Buffy had a bucketful of hunky nerds in several genders. Do I need to make a list?
Personally, I’d label Lyly Lovett outright ugly. No qualifiers.
YMM, obviously, V.
I think Tobey Maguire and Topher Grace are both good looking guys that can play nerdy. But then again, for a long time I thought they were the same person 
I’m a heterosexual female, and I think America Ferrera is smokin’ hot!
Seriously? If that picture’s indicative of her in general, she’s pretty screamingly average, and not Hollywood average; just average-average.
I’ve never heard of seen of her before but she definitely fits the OP - the whole point is she’s ’ “average”
Rainn Wilson, who incidentally my husband looks a lot like. He can be hot when he’s dressed properly and not trying to look like a dork, but most of his roles have him cast as a total dweeb or weirdo.
My blunt theory: whether they would admit it or not, many guys who are attracted to “geek girls” and what are euphemistically called “unconventionally pretty” females (Tina Fey, et al) subconsciously understand that being doughy, pasty-faced shlubs, their chances of landing an exceptionally beautiful woman are nil, but feel that they might actually have a shot at a less-pretty woman due to the reduced competition and likelihood that the “geek girl’s” expectations are similarly lowered. Sadly, in most cases they’re deluded and the “geek girl” is still way out of their league, but it adds a much-needed element of hope to the fantasy.
No offense to anyone, of course.
I agree, Vinyl, and I am one of those schlubs. I think Tina Fey is gorgeous independent of this, though.
And, Rrose, I took the thread to mean people that have some glimmer of both geekiness and hunkiness but that actress doesn’t project either in that photo. I might feel differently if I watched The Office but based on the pic alone, she is unremarkable average.
Does an actor who looks ordinary/geeky, but can play someone hot count? If so, I’d nominate Allison Janney. On her own, she looks like a real geek/nerd/homebody. BUT as CJ Cregg on The West Wing, there’s a scene where an ex-lover of her says (I’m paraphrasing): “It wasn’t the sex; you’re actually good in bed; I’m just saying that because it’s something a lot of women worry about” and she says “Good in bed?!? I’m great in bed!!” And while I wouldn’t buy that line from Janney, I’ll buy it from CJ.
I’ll second Zach Levi and add Jason Sudeikis.
I’m not sure where Masi Oka falls. Mostly nerdy, I guess, but cute as a button!
I’ll :dubious: your :dubious:.
She’s not what I’d call gorgeous, actually, but she’s quite beautiful. (To me, gorgeous means both beautiful and hot, as it is possible to be one and not the other.)
Nah, she’s both. (sfw) 
That’s exactly what I’ve always thought of David Schwimmer.
Parker Posey fits the OP for me. I feel like I should find her little indie film queen self “pretty hot” but she just doesn’t quite make it over the hump.
At one time I would have said John Cusack, but I think his ship has left the harbor.
He *is *starting to show his age, isn’t he? The last movie I saw him in I thought John looks old. I remember being discouraged because, well, I’m just a little older than he is.
Mrs. Omens would certainly like to add Glen Phillips, who many will remember best as the lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Suffice it to say that if he were to show up at my front door today, I’d never see her again.
Fortunately/creepily, he looks alot like me.
Uh-huh. That guy’s hideous. 