Rachel Nichols (actress)

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Rachel Nichols
Nichols in 2012
Born1979/1980 (age 44–45)[1][2]
Augusta, Maine, U.S.
Other namesRachel Kershaw
Alma materColumbia University
Occupation(s)Actress, model
Years active2000–present
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 2008; div. 2009)​
  • Michael Kershaw
    ​
    (m. 2014)​

Rachel Nichols (born 1979 or 1980)[1][2] is an American actress and model. Nichols began modeling while attending Columbia University in New York City in the late 1990s, and transitioned into acting by the early 2000s; she had a part in the romantic drama Autumn in New York (2000) and a one-episode role in the fourth season of Sex and the City (2002). Her first major role was in the comedy Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003), and she went on to achieve wider recognition playing Rachel Gibson in the final season of the action television series Alias (2005–2006) and for her role in the horror film The Amityville Horror (2005).

Nichols obtained her first starring film role in the thriller

sixth season of Criminal Minds (2010–2011), the fourth seasons of both Chicago Fire (2015–2016) and The Librarians (2017–2018), and five episodes as a Gestapo officer named Martha on The Man in the High Castle
.

Early life and modeling

Rachel Nichols was born in

schoolteacher,[1] and Alison Nichols. She attended Cony High School, where she competed in the high jump.[4] Nichols said in an interview that, when she was in high school, her mother would euphemistically refer to her as "a late bloomer", "which meant that I had uncontrollable arms and legs, I had very long appendages. It took several years of very highly structured dance classes for me to be able to control myself."[5]

Upon graduating in 1998,

Guess, and L'Oréal;[6] she also hosted several MTV specials.[7] Nichols studied economics and psychology,[8] as well as drama, graduating from Columbia in 2003[4] with a double major in mathematics and economics.[9][10] Nichols said in September 2008 that "the modeling shoes have been hung up."[4]

Acting career

2000–2004: Early acting credits

Nichols had done

student newspaper reporter, in Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003). Although the film was panned by critics,[12] making it was a learning experience for Nichols. She said, "I was a sponge for the entire time I was in Atlanta [during filming] and freely admitted that I had no idea what was going on. I had never done a big film before, I had never been the lead in a film before and any advice anyone wanted to give me, I was more than willing to take."[5] The following year, Nichols played a member of a high school debate team in the independent film Debating Robert Lee (2004) and had a two-episode role in the crime drama television series Line of Fire (2004), which was cancelled after 11 of 13 produced episodes were broadcast. By August 2004, she was cast in supporting roles in the horror films The Amityville Horror (2005) and The Woods (2006).[13]

In late February 2004, Nichols was cast in a starring role in a then-untitled drama pilot for the

Dancing with the Stars on ABC, and due to low ratings six of the 13 produced episodes were aired.[16]
It was not picked up for further episodes.

2005–2009: Breakthrough

Following The Inside, Nichols found work on the fifth season of the serial action series Alias in 2005, being cast that July.[6] Nichols starred as Rachel Gibson, a computer expert who thought she was working for the CIA when in fact she was working for a dangerous criminal organization—a situation similar to that of the series' main character Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) in the first season. Discovering the truth, Gibson joins the real CIA and becomes Bristow's protégée. Of working on Alias, Nichols said that "to say it's the nicest set on the planet is an understatement".[17] Her role involved multiple fight sequences, as did Garner's. Nichols worked with Garner's personal trainer;[17] she said she "already knew that [Garner's] job was extremely hard. But I didn't know how difficult it was until I started training for just one fight."[18] Nichols was being groomed to replace Garner as the main character due to the latter's pregnancy,[1] which had been written into the storyline. But Alias was canceled in November 2005, making its fifth season its final.[19] "I think everybody knew that the show wouldn't work without Jennifer", Nichols said, "But still, they were grooming me, so it was heartbreaking when it happened."[1]

In 2005, Nichols played a brief role in the romantic drama

MTV Movie Award for Best Frightened Performance.[21] She later revealed that she almost did not audition for the film due to her fear of dogs. "[Producer] Michael Bay has these gigantic [dogs]. [...] And, when I went to audition for The Amityville Horror, I went into his offices and literally these three huge dogs were there, and I almost turned around. I was like, 'No, I'm not going to read for this film.' I actually used the dogs in my audition to think of what would scare me the most."[22] The Amityville Horror received generally negative reception from critics,[23] but was a commercial success.[24]

