Doug Walker, also known as “That Guy With The Glasses,” is a multi-talented internet celebrity who has gained popularity as a film reviewer, critic, comedian, actor, and director. He rose to fame with his web series “Nostalgia Critic,” where he humorously critiques movies from his childhood to present times. With his sarcastic reviews and witty commentary, Doug has become known for his unique style of insult comedy and deadpan humor. He is also a co-founder of the production company ‘Channel Awesome’ and has created, directed, edited, and performed in numerous videos for his web series. Join Doug as he takes you on a hilarious journey through the world of movies, offering his entertaining analysis and satirical criticisms along the way.
Quick Facts
- Nick Name: Nostalgia Critic
- Also Known As: Douglas Darien Walker
- Age: 42 Years, 42 Year Old Males
- Spouse/Ex-: Robin Poage (wife)
- Father: Barney Walker
- Mother: Sandra Polkow Walker
- Born Country: Italy
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm), 5’10” Males
- City: Naples, Italy
Rise to Stardom
Douglas Darian Walker, previously an illustrator, rose to fame through his YouTube videos. He and his friends started posting “5 Second Movies,” a series of self-explanatory videos where they shared jokes about movies.
Recommended Lists
- Italian Social Media Stars
- Scorpio Men
In July 2007, Walker launched a comedy web series on YouTube called “Nostalgia Critic.” In this series, he sarcastically criticized movies as the character “Nostalgia Critic.”
In 2008, Walker and his associates announced a competition to find a female reviewer for mushy, sentimental films and TV shows targeted at women. This idea, called “The Nostalgic Chick,” was a sidequel to his previous venture. The competition was won by Ellis, who became famous as ‘The Dudette.”
Due to copyright issues and infringement complaints from ’20th Century Fox’ and ‘Lionsgate,’ Walker had to remove the video series from YouTube in April 2008. He then shifted to his own independent website called ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com.
However, in 2009, Walker and his team returned to YouTube through a contract with Blip, an American media platform for web series content.
In 2012, Walker and his brother announced the termination of the “Nostalgia Critic” series, feeling that they had stretched the character too far. However, on January 22, 2013, Walker released a video titled “The Review Must Go On” and announced the return of ‘Nostalgia Critic.’ The series resumed on February 5 with a review of the film “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” and new episodes were scheduled to be posted every other Tuesday.
When he doesn’t have much to review, Walker posts “Nostalgia Critic Editorials” where he discusses film-related topics. The show had a weekly viewership of 100,000 to 300,000 and received over one million page views per month. By July 2009, the website had received over $11,000 in online donations and earned over $10,000 monthly from advertisements. Walker’s total earnings, including $32,000 from ‘Nostalgia Critic,’ amounted to around $53,000.
Once financially stable due to his website videos, Walker left his previous job. He directed 496 episodes of ‘Nostalgia Critic.’ His rising popularity attracted like-minded reviewers, leading to the formation of the online media production company “Channel Awesome” with Mike Michaud as CEO, Doug Walker as actor and presenter, and Rob Walker as screenwriter and CCO. Some of his most popular videos on ‘Channel Awesome’ include “Was the Killing Joke That Bad” (686), “Alvin and the Chipmunk” (1.1 million), and “The WEIRDEST Jack and the Beanstalk” (786K).
Behind the Curtains
Doug Walker was born on November 17, 1981, in Naples, Italy. His father, Barney Walker, was a naval officer, and his mother, Sandra Polkow Walker, was a former opera singer and therapist.
Walker studied film at Northern Illinois University, majoring in Communications. After college, he worked as a janitor and later as an illustrator to support himself. His brother, Rob Walker, is the executive producer and creator of the web series “Nostalgia Critic.” Rob has also acted and co-written many of Doug’s critic videos.
Walker’s grandfather was a specialist in frozen foods and created a filling for pies with no sugar crystallization.
On June 15, 2012, Walker married Robin Poage. He currently resides in Naperville, Illinois.