Chris Hardwick

Chris Hardwick Headshot

Actor • Host • Personality • Podcaster • Producer • Game Show Host

Birth Date: November 23, 1971

Age: 53 years old

Birth Place: Louisville, Kentucky

Spouses: Lydia Hearst

Partners: Jacinda Barrett, Andrea Savage, Chloe Dykstra, Janet Varney

In many ways, Chris Hardwick personified the "zero-to-hero" story arc that so many video games and comic book plotlines were based on. As a young man, Hardwick was the typical high school geek who preferred role-playing board games to working in front of cameras. His perception changed after moving to Hollywood and discovering his natural talent as a comedian.

In the mid-1990s, Hardwick landed his breakout television role as the host of MTV's "Singled Out" (1995-97), a popular dating show that marked the network's transition from strictly airing music videos to reality and lifestyle programming. Hardwick parlayed his "Singled Out" success into the occasional acting appearance on scripted shows and in feature films, yet it was as a TV host that he truly shone.

During the meteoric rise of digital media and electronic gaming in the 2000s, Hardwick reached a broader audience as host of the tech-based programs "Attack of the Show!" (G4, 2005- ) and "Web Soup" (G4, 2009- ). The self-professed nerd further increased his visibility by launching the popular "Nerdist Podcast" in 2010, a highly ambitious and personal Internet-radio show that expanded into television, books and other projects, establishing Hardwick as a multimedia mogul.

This expanded out of the nerd culture niche into mainstream television as the host and moderator of TV chat shows "Talking Dead" (AMC 2011- ), the comedy quiz show "@ Midnight with Chris Hardwick: (Comedy Central 2013-17) and network game show "The Wall" (NBC 2016- ).

Christopher R. Hardwick was born on Nov. 23, 1971 in Louisville, KY to Hall of Fame bowler Billy Hardwick and real estate agent Sharon Hills. He spent his youth in Tennessee and Colorado as a math geek, president of the Latin club, and an avid fan of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

After his mother and stepfather moved the family to Los Angeles during Hardwick's senior year of high school, he enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles to study philosophy. While attending UCLA, Hardwick roomed with actor Wil Wheaton, who had starred in the coming-of-age drama "Stand by Me" (1986). A fellow member of the Chi Phi Fraternity at UCLA, Hardwick also launched his career as a stand-up comedian and built up his Hollywood résumé.

One of Hardwick's first television appearances was a bit role on the ensemble drama series "thirtysomething" (ABC, 1987-1991).

In 1995, Hardwick landed his breakout role as co-host of MTV's popular dating show "Singled Out" alongside former Playboy Playmate of the Year Jenny McCarthy. Inspired by classic game shows such as "The Dating Game" (ABC, 1965-1973) and "Love Connection" (syndicated, 1983-1999), "Singled Out" featured a group of 50 men and 50 women who competed, based on mutual interests and timed stunts, to win a date with a blindfolded "picker" of the opposite sex.

Hardwick's stand-up background and McCarthy's outspoken bombshell image appealed to MTV's Gen-X audience and established one of the network's first hit reality programs. Hardwick remained the host for the entire run, while McCarthy left in 1997 and was replaced by Carmen Electra. Hardwick's popularity as host landed him on several MTV specials such as "MTV Spring Break: Lake Havasu" (1995) and "MTV's Singled Out: Dirt on the Dates" (1996).

As one of the network's most eligible bachelors, Hardwick caught the eye of fellow MTV celebrity Jacinda Barrett, a cast member of "The Real World" (1992- ) whom he was briefly engaged to. After "Singled Out" went off the air, Hardwick continued performing stand-up and moonlighting as an on-air DJ for Los Angeles alternative rock station KROQ-FM.

He made another attempt at acting with a lead role on the UPN sitcom "Guys Like Us" (1998-99) about bachelors Sean (Hardwick) and Jared (Bumper Robinson) who end up as the guardians of Jared's six-year-old brother. The series lasted only one season. Hardwick made a leap to film roles in the early 2000s, landing supporting roles in the horror feature "House of 1000 Corpses" (2003) and the action blockbuster "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003). Still, the stardom he hoped for continued to elude him.

Hardwick's television career began picking up steam once again when he returned to hosting duties. In 2007, the cable channel G4 - aimed at young males, electronic game enthusiasts, and comic book geeks - brought Hardwick in as a commentator on its flagship comedy and talk series "Attack of the Show!" His widespread knowledge of technology and passion for playing video games made Hardwick one of the network's resident experts on gadgets, digital media and tech trends.

Two years after making his "Attack of the Show!" debut, Hardwick began hosting the weekly comedy series "Web Soup." A spin-off of "Talk Soup," the popular and long-running program that launched the careers of Greg Kinnear and Joel McHale, "Web Soup" featured hilarious segments based around viral videos, news topics, and other Internet-based phenomena. Hardwick's took his success with the G4 demographic - even calling himself "Nerd Overlord" - and launched other projects close to his heart.