The Woods, which had been shelved for around 18 months,[25] was released directly-to-DVD in October 2006,[26] to a positive critical response.[27] Nichols had a small part in the drama film Resurrecting the Champ (2007), playing the assistant to a sportswriter (Josh Hartnett) who believes he has found a former boxing legend (Samuel L. Jackson) living homeless on the streets. Also that year, Nichols had a bit part in the fact-based political drama Charlie Wilson's War (2007) and was cast in a new science fiction drama television series Them,[28] which was ultimately not picked up by Fox.[29]

Her first starring film role was in the 2007 horror–thriller P2, as a businesswoman who becomes trapped inside a public parking garage with a deranged security guard. About the dress her character wears for much of the film, Nichols said, "When I read the script originally, it wasn't a dress, it was a small nightgown with no bra or underwear. Then I read the first scene where she gets wet, and I went: 'OK, this has got to be altered!'"[1] Nichols said in an interview that among the rules established in her contract were: "I will not get wet and show nipples" in addition to no nudity.[30] A bra was sewn into the "Marilyn Monroe dress" she wore in the film. She said, "I wasn't going to run around for two months without a bra, I thought that was inappropriate. But in place of the nipples there's clearly a lot of cleavage. So we made a compromise."[30] P2 was generally disliked by critics and flopped at the box office.[31][32] Reviewer James Berardinelli said that her performance was "admirable, although one wonders whether she was cast more for her physical assets than her acting ability."[33] John Anderson of Variety wrote that "Nichols is in territory well trod over the years by everyone from Fay Wray and Grace Kelly to Heather Langenkamp, the terrified but gutsy heroine, who in this case has been chloroformed and put into a sheer white evening dress by her abductor—who must have anticipated that his captive would try to escape in an elevator, which he could then fill with water. (Nichols' considerable physical attributes, henceforth, seem to occupy most of the screen.) She's sympathetic, hysterical when required and likeable."[34]

Nichols had a supporting role in

Starfleet Academy.[39]

Nichols at a premiere for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, July 2009

Nichols was cast as Shana "Scarlett" O'Hara in the live-action film adaptation of the G.I. Joe franchise G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) in late 2007.[10] She later said that she accepted director Stephen Sommers' offer for the role without having read the actual script. "I'd heard from other people that the script was quite good. And then when I finally got to read it myself ... I really, really liked it ... I liked that there were two kick-ass female roles. And I liked the fact that it wasn't just a big action movie ... And there was comedy in it. I was genuinely really happily surprised when I read the script."[40] She put on approximately 15 pounds (6.8 kg) of muscle for the role and trained in mixed martial arts with co-star Sienna Miller for some of the film's action sequences.[40] Nichols was burned by a flame during the filming of a fight scene with Miller.[41] Like The Amityville Horror, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was not well received by most critics,[42] but performed well at the box office.[43] Richard Corliss of Time wrote that Nichols had "an appealing manner and comely biceps" as Scarlett O'Hara and took notice of her "savory girl fight with Sienna Miller, as the mostly villainous Baroness."[44] After G.I. Joe, Nichols' next project was the horror film For Sale by Owner, where she played the half of a newly wed couple buying a house with a secret past. The film only received a direct-to-DVD release.

2010s

Nichols starred as a police detective assigned to investigate the murder of a young boy in the small-scale crime drama

Boston Globe felt that Nichols portrayed her "pure-blooded innocent" character with the "enthusiasm of a bored office receptionist".[52]

Nichols first guest starred in three episodes of the CBS television series

Village Voice found her character to be a "grating twit".[60]

In

Saturn Award nominations for Best Actress on Television. Nichols starred opposite Tyler Perry in the thriller Alex Cross (2012), as the blighted colleague of a psychologist and police lieutenant. Like Conan, her previous wide release, the film garnered negative reviews,[63] and made a lackluster US$34.6 million worldwide.[64]

In the independent

fourth season of Chicago Fire.[68]

Nichols starred in the science-fiction thriller

TNT fantasy series The Librarians. For her four-episode performance, she received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Guest Starring Role on Television.[73]

In 2019, Nichols had a five-episode run as Martha Stroud, a Gestapo bodyguard, on the fourth season of the alternate history series The Man in the High Castle.

