# Can an actor who is a RL nerd play a cool character? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 10, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-who-is-a-rl-nerd-play-a-cool-character/957550 "2022-01-10T21:14:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 1
**Author:** ![SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff_II)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-who-is-a-rl-nerd-play-a-cool-character/957550/1 "2022-01-10T21:14:04Z")
The terms have different uses, but I’m using “nerd” to mean someone who lacks personality, social grace and poise etc., and “cool” to mean someone who possesses these qualities. Question is if someone who lacks these qualities IRL can act having them on screen. Because you would think if the person could act them onscreen, then why wouldn’t they already be actiing that way IRL, which would surely enhance their life in social situation? OTOH, it’s possible that they could technically pull it off but lack the social self-confidence to actually do it, but when acting, then social self-confidence is not an issue (i.e. there’s no chance that acting “cool” will lead to rejection and ridicule because they’re being specifically directed to do that) so they can pull it off. One way to settle this is if there are actually characters who successfully acted “cool” roles but are known to be dorky IRL. (Though it’s possible that it’s technically feasible but that most such people would have a hard time breaking into such roles.) --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-actor-who-is-a-rl-nerd-play-a-cool-character/957550)._