Austin Nichols

Nichols was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and moved to Austin, Texas before his first birthday. He was named after the Austin Nichols distilling company, producers of Wild Turkey bourbon.Davis, Peter, (April 4, 2006) [http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=1313 "Beautiful People 2006: Austin Nichols"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429165122/http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=1313 |date=April 29, 2016}}, Papermag. Retrieved on April 7, 2006. His father, David Nichols, is a radiologist, and his mother, Kay (née Vermeulen), was a professional trick water skier.{{cite web|url=http://clarklakespirit.com/kay-vermeulen-nichols/ |title=Kay Vermeulen Nichols 1951-2015 |access-date=2016-02-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518162349/http://clarklakespirit.com/kay-vermeulen-nichols/ |archive-date=2016-05-18}} Kay was a national champion ten times and an international champion once.{{when|date=July 2012}}Leblanc, Pam, (August 14, 2006) [http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/health/08/14fitcity.html No one-trick skier] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821102020/http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/health/08/14fitcity.html |date=August 21, 2006}}, Statesman.com. Retrieved October 16, 2006. He has one older sister, Ashley. Nichols was raised near Lake Austin and attended Casis Elementary School.Holloway, Diane (June 16, 2007) [http://www.austin360.com/calendar/content/tv/stories/2007/06/0616austintv.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=25 'John from Cincinnati' role shows off skiing champ's acting prowess]{{dead link|date=July 2012 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}, The Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved June 22, 2007. Nichols began competitive water skiing from the age of two.Ingrassia, Lisa (June 11, 2007), Q&A:Austin Nichols, People Magazine p.30 He represented the United States junior water ski team in the Pan-American Championships in 1997, and was also on the United States junior Olympic water skiing team.{{When|date=July 2012}}Johnson, Noah, (February 2006), [https://web.archive.org/web/20060510173210/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_1_22/ai_n16031435#continue Austin's power], Men's Fitness. Retrieved October 16, 2006. At age thirteen, he was ranked third in the world.Rainey, Candice (October 4, 2003) [http://allstars-online.net/gqus0410-03.html "Man of the Moment - Austin Nichols, Actor"], GQ. Retrieved October 30, 2006. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202121600/http://allstars-online.net/gqus0410-03.html |date=December 2, 2007}} Nichols had intended to become a professional water skier until he injured his shoulder in Florida, and was forced to give up the sport. While at McCallum High School in Austin, he played basketball but was "absolutely awful".Berkshire, Geoff, "Bound for Glory" Hollywood Life, Jan./Feb. 2006, pg. 24 Nichols' interest in acting was sparked when he was fifteen and began to take acting lessons.Buddytv.com (July 1, 2007), [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/john-from-cincinnati/exclusive-interview-austin-nic-7823.aspx Exclusive Interview: Austin Nichols, of 'John from Cincinnati'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201081529/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/john-from-cincinnati/exclusive-interview-austin-nic-7823.aspx |date=December 1, 2016}}. Retrieved July 31, 2007. He moved to Los Angeles after high school.

His acting career began when he gate-crashed a party at the Sundance Film Festival and was signed by a manager.{{Clarify|date=July 2012}}{{cite magazine |last=Haight |first=Sarah |date=September 2004 |title=Up Next: Grand Slam |magazine=Vogue |volume=194 |issue=9 |page=600}} Nichols initially wished to attend the University of Texas, but moved to Los Angeles after his signing and enrolled at the University of Southern California, graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Although Nichols had guest appearances in Sliders, Odd Man Out, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Family Law, Watching Ellie, and Wolf Lake before his graduation, his big break came in 2002 when he appeared as Brenda Chenowith's lover in two episodes of Six Feet Under. He had previously appeared in two films, Durango Kids in 1999 and Holiday in the Sun in 2001.

In his first critically successful film role, Nichols starred as a stereotypical "frat boy" in The Utopian Society, a 2003 independent film directed by John P. Aguirre, which won several awards and some critical acclaim.[http://theutopiansocietymovie.com//press.html Recent press.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006125930/http://theutopiansocietymovie.com/ |date=October 6, 2007}} The Utopian Society. Retrieved August 3, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006125930/http://theutopiansocietymovie.com//press.html |date=October 6, 2007}} One critic wrote that Nichols "transforms himself from a cardboard jock and frat boy caricature to a likeable vulnerable human being with surprising sensibilities."Nesbit, John, (July 9, 2003) [http://www.toxicuniverse.com/review.php?rid=10005035 Utopian Society, The] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225332/http://www.toxicuniverse.com/review.php?rid=10005035 |date=September 27, 2007}}, toxicuniverse.com. Retrieved October 30, 2006. Aguirre commended Nichols as a "stellar talent" able to play his character "with total abandon to self ego."{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

