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Christopher Ryan Hardwick

Chris Hardwick is an American comedian, television host, and producer known for hosting pop-culture and entertainment programs. He is widely recognized as the longtime host of Talking Dead and Talking Saul on AMC and the game show @midnight with Chris Hardwick on Comedy Central. He currently hosts NBC’s game show The Wall.

Overview

Christopher Ryan Hardwick's Profile

Chris Hardwick is an American television host, comedian, and podcaster who has become a leading figure in “nerd culture” and mainstream game shows. He attended UCLA, where he studied philosophy. His hosting career began in 1994 with the MTV show Trashed. This was followed by several other MTV hosting gigs in the mid-1990s, including the dating game show Singled Out, which propelled him into the limelight. 

Over the years, Hardwick built a varied résumé in hosting. He hosted Web Soup on G4 and later created and hosted Comedy Central’s @midnight, which aired more than 600 episodes. He is widely known for hosting “The Walking Dead on AMC, a post-episode discussion series about the “The Walking Dead franchise, and the talk show Talking with Chris Hardwick. Currently, he serves as host and executive producer of NBC’s game show The Wall.

On a personal level, Hardwick is married to model and actress Lydia Hearst. The couple lives in the Los Angeles area and has a daughter together. Hardwick is a vocal advocate for sobriety and mental health, often discussing his journey of nearly 25 years of sobriety and his experiences with anxiety. 

Quick Facts

  • Full Name: Christopher Ryan Hardwick
  • Gender: Male
  • Date of Birth: 1971-11-23
  • Nationality: American
  • Ethnicity: White
  • Sexual Orientation: Straight
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Career Start: 1995
  • Current Network:
  • Years Active
  • Estimated Salary: $5,000,000-$10,000,000

2
TV Shows

0
Current Hosts

20
Years Active

50
Awards Won

TV Shows​

A list of television shows hosted by this host, including current programs and previous presenting roles.

Comedy Central's internet-themed game show, @Midnight
@midnight
NBC's The Wall
The Wall

Networks

A list of Networks that this host has worked for.

Personal Life

Family, relationships and background

  • Marriage Lydia Hearst Hardwick from 2016 to (An actress, fashion model, socialite, and great-granddaughter of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.)
  • Engagement Jacinda Barrett from 1995 to 1999 (An actress and former Real World cast member. The couple were briefly engaged. )
  • Dating Janet Varney from 2004 to 2011 (An actress and comedian. They were together for seven years. )
  • Dating Chloe Dykstra from 2011 to 2014 (A model, actress, and cosplayer. After the relationship ended, Dykstra publicly alleged emotional and sexual abuse in a June 2018 essay. Hardwick denied the allegations; AMC investigated and cleared him of wrongdoing.)
  • Dimity Facente Hearst-Hardwick, a biological child with Lydia Hearst Hardwick., born in 2022

Education

Educational background and qualifications

  • Regis Jesuit High School, Aurora, Colorado
  • Loyola High School, Los Angeles, California
  • Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA),

Net Worth & Income

Income sources, net worth, and properties.

  • Primary income from his NBC hosting contract for The Wall and from his long-running podcast ID10T with Chris Hardwick on the Nerdist Podcast Network.
  • Prior income from @midnight with Chris Hardwick on Comedy Central (2013–2017) and Talking Dead on AMC (2011–2022)
  • He co-founded Nerdist Industries, which was acquired by Legendary Entertainment in July 2012 for an undisclosed amount.

Awards

Awards & recognition

  • Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Social TV Experience, @midnight with Chris Hardwick, Comedy Central (as executive producer/host) (2015)
  • Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Social TV Experience, @midnight with Chris Hardwick, Comedy Central (as executive producer/host) (2016)