He regularly contributed to Wired magazine, voiced several characters on the animated program "Back at the Barnyard" (Nickelodeon, 2007-11), and hosted "Talking Dead" (2011- ), AMC's "The Walking Dead" (2010- ) after-show.

In 2010, Hardwick created the online radio program "The Nerdist Podcast" where he and co-hosts and fellow comics Jonah Ray and Matt Nira discussed such pressing topics as video games, and superheroes. The podcast consistently held a Top 10 spot on iTunes and attracted guest stars including Jon Hamm, Zach Galifianakis, and the Muppets.

In less than a year, the podcast grew into Hardwick's own tech and comedy empire, which included a website, a talk-show called "The Nerdist" (BBC America, 2011), a book titled The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life) (2011), and a brick-and-mortar "Nerdist Theater" in West Hollywood, CA.

In 2011, Hardwick began hosting a weekly chat show called "Talking Dead" (AMC 2011- ) that aired directly after each episode of "The Walking Dead" (AMC 2010- ) (and later, the spinoff "Fear the Walking Dead" (AMC 2015- )), discussing the just-completed episode with a panel of guests.

The format expand to include episodes of "Breaking Bad" (AMC 2008-2013) and its prequel "Better Call Saul" (AMC 2015- ) as well as the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg series "Preacher" (AMC 2016- ) before becoming a weekly talk show called "Talking with Chris Hardwick" (AMC 2017- ).

During this period, he also hosted the comedy quiz show "@Midnight with Chris Hardwick" (Camedy Central 2013-17) and the network game show "The Wall (NBC 2016- ) and appeared in multiple TV ad campaigns.

On June 14, 2018, actress Chloe Dykstra, who had dated Hardwick from 2011 to 2014, published an emotional account of emotional and sexual abuse by a former boyfriend who was not named in the essay but was clearly identifiable as Hardwick, and leveled allegations that her career had been harmed after the couple had split.

All of Hardwick's AMC talk shows were canceled after the allegations were made public.

Credits

AMC+ on Stage at San Diego Comic-Con

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2024

Up for AuctionStream

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2024

KrapopolisStream

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2023
56%

The Walking Dead: Dead City Live From WonderCon

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Fear the Walking Dead: Live from WonderCon

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NBC: The Wall -- Chris Hardwick -- Exclusive Interview

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BarmageddonStream

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Halloween in Hollywood

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The Jennifer Hudson Show

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Access Daily With Mario & Kit

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Tales of the Walking DeadStream

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2022
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AMC+ Fan Experience

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2021

The Walking Dead Holiday Special

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2020

Nice One With Ron Funches

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Lights Out With David SpadeStream

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2019

Bo Burnham & Friends

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Today With Hoda & Jenna

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Red Nose Day

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Seth Rogen's Hilarity for Charity

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Colossal Clusterfest

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2017

Red Nose Day

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2017

Talking With Chris HardwickStream

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Talking With Chris HardwickStream

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2017

The Comedy Jam

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The Comedy Jam

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The Lego Batman MovieStream

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Reporter No. 3
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The LEGO NINJAGO Movie

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The WallStream

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The WallStream

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Harry

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Talking Preacher

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Red Nose Day

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2016

ChelseaStream

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Chris Hardwick: Funcomfortable

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Talking Saul

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Talking Saul

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Not Safe With Nikki Glaser

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2016

Ellie Kemper: Unbreakable Comedy Gala

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2016

Ear Buds: The Podcasting Documentary

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2016

After Midnight

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2015

At Midnight With Chris HardwickStream

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2015

At Midnight With Chris HardwickStream

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2015

Doctor Who: Extras

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The Jim Gaffigan ShowStream

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2015
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The Late Late Show With James Corden

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Better Call SaulStream

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Doctor Who: After Who Live

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Doctor Who: Live Preshow

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Garfunkel and OatesStream

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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

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At Midnight With Chris Hardwick

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2013

At Midnight With Chris Hardwick

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Talking Bad

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Shark After DarkStream

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Whose Line Is It Anyway?Stream

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Hollywood Game Night

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Sanjay and CraigStream

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MaronStream

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2013
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The Walking Dead: Cast and Creators Live at PALEYFEST

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Zero Charisma

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2013

Chris Hardwick: Mandroid

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2012

Larry King NowStream

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2012

Talking Dead

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2012

Comedy Bang! Bang!Stream

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2012

The Legend of KorraStream

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Sokka
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The Nerdist

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2012

The Nerdist

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The Nerdist: Year in Review

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LIVE with Kelly

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2011

Talking DeadStream

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2011

The Nerdist

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2011

RidiculousnessStream

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Penn & Teller: Fool UsStream