In 2004, Nichols was cast as J.D., an intelligent rich kid and romantic rival to Jake Gyllenhaal's main character in the environmental blockbuster, The Day After Tomorrow. The film received negative reviews but was a box office success.[http://www.oneguysopinion.com/Guys/fswietek.htm Swietek, Frank.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229031825/http://www.oneguysopinion.com/Guys/fswietek.htm |date=December 29, 2016}} [http://www.oneguysopinion.com/Review.php?ID=1291 Day After Tomorrow, The.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007094902/http://www.oneguysopinion.com/Review.php?ID=1291 |date=October 7, 2007}} oneguysopinion.com. Retrieved November 11, 2006.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/day_after_tomorrow/?beg=20&int=20&page=2 |title=The Day After Tomorrow |access-date=2007-08-05 |publisher=IGN Entertainment |work=Rotten Tomatoes}} Also in 2004, he appeared in Wimbledon, opposite Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany. The film was well received by critics, though it was only a mild success at the U.S. box office.61% rating at [http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/wimbledon/ Rotten Tomatoes] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930230359/http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/wimbledon/ |date=September 30, 2007}}. Retrieved October 30, 2006{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=wimbledon.htm|title=Wimbledon |access-date=2007-08-10 |year=2007 |publisher=Box Office Mojo, LLC}} Nichols' acting as Jake Hammond, an arrogant tennis pro, was described as "effectively unlikeable".Anderson, Matt, [https://archive.today/20120906170222/http://www.moviehabit.com/reviews/wim_iq04.shtml Review of Wimbledon], Moviehabit.com. Retrieved July 31, 2007. For the role, Nichols had to learn tennis from scratch; he was trained to look professional by Pat Cash, who was taken aback by Nichols' skill. Cash observed, "It's absolutely as good as anybody's on the circuit. I swear to God. He hits it like a bullet. He's our star pupil."{{cite web|url=http://www.insidetennis.com/1004_centre_court.html |title=Centre Court Becomes Centre Stage |access-date=2007-08-10 |last=Osborn |first=Richard |date=October 2004 |publisher=Inside Tennis |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519011356/http://www.insidetennis.com/1004_centre_court.html |archive-date=2007-05-19 |url-status=dead }} By the end of their training, Nichols and Bettany were able to have rallies and play points, although some of their more intricate exchanges were computer generated.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/have_your_say/3734138.stm |title=Q&A: Pat Cash |access-date=2007-08-10 |publisher=BBC | date=October 11, 2004}}

After this success, Nichols then had a minor role in an obscure and panned 2005 film, Thanks to Gravity.Miller, Scott (June 13, 1006). [https://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=9060 Thanks to Gravity.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017103828/http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=9060 |date=October 17, 2006}} filmthreat.com. Retrieved November 5, 2006. Nichols followed this with short guest spots on episodes of Pasadena and Surface, before being cast in a successful 2006 film, Glory Road.{{Citation needed|date=July 2012}} Glory Road, directed by James Gartner and starring Josh Lucas, is a film based on the true story of the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, in which Coach Don Haskins led a team with an all-black starting lineup, a first in NCAA history. Nichols played one of the few white players on the team; he trained heavily for the role and had to master basketball as it was played in the 1960s, saying "I'd never been so sore in my life." The film made $42.9 million at the box office and received mixed reviews.[http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/glory_road/ Rotten Tomatoes data] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228193641/http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/glory_road/ |date=February 28, 2007}} gives critics and positive rating of 58%. Retrieved November 5, 2006.

Nichols' next film was the 2006 thriller The House of Usher, directed by Hayley Cloake, and based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe. He played the disturbed Roderick Usher, who was described by Nichols as a "twisted, terminally ill, fucked-up guy". The House of Usher was released in September 2007. Nichols also portrayed Neal Cassady, with Will Estes as Jack Kerouac, in the short film Luz del mundo.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

In April 2006, Nichols guest starred in Deadwood, an HBO Western series. Shortly afterward, Nichols signed a holding deal with HBO.{{cite web|last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=April 20, 2006 |url=http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/multimedia/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002383424 |title=Actor Nichols Nabs Rare Holding Deal with HBO |work=Backstage |access-date=November 5, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014611/http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/multimedia/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002383424 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 }} In August of that year, Nichols was cast as the lead in a new series, John From Cincinnati, a surfing drama created by David Milch, who also produced Deadwood. The series began airing in June 2007, but was cancelled after one season due to poor ratings and mixed critical reviews. Nichols played John Monad, a stranger who suddenly appears in a quiet surfing town. Nichols took up surfing and practiced every day for three months for this role.{{cite web|last=Knutzen|first=Eirek|date=August 17, 2007|url=http://www.bendweekly.com/news/9111.html|title=TV Close-Up: Austin Nichols|work=BendWeekly.com|access-date=August 19, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014456/http://www.bendweekly.com/news/9111.html|archive-date=September 28, 2007 |url-status=live}}

