Georgia Hardstark

Hardstark was born in Irvine, California, to parents Martin and Janet Hardstark. She has two older siblings, Asher and Leah. At age 5, her parents divorced. Growing up, Hardstark lived with her mother, while her father had custody every other weekend and two weeks out of the summer.{{Cite book|last1=Kilgariff|first1=Karen|title=Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered|last2=Hardstark|first2=Georgia|publisher=Trapeze|year=2019|pages=}}

She is quite open about her past struggles growing up. At age 13, she started regularly doing meth and developed an eating disorder. One day, she was caught doing meth at school and was sent to rehab.{{Cite web|last=Hardstark|first=Georgia|date=July 14, 2018|title=When I was discharged from rehab...|url=https://twitter.com/ghardstark/status/1018144164519632896 |access-date=2021-03-12|website=Twitter|language=en}} She spent two weeks there, including her 14th birthday. After being discharged, she started using again but quit on her own, crediting Ray Bradbury's book The Martian Chronicles as having saved her.

Hardstark graduated high school in 1998 and promptly moved to Los Angeles to live with her grandmother. She attended beauty school for three months before dropping out. She then attended community college for a while before discovering blogging and decided to drop out of college{{Cite magazine|last=Fitzpatrick|first=Molly|date=2017-05-30|title=How Two Hilarious Women Turned a Comedy-Murder Podcast Into a Phenomenon|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/how-two-hilarious-women-turned-a-comedy-murder-podcast-into-a-phenomenon-113785/ |access-date=2021-03-12|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}} and quit her receptionist job to pursue a career in entertainment.

File:Georgia Hardstark (27931109213).jpg

In 2009, while still working at her receptionist job, Hardstark and her friend, Alie Ward, created a drink called the McNuggetini.{{cite web |author1=Alie and Georgia |title=The McNuggetini |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX8Hzxu7C1g |website=YouTube |date=October 19, 2009 |access-date=10 September 2022 |language=en}} She blogged about it on a website called This Recording,{{Cite web |last1=Hardstark |first1=Georgia |date=March 29, 2009 |title=In Which Georgia Gives You The McNuggetini - Food |website=This Recording |url=http://thisrecording.com/2008/04/08/in-which-georgia-gives-you-the-mcnuggetini/ |access-date=2021-03-13|language=en}} and shortly after, Hardstark and Ward recorded an instructional video on how to make the drink.{{Cite news|last=Quenqua|first=Douglas|date=2009-12-17|title=Mixing Meaty Cocktails With a Shot of Celebrity (Published 2009)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/fashion/17nuggetini.html|access-date=2021-03-13|issn=0362-4331}} According to Hardstark, after the video blew-up on YouTube, someone from the Cooking Channel sent the pair a Facebook message asking if they would record more instructional cocktail videos online. Given that message, Hardstark quit her receptionist job to pursue this new career path.

The pair appeared on shows such as Drinks with Alie and Georgia, Unique Sweets, and the web series Classy Ladies with Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark. They were in the travel series Tripping Out with Alie and Georgia and Food's Greatest Hits.{{Citation|title=Classy Ladies|url=https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/classy-ladies|language=en|access-date=2021-03-15}}{{Citation|title=Tripping Out with Alie & Georgia|url=https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/tripping-out-with-alie-and-georgia|language=en|access-date=2021-03-15}}{{Citation|title=Unique Sweets|url=https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/unique-sweets|language=en|access-date=2021-03-15}}

In October 2016, their book, Vintage Cocktails with a Twist: 75 Traditional and Reinvented Drinks, was released by Page Street Publishing.

Hardstark co-hosted a podcast with Ward called [http://www.feralaudio.com/show/slumber-party-with-alie-and-georgia/ Slumber Party with Alie & Georgia], through Feral Audio. In 2016, the series began airing on Fullscreen. The last episode was posted on January 18, 2017. The pair have not formally acknowledged the end of the show nor the apparent abrupt end to their partnership.{{Cite web|title=Slumber Party With Alie and Georgia|url=https://www.stitcher.com/show/slumber-party-with-alie-and-georgia|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Stitcher}}

In 2016, Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff co-created the podcast My Favorite Murder.{{Cite web|url=http://www.feralaudio.com/show/my-favorite-murder/|title=My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark|last=Audio|first=Feral|website=Feral Audio|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-04|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20160915194958/http://www.feralaudio.com/show/my%2Dfavorite%2Dmurder/|archive-date=September 15, 2016|url-status=dead}}

