Austin Nichols (born April 24, 1980) is an American film, television actor and director who is perhaps best known for his role as Julian Baker in The CW drama series One Tree Hill. He is also known for his roles in films such as The Day After Tomorrow and Wimbledon. He starred in the HBO series John from Cincinnati.

Early life[link]

Austin Nichols was born on April 24, 1980 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and moved to Austin, Texas before he was a year old.^[1] He was named after the Austin, Nichols distilling company, producers of Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.^[2] His father, David Nichols, is a radiologist, and his mother, Kay Nichols, is a professional trick water skier. Kay has been a national champion ten times and an international champion once.^[3] He has one older sister, Ashley.^[3]

Nichols was raised on Lake Austin and attended Casis Elementary School.^[1] Nichols began competitive water skiing from the age of two.^[4] He represented the US Junior Water Ski Team in the Pan-American Championships in 1997, and was also on the Junior US Olympic Water Skiing team.^[5] At age thirteen, he was ranked third in the world.^[6] Nichols had intended to become a professional water skier until he injured his shoulder in Florida, and was forced to give up the sport.^[2] While at McCallum High School in central Austin,^[1] he played basketball but was "absolutely awful".^[7] Nichols' interest in acting was sparked when he was fifteen years old and he began to take acting lessons.^[8] He moved to Los Angeles after high school, where he currently lives.^[2]

Acting career[link]

Beginnings[link]

Nichols wanted to be an actor for much of his early life.^[9] His acting career began when he gatecrashed a party at the Sundance Film Festival and was signed by a manager.^[10] Nichols initially wished to attend the University of Texas, but moved to LA after his signing and enrolled instead at dthe University of Southern California, graduating in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.^[7] 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.^[10] He had previously appeared in two films, Durango Kids in 1999 and Holiday in the Sun in 2001, both of which were panned by critics.^[11]

In his first critically successful film role, Nichols starred as a stereotypical, basketball-playing "frat boy" in The Utopian Society, a 2003 independent film directed by John P. Aguirre, which won several awards and some critical acclaim.^[12] One critic wrote that Nichols "transforms himself from a cardboard jock and frat boy caricature to a likeable vulnerable human being with surprising sensibilities."^[13] Aguirre commended Nichols as a "stellar talent" able to play his character "with total abandon to self ego".^[14] Following another guest spot in She Spies, Nichols then simultaneously co-starred in two box office successes, The Day After Tomorrow and Wimbledon.

Box office and critical success[link]

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 science and script were generally panned by critics, and cast performances criticized.^[15][16] Also in 2004, he appeared in Wimbledon, opposite Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany. The film was well received by critics, though it only did reasonably well at the US box office.^[17][18] Nichols' acting as Jake Hammond, an arrogant tennis pro, was described as "effectively unlikeable".^[19] 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. Speaking of the actor's forehand shot, the coach 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."^[20] 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.^[21]

After this success, Nichols co-starred in a pilot for 1/4 life, a TV series about 20 somethings living in New York which was not developed by a television network. He then had a minor role in an obscure and panned 2005 film, Thanks to Gravity.^[22] Nichols followed this with short guest spots on episodes of Pasadena and Surface, before being cast in a successful 2006 film, Glory Road.

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".^[23] The film was not a box office hit; it made $46,000,000 and received positive fan reviews, though fans were more enthusiastic than the critics.^[24]

After Glory Road, Nichols appeared in an episode of CSI: Miami and starred in Lenexa, 1 mile, a film about the disturbing secrets of five childhood friends, set during their last summer together before college. As of 2007, the creators have not announced plans to release the film.

[edit] The House of Usher and beyond

Nichols' next film was a 2006 thriller, The House of Usher, directed by Hayley Cloake and based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe. He plays the disturbed Roderick Usher, who has been described by Nichols as a "twisted, terminally ill, fucked-up guy".^[2] 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.

In April 2006, Nichols guest starred in Deadwood, an HBO Western series. Shortly afterward, Nichols signed a rare holding deal with the HBO Network.^[25] 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; for the role, he took up surfing and practiced every day for three months.^[26]

In 2007, Nichols appeared as teacher for a few episodes of Friday Night Lights, before being cast in a recurring role on the The CW's One Tree Hill. He was upgraded to series regular for the seventh season.^[27] He directed two episodes of the series including the seventh episode of the ninth and last season.^[28] On March 2012, it was announced that Austin landed a role in a new drama for Showtime called Ray Donovan planned to air on the season 2012-2013.

Personal life[link]

Alongside his acting career, Nichols maintains a strong interest in cinema. He keeps a log of every film he sees: "I take it to the movies and write down who does the music, edits, directs, and how long the film is."^[29] Claire Oswalt, an ex-girlfriend, said in a 2003 interview that Nichols watches an average of 20 movies a week.^[30] Nichols himself has stated: "If I'm not working, I spend almost half my day at theaters or watching DVDs at my house."^[31] He especially admires Hal Ashby, Sam Fuller, and John Ford.^[32] In addition to his interest in film, Nichols enjoys golf, tennis, and horseback riding.^[32] Since beginning filming John from Cincinnati, he has also taken up surfing, which he finds "very therapeutic and healing".^[33]

Nichols dated artist Claire Oswalt for seven years before breaking off their engagement in 2004. He mentioned in an interview he was living out of his car and sleeping on friends' couches for some time afterwards.^[7] Nichols has been friends with fellow 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."^[2] His sister, Ashley, is married to director, Rowdy Stovall, making him Nichols' brother-in-law.

