If you spent any time on the couch during the late 2000s, you probably know Austin Nichols as the guy who finally made Brooke Davis happy. As Julian Baker on One Tree Hill, he was the quintessential "cool guy" who was actually a total sweetheart. But honestly, if you look at the full scope of Austin Nichols movies and TV shows, the man has a resume that is frankly all over the place in the best way possible. From surviving global superstorms to getting disemboweled by Negan, his career path is anything but predictable.
He wasn't always an actor. Growing up in Texas, Nichols was actually a competitive water skier. A shoulder injury eventually sidelined that dream, which is basically the best thing that ever happened to indie cinema and CW fans alike. He traded the lake for Los Angeles and never really looked back.
From Blockbusters to Blue Skies
Early on, it seemed like Nichols was being groomed for the "Leading Man" spotlight in big-budget Hollywood. Think back to 2004. He played J.D. in The Day After Tomorrow, that massive disaster flick where everyone is freezing to death. He was the academic rival to Jake Gyllenhaal, sporting that early-2000s hair and a lot of confidence.
That same year, he popped up in Wimbledon as Jake Hammond, an arrogant American tennis pro. He was great at being the guy you kind of wanted to see lose, which is a testament to his range even back then. But the big studio machine didn't swallow him whole. Instead, he started taking some really weird, interesting swings.
One of the most underrated entries in the list of Austin Nichols movies and TV shows is definitely John from Cincinnati. It was this bizarre, metaphysical HBO surfing drama created by David Milch. It only lasted one season, and most people didn't "get" it, but Nichols as John Monad was hypnotic. It showed he was willing to get strange for the sake of a good story.
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The One Tree Hill Era and Beyond
Then came Julian.
When he joined One Tree Hill in Season 6, he was supposed to be a bit of a disruptor. He was the movie producer from Peyton’s past, but the chemistry with Sophia Bush was so undeniable that the writers basically pivoted the entire show around them. He stayed until the very end in 2012.
What’s wild is that even while he was the face of a major teen drama, he was directing. He stepped behind the camera for several episodes, including "The On-Going Hum of Letters" in Season 9. Fun fact: he recently admitted on a podcast that he hasn't even watched the final season of the show, except for the episode he directed. He’s saving it. That’s just kind of how he is—unfiltered and surprisingly sentimental.
Surmounting the Zombie Apocalypse
After Tree Hill wrapped, he didn't just fade away. He went darker.
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His stint as Spencer Monroe in The Walking Dead was... well, it was polarizing. Spencer was the son of Deanna, the leader of Alexandria, and he was kind of a jerk. He was entitled, he was sneaky, and he tried to betray Rick Grimes. We all know how that ended. Negan took care of him in one of the most gruesome scenes in the show’s history.
It was a total 180 from Julian Baker.
Since then, he’s been a bit of a chameleon. Look at this list of his more recent or recurring hits:
- Ray Donovan: He played Tommy Wheeler, a closeted action star who constantly needed Ray to bail him out of trouble.
- Bates Motel: He took on the role of Sam Loomis (a nod to the original Psycho) in a chilling arc.
- Walker: He didn't just act as Clint West; he also jumped back into the director's chair for a few episodes, proving his "eye" for the camera is still sharp.
- Minx: A fun, brief turn as Billy Brunson.
What’s Happening in 2026?
If you're wondering where he is right now, he's currently making waves on the USA Network. He joined the cast of The Rainmaker for its second season, which premiered earlier this year. He plays an ex-husband and minor league baseball coach caught up in a conspiracy. It’s a very "gritty legal thriller" vibe that suits him now that he's in his 40s.
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Also, the horror fans among us probably caught him in the 2025 sequel/reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer as Pastor Judah. It’s a fun, self-aware slasher that proved he can still hold his own in a genre flick.
And for the OTH die-hards? The rumors about the Netflix reboot are actually real. Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton are executive producing it, and Nichols has been very vocal about being in a "healthy place" regarding a return. He wants to do it. We want him to do it. It’s basically just a matter of timing at this point.
Making Sense of the Career
If you look at the trajectory of Austin Nichols movies and TV shows, there isn’t a "type." He’s done the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie (Holiday in the Sun, where he famously said kissing Mary-Kate felt "wrong" because they were so young), and he’s done the heavy HBO prestige stuff.
He’s an actor who seems to value the work over the fame. He’s a director who understands the mechanics of a scene. Mostly, he’s a guy who survived the "teen idol" phase and came out the other side as a respected veteran of the industry.
If you want to dive deeper into his filmography, start with John from Cincinnati for the weirdness, then hit The Iron Orchard for a solid indie performance. And obviously, keep an eye on the Netflix news cycle—because Julian Baker might be coming back to Tree Hill sooner than you think.
The best way to stay updated is to follow the trades like Deadline or TV Insider, where he’s been fairly active lately discussing his recent work on The Rainmaker. Whether he's playing a villain, a heartthrob, or a director, Austin Nichols remains one of the most consistent and interesting faces on your screen.