick with Curtis as the ultimate 80s nerd!!

[John Hays]

Oh wow, nice pick with Moranis!

"I'm givin' this whole thing as a promotional expense, that's why I invited clients instead of friends."

[Clark]

3 words:
1) Pee
2) Wee
3) Herman

[Tom]

I vote for Rick Moranis. I think he's a very under appreciated actor. Comic genius!

"Nice doggy! Maybe I got a milkbone."

[Bassnote]

Rick Moranis is a good choice.

[Spiky Sandy]

I have to totally agree with Curtis Armstrong being the biggest nerd of the 80's. I loved him in Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer with John Cusak.

Rick Moranis is a good second place for his roles in Ghostbusters.

Clark, bravo for your Pee Wee Herman suggestion. He's third on the list.

[doogster34]

My vote has to be for Curtis Armstrong. He never seemed to get the girl or any girl except an Omega MOO and Miss Depesto.
Rick Moranis always seemed to be the lucky nerd, In Ghostbusters he hooks up with Sigorney Weaver even if he didn't remember and in 2 Annie Potts. In Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Parenthood he has the Same good looking wife. My honerable mention goes to Mitch (Gabe Jarret) and Lazlo (Jonathan Gries) from Real Genius

[Melissa]

My vote is for Anthony Michael Hall. Booger would be my second choice.

[Jeff in Cuba]

It's caucus night and I'm in the mood for voting!

1. Curtis Armstrong
2. Rick Moranis
3. Anthony Michael Hall

I'll give Pee Wee an honorable mention. I'm a huge fan of Paul Reubens, but I consider him more of a performance artist than an actor.

[Bassnote]

What about Martin Short's Ed Grimly character on SNL?

[Jeff in Cuba]

I consider Ed Grimley a 70's SCTV character, but that's just me.

[Shelly]

Here's my vote:

1. Curtis Armstrong
2. Rick Moranis
3. Robert Carradine - more recently he played Lizzie McGuire's Dad on the Disney Channel and was a nerd there, too (sorry, i have a pre-teen daughter).

[Bill in Nokomis]

Curtis Armstrong FTW.

[VineyardWoman]

BOO-GER, BOO-GER, BOO-GER!!!

No matter what role Curtis Armstrong is in, when he appears onscreen I squeal BOOGER! with delight. My MOM even loved Booger!

My boyfriend somehow slept through the 80s and had never seen Revenge of the Nerds, so I *had* to buy it for him!

I vote for Booger...and a Revenge of the Nerds podcast!

[Greg Williams]

Okay, what about KENT STOP TOUCHING YOURSELF!!!!

[Greg Williams]

10. Robert Prescott (Kent, he was hot and he was hungry...)
9. Anthony Edwards
8. Joan Cusack
7. John Cusack
6. Rick Moranis
5. John Cryer
4. Robert Carradine
3. Pee Wee Herman
2. Curtis Armstrong
1. Anthony Michael Hall

Plus, gotta give some love to M-M-M-Max Headroom.

What about the "Two Coreys" in Lost Boys?

Also, Casey Siemaszko in "3 o'Clock High"

Truffle Shuffle, anyone?

[MarieElaine]

It's nice to see everyone try so hard *not* to include Anthony Michael Hall in their lists. But I personally can't go with anyone else. AMH is the nerd to beat all nerds, not just in 80s movies but in the entire history of cinema. Farmer Ted, Brian Johnson, Gary... they just can't be topped.

And as far as girl nerds go, I nominate Mare Winningham in St. Elmo's Fire.

[80sfan]

Without a doubt my vote goes to Curtis Armstrong. Personally I think he is talent as an actor has been underrated. Besides being type-casted as a classic nerd, I think his dramatic roles deserve a kudos or two as well.

One of my favorite CA characters has to be Pig Boy in the Sci-Fi series The Chronicle.

[Jake Grimme From Indiana]

I know you will all bash me for this but i have to say Anthony Michael HallMainley for his Sixteen Candles roll. Oh and we cant forget National Lampoons Vacation either

[Brad]

The problem with the "Anthony Michael Hall from 16 Candles" is that he isn't even the nerdiest character in the movie. (Think Bryce and Cliff: "Female extraterrestrial?")

Consider this:

1. He sweet-talks a girl into loaning him her underwear. (Frankly I don't think I need to go any further but I will.)
2. He can dance (spastically, but I'll give it to him)
3. He is LADEN with self-confidence - Sam shoots him down over and over and still he keeps coming back, and eventually gets her to, well, see 1 above. (This may be borderline stalking but it's my argument and I'm leaving it as a positive.)
4. He can hold a conversation with one of the most popular seniors in school and not blink.
5. He can make a martini. (Remember, he's a high school freshman)
6. He knows to hand Jake a cocktail napkin with his drink. A minor point, perhaps, but indicative of social awareness.

And the big, obvious one:

7. HE MAKES IT WITH THE PROM QUEEN. I quote Cliff: "Ted, you're a legend!" Oh yeah, news of *that* isn't going to get around.

No true nerd could hope to aspire to such greatness. If you went back to that high school in three years you would see Farmer Ted running the place. He'd have been the second coming of Ferris Bueller.

[Jake Grimme From Indiana]

Well yeah you are very right there Brad. I forgot all about the makin it with the prom queen. What else did he play a nerd in???

[denvermatt]

Don't forget Patrick Dempsey with 2 nerd-worthy roles in the 80s

Meatballs 3 (who saw that?) -Rudy camp nerd
Can't buy me Love- a nerd who learns what it is like to be cool.

Curtis Armstrong only real nerd role was in Risky Business. He really played a wise-ass social outcast.

[denvermatt]

Don't forget Patrick Dempsey with 2 nerd-worthy roles in the 80s

Meatballs 3 (who saw that?) -Rudy camp nerd
Can't buy me Love- a nerd who learns what it is like to be cool.

Curtis Armstrong only real nerd role was in Risky Business. He really played a wise-ass social outcast.

[theroux]

Anthony Michael Hall is the obvious choice. I think his characters were far more iconic to the 80's than those of Curtis Armstrong.

My favorite 80's nerd is Crispin Glover, aka "George McFly" as well as various other nerds, in fine schlock like "My Tutor" and "Friday the 13th IV." Crispin is the cult-nerd of the 80's, and that just makes him even more nerdy.

[theroux]

Anthony Michael Hall is the obvious choice. I think his characters were far more iconic to the 80's than those of Curtis Armstrong.

My favorite 80's nerd is Crispin Glover, aka "George McFly" as well as various other nerds, in fine schlock like "My Tutor" and "Friday the 13th IV." Crispin is the cult-nerd of the 80's, and that just makes him even more nerdy.