Top 10 Hottest Female Nerds in TV

In response to the enormous success of all things Marvel, the company felt it was time to shift at least part of its focus to television. Enter – “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”. While the show may be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe you’d be hard pressed to find any of the franchises big name actors. Not to worry, this just means more time with brunette beauty Elizabeth Henstridge. The talented and sexy Brit plays Jemma Simmons, a S.H.I.E.L.D. biochemist. Simmons is relied upon to provide information on both aliens and humans, something her massive intellect is more than capable of handling.

If you don’t remember this character we don’t blame you, she’s just one small part in the longest running American fantasy series of all time. There have been more than 250 episodes of “Supernatural” since it first hit the airwaves back in 2005, and actress Felicia Day has only appeared in seven of them. While her character definitely falls on the nerdy end of the social spectrum that doesn’t mean she isn’t also a unique beauty. With her shock of orange hair and never-say-die attitude Charlie Bradbury is one character you can’t help but cheer for.

To call this character an integral part of one of television’s longest running shows would be a gross understatement. Pauley Perrette has played the forensics specialist and Goth-loving hacker Abby Sciuto since the first episode of “NCIS, ”a police procedural that’s been around since 2003. We aren’t going to try and hide the fact that Abby is a bit of an oddball, but her offbeat personality combined with her badass mixture of tattoos and gothic style is more than enough to get us a little hot and bothered. This is one poindexter we can’t get enough of!

What kind of list would this be without an appearance from one of television’s hottest alien hunters? Played by the naturally beautiful Gillian Anderson, Dana Scully is the skeptic to Fox Mulder’s believer, creating a fantastic tension between the two characters for the better part of the shows original nine seasons. Scully has the pedigree of someone who’s lived three lifetimes, as she’s not just an FBI agent, but also a doctor and scientist. What makes Scully truly irresistible is her steely resolve in the face of overwhelming odds; she’s stared down some truly terrifying things and lived to talk about it. As far as sexy geeks go, we’d definitely want this one on our side when the going got tough.

Playing one character is hard enough, but seven? That’s downright insane. Well, unless you’re Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany. The talented and sexy star of the sci-fi series “Orphan Black” was tasked with playing seven identical clones. While they all had their own unique stories, looks and skills, the sexiest among them was by far Cosima Niehaus. Cosima is as hot as they come with a brain to match. While the other clones are off doing clone stuff, Cosima is hard at work studying “evo-devo” biology; which is just as confusing as it sounds. Not to worry, Cosima is a straight up genius!

While even casual viewers of this long-running sitcom will point out that Penny is the hottest character, she is definitely not a nerd. However, her Cheesecake Factory co-worker Bernadette certainly is. Oh, and she also happens to be wicked sexy. With her wavy blonde hair, buxom figure and high-pitched voice Bernadette has a lot going for her in the looks department. However, this isn’t just a list about TV hotties. Bernadette is also a certified genius, studying microbiology in earlier seasons before later earning her doctorate. While she has a bit of a mean streak in her, that only serves to make this “Big Bang” character even hotter!

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t love Tina Fey? The hilarious actress has been a TV mainstay since her days on “SNL” transitioning seamlessly to the land of TV sitcoms in 2006 with her show “30 Rock.” As Liz Lemon, Fey gets to show off more than just her looks. From dressing up as Princess Leia to her seemingly endless supply of nerdy expressions, Lemon is without a doubt one of television history’s biggest female geeks. But she’s relatable, down to earth and got just the right amount of je ne sais quoi to make her irresistible.

Only in TV land could an actress as beautiful as Emily Bett Rickards play a nerd. Since 2012 the talented Canadian has played Felicity Smoak, an I.T. expert and love interest to the show's protagonist Oliver Queen. Smoak’s resume reads like a “what’s what” of things only the smartest people in the world have accomplished; as she holds a master’s degree in cyber security and computer sciences from MIT and at the age of 19 came second in a national competition that tested participants' information technology skills. So yeah, she’s pretty smart. While she might think she’s hiding her insanely good looks behind those glasses it’s easy to see that Felicity is an absolute knockout!

For a character that is supposed to be a repressed nerd, Annie Edison sure does a lot of sexy things. Fans of the show will note that Annie’s sexuality is often portrayed in a humorous, self-referential way, keeping in line with “Community’s” meta approach to the TV sitcom. However, that doesn’t make the scene in which she dances around in a skimpy Santa outfit any less sexy! Played to perfection by the always on-point Alison Brie, Edison is the nerd you wish was in your community college study group. She’s fun, flirty and easy to get along with. Just make sure to keep her away from the Adderall!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Dr. Camille Saroyan

“Bones” (2005-17)


Chloe Sullivan

“Smallville” (2001-11)


Kaylee Frye

“Firefly” (2002-03)

With her wavy brunette hair, horn rimmed glasses and bubbly personality it’s easy to see why Jess takes the top spot on our list. Zooey Deschanel has been playing the cute oddball for years, but finally made it to the top of the sexy nerd mountain with her portrayal of Jess on “New Girl.” Apparently playing good-looking nerds runs in the family, as her real-life big sister Emily played sexy forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan on “Bones” for 12 seasons. It’s hard to put your finger on just what makes Jess the perfect geeky gal – perhaps it’s the fact that she’s constantly surrounded by three male meatheads – but it’s safe to say that we’d be happy to have her as our roommate!