Beginning in May 2016, it achieved very high ratings on the iTunes comedy podcast rankings, appearing as high as #1.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shira-hirschman-weiss/a-surprising-hit-podcast-_b_11074156.html|title=Summer's Surprising Hit Podcast: My Favorite Murder|last1=Hirschman Weiss|first1=Shira |date=2016-07-21|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=2017-01-04}} As of August 8, 2017, it was ranked #3 on the iTunes comedy charts.{{Cite web|url=http://www.itunescharts.net/us/charts/podcasts/comedy/|title=iTunesCharts.net: US Comedy Podcasts Top 40 Chart|website=www.itunescharts.net|access-date=2017-08-08}} In its 2016 year-end issue, Entertainment Weekly ranked it the second best podcast of the year.{{Cite news|url=http://ew.com/gallery/best-podcasts-2016/2-my-favorite-murderhosts-karen-kilgariff-and-georgia-hardstark|title=The 10 Best Podcasts of 2016|date=2016-12-14|newspaper=EW.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-04|archive-date=January 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105091939/http://ew.com/gallery/best-podcasts-2016/2-my-favorite-murderhosts-karen-kilgariff-and-georgia-hardstark/|url-status=dead}} The show was broadcast on the Feral Audio{{cite web|url=http://www.feralaudio.com/show/my-favorite-murder/|archive-date=January 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116154447/http://www.feralaudio.com/show/my-favorite-murder/|url-status=dead|title=My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark Archives|website=Feral Audio}} network until September 2017, when it moved to Midroll Media.{{cite web|title=MIDROLL MEDIA ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAMMING AND CONTENT DEALS|url=http://www.midroll.com/midroll-media-announces-new-programming-content-deals/|website=midroll.com|publisher=Midroll Media|accessdate=2017-09-07}} In 2018, Hardstark and Kilgariff co-founded the podcast network Exactly Right, which now produces their podcast along with several others.{{Cite web|title=My Favorite Murder's Creators Are Launching a Podcast Network|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/my-favorite-murder-podcast-network-exactly-right-stitcher.html |access-date=2019-01-19|website=www.vulture.com|date=August 15, 2018}}

A joint memoir by Hardstark and Kilgariff, titled Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered, was released on May 28, 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/farrahpenn/the-hosts-of-my-favorite-murder-are-writing-a-book-that|title=The Hosts Of "My Favorite Murder" Are Writing A Book That Will Be Released Next Year|last=Penn|first=Farrah|website=BuzzFeed|date=August 7, 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-01-19}}{{Cite web|title=My Favorite Murder Hosts Share Sneak Peek of Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered Memoir|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/09/my-favorite-murder-book-excerpt.html |access-date=2019-01-19|website=www.vulture.com|date=September 27, 2018}}

In March 2016, she married comedian Vince Averill, best known for his podcast We Watch Wrestling.{{Cite web|last=Hardstark|first=Georgia|date=March 8, 2021|title=Five years ago I ugly-cried myself to the alter to marry Vince...|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CMKyWVHBU2T/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/instagram/hardstark/2525051977914994067_2525051974215685304 |archive-date=December 25, 2021 |url-access=registration|website=Instagram}}{{cbignore}} The couple reside in California along with their three cats, Mimi, Dottie, and Moses ("Moe") {{Cite web|title=179 - Georgia Hardstark & Vince Averill - Iron Paw - The Purrrcast - Omny.fm|url=https://omny.fm/shows/the-purrrcast/179-georgia-hardstark-vince-averill-iron-paw |access-date=2021-03-07|website=omny.fm}} and their dog, Cookie.{{Cite web|title=259 - Fake Snow In Glendale|url=https://myfavoritemurder.com/259-fake-snow-in-glendale/|access-date=2021-03-07|website=myfavoritemurder.com|language=en}} They previously had another cat named Elvis who died in December 2020.{{Cite web|last=Brand|first=Kara|date=2020-12-11|title=In Memoriam Elvis the Cat From My Favorite Murder Dies at 16|url=https://the-line-up.com/elvis-the-cat-obituary|access-date=2021-03-08|website=The LineUp|language=en}} Hardstark considered having children, but decided against it, as she has said on the My Favorite Murder podcast and when she was a guest on the Spermcast.{{Citation|title=Ep 015 - Georgia Hardstark Talks Not Wanting Kids|date=August 14, 2018 |url=https://play.acast.com/s/spermcast/ep-015-georgia-hardstark-talks-not-wanting-kids|language=en|access-date=2021-03-07}}

Hardstark is a public advocate of therapy. She has seen a therapist since she was six due to her parents' divorce. Hardstark has also gone to couples therapy with her husband and co-therapy with Karen Kilgariff{{Cite web|date=2019-05-28|title='My Favorite Murder' Duo on Growing a Podcast Empire, New Book, and Co-Therapy|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/killing-it-my-favorite-murder-duo-discuss-growing-empire-new-book-1213592|access-date=2021-03-12|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en}} to maintain a healthy work relationship and friendship. She has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, depression, ADHD, and OCD.

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|name=Georgia Hardstark|id=4212487}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/user/AlieandGeorgia Alie and Georgia] YouTube
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20091213011742/http://alieandgeorgia.com/ AlieAndGeorgia.com]
• [http://m.cookingchanneltv.com/chefs/alie-ward-and-georgia-hardstark/bio.html Cooking Channel profile]
• [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/qing-aing-with-alie-georg_b_3755980 Q'ing & A'ing With Alie and Georgia!] — Huffington Post interview

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Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American comedians

Category:American crime podcasters

Category:American women comedians

Category:American women podcasters

Category:American women television personalities

Category:People associated with true crime

Category:People from Irvine, California

Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Category:People with obsessive–compulsive disorder

Category:Television personalities from California

Category:Comedians from California