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ConanStream

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2010

The Walking DeadStream

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The Walking DeadStream

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The Talk

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Access Hollywood Live

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Scooby-Doo: Mystery IncorporatedStream

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2010

John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show

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John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show

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2010

LEGO: The Adventures of Clutch Powers

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Bones
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2010

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

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2009

Web Soup

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Kevin Pollak's Chat Show

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Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

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2009

The Mother of Invention

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Drake Wooderson
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The Bonnie Hunt Show

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2008

Wired Science

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2007

Back at the BarnyardStream

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Otis the Cow
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2007

Chelsea Lately

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2007

Chelsea Lately

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2007

Chop Socky Chooks

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The Ninja Chimps
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America's Got TalentStream

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The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson

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The Life Coach

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Milos
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Spectres

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Sam Phillips
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The Ellen DeGeneres Show

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Real Time With Bill MaherStream

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Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

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House of 1000 CorpsesStream

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Jerry
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Last Call With Carson Daly

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Jane White Is Sick and Twisted

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Shipmates

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CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationStream

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Art House

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Weston Craig
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Family GuyStream

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Johnny Lawrence
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1999

Comedy Central PresentsStream

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Guys Like Us

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Sean Barker
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1998

The View

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1997

Courting Courtney

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Tim
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1997

Boy Meets WorldStream

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Chris Hardwick
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1993

Married ... With ChildrenStream

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Dan Inwood
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1987

Today

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News aboutChris Hardwick

Chris Hardwick
Q&A

Chris Hardwick on Capturing Disney Magic Through ‘Up for Auction’

Ben Stiller voices Prometheus in 'Krapopolis'

‘Krapopolis’ Recruits Ben Stiller, Susan Sarandon & More — Watch Sneak Peek (VIDEO)

@midnight Chris Hardwick

8 Clips Proving ‘@midnight’ Is a Worthy ‘Late Late Show’ Replacement (VIDEO)

Comic-Con

‘The Walking Dead’ Cast Talks Series Finale, Memories & Spinoffs at NYCC 2022 Panel

The Wall Season 3
Exclusive

‘The Wall’: Chris Hardwick & LeBron James Tease Biggest Season Yet (VIDEO)

Chris Hardwick

NBC Brings Back Chris Hardwick to Host ‘The Wall,’ Recruits Him as Guest Judge on ‘America’s Got Talent’

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Chris Hardwick to Resume ‘Talking Dead’ Host Duties After AMC Investigation

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Yvette Nicole Brown to Replace Chris Hardwick in ‘Walking Dead’ Comic-Con Panels

Chris Hardwick and Chloe Dykstra at Spike TV's 'Guys Choice' Awards

Chloe Dykstra Speaks Out After Chris Hardwick Texts Revealed

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5 Hosts Who Could Replace Chris Hardwick on AMC

NBCUniversal Summer Press Day 2018 - Arrivals

Nerdist Wipes Chris Hardwick From Site After Ex-Girlfriend Accuses Him of Abuse

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Exclusive

NBC’s ‘Red Nose Day’: Which Stars Will Be There & How to Watch (PHOTOS)

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan and Steven Ogg as Simon in The Walking Dead

Latest ‘Walking Dead’ Casualty Speaks Out—Plus, Fans React to [Spoiler]’s Death

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Exclusive

Sneak Peek at Chris Hardwick & More Stars in NBC’s ‘Red Nose Day Special’ 2018

The Red Nose Day Special - Season 3
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Chris Hardwick to Return as Host of NBC’s ‘Red Nose Day Special’

@midnight with Chris Hardwick

Comedy Central’s ‘@midnight’ Will End in August

The Wall - Season 2
Exclusive

‘The Wall’ Returns: Will a Ball Drop Be Life-Changing for an In-Debt Doctor? (VIDEO)

Danger & Eggs, Amazon

First Look: Amazon’s New Animated Kids’ Series ‘Danger & Eggs’

America's Got Talent - Chris Hardwick, DJ Khaled

‘America’s Got Talent’: Chris Hardwick, DJ Khaled Announced as Season 12 Guest Judges

Talking with Chris Hardwick
Exclusive

Michelle Monaghan: I Had a Love Scene With Tom Cruise 3 Days After My Wedding

Chris Hardwick

AMC Gives Chris Hardwick a New ‘Talk’ Show

The Wall

‘The Wall’: LeBron James and Chris Hardwick Look to Change Lives in New Game Show (VIDEO)

Walking Dead - Austin Nichols as Spencer Monroe, Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, Austin Amelio as Dwight

‘The Walking Dead’: How Rick and Company Are Living in Negan’s World

@Midnight w/Chris Hardwick featuring Comedian Chris Hardwick performs as part of the Wild West Comedy Festival
Q&A

Chris Hardwick Shares How ‘@midnight’ Comes Together