About
Chloe Frances Dykstra is a Los Angeles-born filmmaker, cosplayer, model, actor, and pop‑culture commentator. Many first discovered her through the Nerdist YouTube series “Just Cos,” which she produced and co‑hosted, and later on Syfy’s reality show “Heroes of Cosplay.” These days, she splits her time between independent horror projects—her current social‑media bio literally reads “filmmaker/producer (mostly) in horror”—and appearances at genre festivals, most recently the IFC Films/Shudder screening of The Rule of Jenny Pen in February 2025.
Before Fame
Growing up minutes from Hollywood sets gave Chloe a head start. Her father is Oscar‑winning visual‑effects pioneer John Dykstra (the Star Wars and Spider‑Man franchises), while her mother, Cass McCune, also worked in VFX. Weekend trips to studios meant little Chloe sometimes landed blink‑and‑you‑miss‑them cameo parts—she’s the gondola passenger in Spider‑Man (2002) and one of the train riders in Spider‑Man 2 (2004).
By her teens, she was building elaborate costumes in her parents’ garage, debuting a hand‑sewn Lara Croft at 14. College classes in film and game design refined those DIY instincts, and in 2011, she pitched Nerdist on a web series that would follow the craft behind cosplay. The pilot became “Just Cos,” and its success put her on Syfy’s radar for “Heroes of Cosplay.”
Trivia
- Pop‑culture chameleon – Beyond Lara Croft, she has stepped into the shoes of characters such as GLaDOS (Portal), Elizabeth (BioShock), and Clara Oswald from Doctor Who.
- Tabletop regular – She guested as “Mother” in the actual‑play RPG show KOllOK 1991, proving her improv chops away from the convention floor.
- Music‑video appearance – She appeared as Mrs. O’Hara in 2021 for OFF!’s noisy cover of Metallica’s “Holier Than Thou,” a reference to her affection for punk and metal.
- Writer and activist – Her 2018 essay on Medium, “Rose‑Colored Glasses: A Confession,” detailed emotional and sexual abuse by an ex-boyfriend and ignited cross‑industry discussion on power and retaliation.
- Gamer at heart – According to her IMDb trivia page, she keeps a wall of retro consoles and can still speed‑run The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past.
- Purple‑carpet favorite – Style blogs praised the metallic‑violet dress she wore to the 2022 Saturn Awards, calling it “cosmic chic.”
Family Life
Chloe often jokes that special effects are the “family business.” Dad John’s Academy Awards sit next to Cass’s vintage model‑making tools in their home office, a reminder of the house where soldering irons and storyboard sketches were normal décor.
Romantically, her timeline has received nearly as much media attention as her wardrobe. She dated comedian and TV personality Chris Hardwick from 2011 to 2014; their breakup and subsequent abuse claims dominated headlines in 2018. Actor Robert Kazinsky defended her essay publicly, declaring her “the bravest person I know” on social media. Past loves include actor Sam Witwer; current status appears single, as listed on public databases.
Away from cameras, she is a devoted dog mom and regularly shares text‑message banter with her 70‑something mother (“Morning texts from my 72‑year‑old mom” was a viral tweet in 2021).
Associated With
- John Dykstra – Her father’s groundbreaking effects work on Star Wars inspired her lifelong fascination with practical movie magic.
- Nerdist & Chris Hardwick – Chloe helped launch Nerdist’s visual brand through “Just Cos,” although the professional bond unraveled alongside their personal split.
- Robert Kazinsky – The True Blood and Pacific Rim actor stood by her side during the 2018 controversy and has accompanied her to numerous red‑carpet events.
- Syfy’s Cosplay Circle – On Heroes of Cosplay, she shared the screen with fellow costume luminaries like Yaya Han and Linda Le (Vampy Bit Me), in conversations that helped demystify the craft for mainstream audiences.
- Richard Hatch – Battlestar Galactica’s beloved star acted opposite Chloe in the indie feature “Diminuendo” (2018), one of her first leading film roles.
