As a child, Austin Nichols participated in competitive water skiing, inspired by mother. He represented the United States in several competitions, and was ranked third in the world when he was 13. However, he always wanted to be an actor; he began taking acting lessons when he was 15, and moved to Los Angeles a few years later.
After graduating with an English degree in 2002, he made appearances on shows such as Sliders, CSI and Watching Ellie. He made his big break in 2002, when he took a two-episode role in HBO's Six Feet Under; the following year he appeared in the indie flick The Utopian Society, which was applauded by critics.
Nichols then appeared in two mainstream flicks, Wimbledon (opposite Kristen Dunst) and The Day After Tomorrow (opposite Jake Gyllenhaal), both of which received mixed reactions. 2006's Glory Road, however, was a high point for him; it led to a short stint on HBO's Deadwood, and later, the lead role in another HBO series, John from Cincinnati. In 2007, he took a recurring role on the CW series One Tree Hill, and was promoted to regular in the seventh season.
FILM:
- Durango Kids (1999)
- BraceFace Brandi (2002)
- The Utopian Society (2003)
- The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
- Wimbledon (2004)
- Glory Road (2006)
- Full Count (2006)
- Lenexa, 1 Mile (2006)
- Thanks to Gravity (2006)
- The House of Usher (2006)
- Luz del mundo (2007)
- The Informers (2008)
- The True-Love Tale of Boyfriend & Girlfriend (2009)
- Unthinkable (2010)
- Beautiful Boy (2010)
TELEVISION:
- Pasadena (recurring, 2002)
- Surface (recurring, 2005-2006)
- Deadwood (recurring, 2006)
- John from Cincinnati (regular, 2007)
- Friday Night Lights (recurring, 2007)
- One Tree Hill (regular, 2008-present)