In 2007, Nichols appeared in a few episodes of the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights, before being cast as Julian Baker in The CW's teen drama One Tree Hill. He was upgraded to series regular for the seventh season.{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b131858_spoiler_chat_will_brooke_julian_make_it.html|title=Spoiler Chat: Will Brooke and Julian Make It on One Tree Hill?|last=Dos Santos|first=Kristin|date=June 29, 2009|work=E! Online|access-date=July 3, 2009}} He directed two episodes of the series including the seventh episode of the ninth and last season.{{cite web|title='One Tree Hill': Austin Nichols takes to the director's chair, reflects on final week of filming|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/02/one-tree-hill-austin-nichols-takes-to-the-directors-chair-reflects-on-final-week-of-filming.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708072743/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2012/02/one-tree-hill-austin-nichols-takes-to-the-directors-chair-reflects-on-final-week-of-filming.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2012|work=Zap2it|access-date=March 29, 2012|first=Carina Adly|last=MacKenzie|date=February 22, 2012}} In 2013, Austin landed the role of Tommy Wheeler in the Showtime series Ray Donovan. Nichols then had a recurring role as Spencer Monroe in AMC's horror series The Walking Dead, before being promoted to a series regular.{{cite web|title=The Walking Dead: Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, and Austin Nichols Q&A|url=http://www.screamhorrormag.com/walking-dead-danai-gurira-melissa-mcbride-austin-nichols-qa/|work=ScreamHorrorMag.com|access-date=October 4, 2016|date=October 1, 2016}} He will recur as Sam Loomis in the fifth and final season of A&E's drama-thriller series Bates Motel.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/01/bates-motel-the-walking-dead-austin-nichols-recur-season-5-1201881715/|title='Bates Motel': 'The Walking Dead's Austin Nichols To Recur on Season 5|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=January 9, 2017|access-date=January 9, 2017}}

In 2024, Nichols starred in the Lifetime film Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story as Rodney Metzer.{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/gaslit-by-my-husband-true-story-rcna155390|title=The true story behind the Lifetime movie 'Gaslit By My Husband', according to Morgan Metzer herself|website=Today|first=Lindsay|last=Lowe|date=June 9, 2024|access-date=June 9, 2024}}

Alongside his acting career, Nichols maintains a strong interest in cinema. He keeps a log of every film he sees. He said "I take it to the movies and write down who does the music, edits, directs, and how long the film is."Adams, Patty (2004),[http://www.ym.com/stars/inthespotlight/apr2004.jsp On the Set] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060910075816/http://www.ym.com/stars/inthespotlight/apr2004.jsp |date=September 10, 2006}}, ym.com. Retrieved November 5, 2006. Claire Oswalt, an ex-girlfriend, said in a 2003 interview that Nichols watches an average of 20 movies a week.[https://web.archive.org/web/20041118105630/http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/personalities/diagrammatics_PRINT.php Diagrammatics]. The Morning News (December 8, 2003). Retrieved October 30, 2006. He especially admires Hal Ashby, Sam Fuller, and John Ford.{{cite web|url=http://www.paramountpictures.co.uk/wimbledon/wimbledon.html |work=Wimbledon: The Movie |access-date=2007-08-06 |title=The characters |publisher=Universal Studios |format=Flash |year=2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008041420/http://www.paramountpictures.co.uk/wimbledon/wimbledon.html |archive-date=October 8, 2007}}

He was previously in an on and off relationship with One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush from 2006 to 2012 and took the role of Julian Baker in the series to be closer to her.{{Cite web|date=2012-02-15|title=Sophia Bush Splits With One Tree Hill Costar Austin Nichols|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/sophia-bush-splits-with-one-tree-hill-costar-austin-nichols-2012152/|access-date=2021-02-10|website=Us Weekly|language=en-US}} He also dated the actress Chloe Bennet from 2013 to 2017 after meeting on the set of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where he played her ex-boyfriend, Miles.

Nichols has been friends with actor Jake Gyllenhaal since the two met on the set of The Day After Tomorrow in 2004. Nichols said in one interview, "I've learned a ton from Jake. He's a really sharp guy. He told me everything about acting, the business, girls, life."

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{{reflist|30em}}

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Category:1980 births

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:Male actors from Ann Arbor, Michigan

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:American television directors

Category:American water skiers

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Austin, Texas

Category:University of Southern California alumni

Category:Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival award winners