Born on April 24, 1980 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Austin Nichols is the son of David Nichols, a radiologist, and Kay Nichols, a 10-time water skiing champion. He made a name for himself as a competitive water skier until he was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury. Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles, California and pursued a career in acting.
As an actor, Nichols has appeared in guest spots on television shows such as CSI, Six Feet Under, Friday Night Lights, and Deadwood. His film roles include the 2004 blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, in which he was cast as an academic and romantic rival to Jake Gyllenhaal's protagonist. In Wimbledon, a film also released in 2004, Nichols played an arrogant tennis pro, opposite Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany.
Nichols also signed to a rare holding deal with HBO when he starred on his own series, John from Cincinnati. Since 2008, he has appeared in a recurring role as Julian Baker on the CW series One Tree Hill.