Austin Nichols (born April 24, 1980) is an American actor and director, best known for his role as Julian Baker in The CW drama series One Tree Hill. He gained further recognition through his performances in the films The Day After Tomorrow and Wimbledon, and for starring as John Monad in HBO’s John from Cincinnati and Spencer Monroe in AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Nichols moved to Austin, Texas, before his first birthday. He was named after the Austin Nichols distilling company, the makers of Wild Turkey bourbon. His father, David Nichols, is a radiologist, while his mother, Kay Vermeulen, was a decorated professional trick water skier, having won ten national titles and one international championship. Raised near Lake Austin alongside his older sister Ashley, Nichols began competitive water skiing at just two years old. By thirteen, he was ranked third in the world and competed as part of both the U.S. junior Olympic and Pan-American teams. A shoulder injury later ended his aspirations of a professional water skiing career. During high school at McCallum in Austin, he briefly played basketball and began exploring acting at the age of fifteen. After graduating, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

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