Personal life

Nichols married film producer Scott Stuber on July 26, 2008, in Aspen, Colorado. Nichols allowed her hair to return to its natural blond color for the ceremony, as it had been dyed red for her consecutive roles in Star Trek and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.[4] They were working on building a home in Cabo San Lucas shortly after their honeymoon.[4] Seven months later, in February 2009, Nichols and Stuber separated due to irreconcilable differences.[74]

On December 30, 2013, Nichols confirmed her engagement to Michael Kershaw, a real estate developer.[75][76] They married in September 2014.[77][78]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Autumn in New York Model at Bar
2003 Relationship 101 Jennifer Masters
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd Jessica Matthews
2004 Debating Robert Lee Trilby Moffat
2005 The Amityville Horror Lisa
Shopgirl Trey's Girlfriend
2006 The Woods Samantha Wise
Direct-to-DVD
2007 Resurrecting the Champ Polly
P2 Angela Bridges
Charlie Wilson's War Suzanne
2008 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 Julia Beckwith
2009 Star Trek Gaila
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Shana "Scarlett" O'Hara
For Sale by Owner Anna Farrier Direct-to-DVD
2010 Meskada Leslie Spencer Direct-to-DVD
2011 Conan the Barbarian Tamara
A Bird of the Air Fiona
2012 Alex Cross Monica Ashe
2013 Raze Jamie
McCanick Amy Intrator
2014 Rage Vanessa Maguire
2016 Pandemic Lauren Chase / Rebecca Thomas
Inside Sarah Clarke
2017 After Party Charlie
2020 Breach Chambers
2021 Demigod Robin Murphy
2024 The Inheritance Madeline

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Sex and the City Alexa Episode: "A 'Vogue' Idea"
2004 Line of Fire Alex Myer Episode: "Eminence Front: Parts 1 & 2"
2005 The Inside Rebecca Locke Main role
2005–2006 Alias Rachel Gibson Main role (
season 5
)
2007 Them Donna Shaw Television special[79]
2010–2011 Criminal Minds Ashley Seaver Main role (
season 6
)
2012–2015 Continuum Kiera Cameron Main role
2014 Witches of East End Isis Episode: "The Brothers Grimoire"
Rush Corrinne Rush Recurring role
2015 Chicago Fire Jamie Killian Recurring role (
season 4
)
2017–2018 The Librarians Nicole Noone Recurring role (season 4)
2018 Taken Eve Episode: "All About Eve"
2018–2019 Titans Angela Azarath Recurring role (season 1); guest role (season 2)
2019 The Man in the High Castle Martha 5 episodes (season 4)
2021; 2023 A Million Little Things Nicole Recurring role (seasons 4–5)

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Work Result
2005 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Scream Scene The Amityville Horror Nominated
2006
MTV Movie Awards
Best Frightened Performance
 The Amityville Horror Nominated
2006 Method Fest Best Cast Debating Robert Lee Won
2012
ITVFest
 Best Actress Underwater Won
2013 Constellation Awards Best Female Performance Continuum Won
2014 Saturn Awards Best Actress on Television Continuum Nominated
2015 Saturn Awards Best Actress on Television Continuum Nominated
2018 Saturn Awards Best Guest Performance in a Television Series The Librarians Nominated

References

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  2. ^ a b Baylis, Sheila Cosgrove (December 31, 2013). "Rachel Nichols Engaged to Michael Kershaw". People. "Thanks for all the well-wishes!" the actress, 33, wrote.
  3. ^ "Rachel Nichols". TV Guide. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
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  8. ^ McGarrigle, Dale (June 11, 2005). "'Inside' Job Model – Actress Nichols goes from modeling in Augusta to starring in a new Fox crime drama". Bangor Daily News: 1.
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  75. ^ Nichols, Rachel [@RachelNichols1] (December 31, 2013). "Thank you! RT @MissAshhx: Congratulation to @RachelNichols1 and @kershaw_m on their engagement...now that I have the right couple" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  77. ^ Kershaw, Michael [@kershaw_m] (September 28, 2014). "My. Perfect. Day. And. Perfect. Wife. Love you @RachelNichols1" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  79. ^ "CBS TV pilots: 2009–2010". Variety. February 19, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
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