Shortly after John from Cincinnati was cancelled, Nichols was pulled over at 3 A.M. on August 24, 2007 in Jackson, Michigan after driving the wrong way down a one-way street in his silver Mercury Mountaineer. His blood alcohol level was a reported .10 and he was arrested for DUI.^[34]

On May 25, 2010, it was revealed that Nichols has been dating fellow One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush off and on for the past four years. It was also revealed that Austin took a job on One Tree Hill to be with Sophia.^[35] As of February 2012 they have broken up.

TV and filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Austin Nichols at the Internet Movie Database
• Austin Nichols at AllRovi
• Interview with Austin Nichols on LAist

Sophia Bush
Bush attending the 6th Annual Hollywood Style Awards in Beverly Hills, October 10, 2009
Born	Sophia Anna Bush (1982-07-08) July 8, 1982 (age 29) Pasadena, California, U.S.[1]
Occupation	Actress, director, spokesperson
Years active	2002–present
Spouse	Chad Michael Murray (2005–2006)
Partner	Austin Nichols (2008–2012)
Website
www.sophiabush.com

Sophia Anna Bush (born July 8, 1982) is an American actress, director, and spokesperson. She starred in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrayed Brooke Davis.^[2] Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die, and The Narrows.

Early life[link]

Bush was born in Pasadena, California.^[1] She is the only child of Maureen, a photography studio manager, and Charles William Bush, an advertising and celebrity photographer.^[3] Bush is of Italian descent.^[4] She graduated from Westridge School for Girls in 2000 in Pasadena, California, where she was a member of the volleyball team. At Westridge, she was required to participate in the theatre arts program. Bush stated: "Part of my school's requirement was to do a play. I was really irritated because I wanted to play volleyball and I had to go and do this play. But there was a moment after the performance when I realized I had gone and been somebody else. I thought, 'If I could do this for the rest of my life, I am set.' It was like love at first sight."^[5]

At the age of 17, Bush was named the Tournament of Roses Parade Queen. She attended the University of Southern California (USC) as a journalism major until her junior year, where she was a member and Social Chair of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.^[6]

In 2003, Bush was cast to play the role of Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill. Subsequently, she stopped attending USC.

Career[link]

Bush made her first big screen appearance in the comedy feature film Van Wilder. Following, she made appearances in several television shows, such as Nip/Tuck, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Punk'd. She was cast as Kate Brewster in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but was replaced by Claire Danes because the director thought she was too young for the role.^[7][8]

Bush at an autograph signing, September 6, 2006.

In 2003, she got the role of Brooke Davis in the CW television series One Tree Hill. Her character, Brooke Davis, evolved from a trouble-making vixen to a fiercely loyal friend. After Bush gained mainstream fame, she became a spokesperson for high-profile brands. She posed on the cover of several mainstream magazines such as Entertainment Weekly, Lucky, Maxim, Glamour, and InStyle and has had several endorsement deals, one of her latest endorsements is for Op's fall campaign OPen Campus.^[9][10][11] Bush and her One Tree Hill co-stars were endorsers for MasterCard, Kmart, Chevy Cobalt and Cingular wireless.^[12][13][14] She directed three episodes of the series including the penultimate episode of the ninth and final season.^[15]

In July 2006, Bush starred in the 20th Century Fox feature film John Tucker Must Die alongside Jesse Metcalfe and Brittany Snow. The film was a commercial success grossing over 60 million worldwide. The same year, she also starred in Buena Vista Pictures' thriller film, Stay Alive alongside Frankie Muniz and Adam Goldberg. The film opened at number 3 in the U.S. box office,^[16] and is considered a box office success due to its production budget of nine million dollars.

In 2008, Bush starred in François Velle's independent film The Narrows with Kevin Zegers, Eddie Cahill, and Vincent D'Onofrio. She played the beautiful, intelligent, and self-assured Kathy Popovich. The film is based on Tim McLoughlin's novel Heart of the Old Country and it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2008.^[17] Her most recently released role is in the 2011 film Chalet Girl.

In February 2012, it was reported Bush had joined the cast of CBS's comedy pilot Partners.^[18]

Personal life[link]

Bush at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.

On April 16, 2005, Bush married actor Chad Michael Murray, her One Tree Hill co-star. They dated for almost two years before they were married in Santa Monica. They announced their separation on September 26, 2005 after five months of marriage when Bush filed court papers to have their marriage annulled citing fraud. In December 2006, Bush and Murray's divorce was finalized.^[19] Bush later said, "It devastates me now that I have been reduced to a Hollywood statistic–another joke marriage. I never expected to be married more than once...but I still believe in love."^[20]

On October 27, 2008, amid rumors of Bush dating fellow One Tree Hill co-star James Lafferty, Murray seemed to have confirmed the romance. "Sophia and I are both professional and mature enough to get through it ... and now it's just easy. We're just friends. And she's got James, and James and I are friends."^[21][22]

On May 25, 2010, Bush confirmed that she has been dating fellow One Tree Hill co-star Austin Nichols on and off for the past four years. It was also revealed that Nichols took a job on One Tree Hill to be with Bush.^[23] In February 2012, it was reported the couple had broken up.^[24]

On January 8, 2011, Bush's nine-year-old second cousin, Christina-Taylor Green, was fatally shot in the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona. Green was the youngest victim of the massacre, which claimed the lives of six and injured 14.^[25]

Activism[link]