Starring in this month’s Wimbledon as a follow-up to the summer blockbuster Day After Tomorrow is enough to make anyone’s head spin. Unless you’re Austin Nichols, who has his noggin firmly planted on strong Texas-raised shoulders. So far, he’s played a survivor of a world catastrophe and now a world class tennis champ, along with roles on television series asHBO’s Six Feet Under, FOX’s Pasadena and many other guest-starring gigs. But wait, there’s more. The twenty-four-year-old Nichols is a water skiing champ, too. Although he’s hung up his skis for a career in acting, he’s gliding to Hollywood-sized success at break-neck speed. He’s our type of guy - an actor who likes to have fun and take risks. To find out more about his life in the blast lane, I caught up with him during a break from his new film, Jerry Bruckheimer’s Glory Road.
Lance Avery Morgan: Austin, you are on fire, man. With all the media attention you are receiving, is it a little surreal or are your Texas roots keeping you real?
Austin Nichols: It is strange. Because I’ve been an actor for years – working and training for years, I think it is great. But I’m not quite being stalked by paparazzi.
LAM: Let’s talk about your latest project, Wimbledon. Why should everyone go see it?
AN: Everyone is going to love it because of Paul Bettany (co-star of A Brilliant Mind). He’s incredible and is known for more serious work. But this is a romantic comedy and at the same time a tennis movie. I play a tennis star like Andy Roddick, whom you’ve featured in your magazine. There’s never been a good tennis movie before like this one, so I think it will be a big hit.
