Austin Nichols

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Work in Progress with Sophia Bush
Episode: Austin Nichols
Date: April 15, 2026
Host: Sophia Bush
Guest: Austin Nichols

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Episode Overview

This episode features actor and director Austin Nichols, best known for his roles in One Tree Hill, sports films like Match Point and Glory Road, as well as his advocacy work and most recently, his directorial debut, The Long Shot. Sophia and Austin share a decades-long friendship, and their conversation is an engaging mix of personal reminiscence, career reflection, and behind-the-scenes stories about making movies that matter. The central theme: embracing life as both a masterpiece and a work in progress, exploring how personal roots, community, and creative risk intersect in their lives and work.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Roots and Early Days – From Michigan to Austin

• Austin shares about his childhood:

  • Moved from Michigan to Austin, TX as a kid (08:08)
  • Grew up playing with toys, building sandcastles, and doing “normal kid” activities
  • Family’s deep love for water skiing—his mom was a 19-time national champion and he started competitive skiing young
  • Transitioned focus to acting as a teen after a formative encounter at Sundance with longtime manager Joan Green (08:08–11:39)

• Notable Quote:
  “My mom was a 19 time national champion and we lived near Lake Austin. … It was normal to me to just go out and go water skiing when I was, I started when I was 2 or 3 years old.” —Austin Nichols (08:31)

2. Finding Their Calling—Through Art, Mentors, and Chance Meetings

• Both Sophia and Austin credit Joan Green as a pivotal figure (11:39–13:22)

  • Joan discovered Sophia during her high school play; convinced Austin to move to LA at 18

• Sophia reflects on her rich theater background; Austin expresses how he was “secretly jealous” of stage actors and shares a funny early acting class memory about a Velveeta cheese commercial (13:23–14:48)

• Notable Quote:
  “The more you talk to actors, the more you realize everyone’s insecure and think they’re missing something. … We all just love something and we’re trying to do it.” —Austin Nichols (15:35)

3. From Athlete to Actor: How Sports Shaped Austin’s Approach

• Austin talks about the difference between measurable success in sports vs. abstract success in creative fields (16:07–18:13)
• Reflects on how obsessive self-improvement doesn’t always lead to acting success; how “being yourself” often yields the best results in creative work
• Sophia adds that diverse interests beyond acting made her a better performer

4. The Actor’s Perspective on Apocalypse and “Real-World” Value

• Sophia muses humorously about the employability of actors in an apocalypse—“Nobody needs a monologue in a crisis.” (18:42)
• Austin jokes about wanting to make a hyper-realistic, mostly wordless apocalypse show (19:01–19:24)

5. Supportive Families and The Practical Side of Chasing Hollywood

• Austin was surprised and grateful for the support from his parents when he pursued acting, though college was non-negotiable (24:46–26:08)

• Shares that his father doubted his “practical” English degree, but a conversation with Sigourney Weaver validated how studying literature aids acting (27:07–27:35)

• Notable Quote:
  “Sigourney [Weaver] said, it gave me such a base and a foundation and a strength for text … the sheer amount of reading you do in college in that major can set you up for success.” —Austin Nichols (27:35)

6. Typecasting, Life Imitating Art, and Sports Roles

• Sophia points out how Austin’s athleticism influenced the kinds of roles he landed—tennis in Wimbledon, surfing in John from Cincinnati, basketball in Glory Road (28:47–30:23)
• Austin says he wasn’t hyper-aware of being typecast in sports roles, but recognizes now how real-life interests seep into onscreen work

7. Making “The Long Shot”—A Love Letter to Austin, Texas

• Sophia describes The Long Shot as both a comedy and a subtle climate advocacy film, though Austin admits the environmental message wasn’t overtly intentional at first (31:33–32:59)

• The film uses real Austin locations to tell a story about protecting community spaces, with a focus on the local “Muni” (Lions Municipal Golf Course) and secret swimming holes (34:16–39:13)

• Austin reveals the challenges and joys of filming in meaningful personal spaces, balancing narrative needs with the realities of independent filmmaking

• Notable Quote:
  “All [my character] wants to do is protect this green space. … You didn’t hit anybody over the head with it. … You told such a beautiful story with a bigger context without even making it obvious.” —Sophia Bush (34:16–34:58)

8. The Real Fight to Save Muni (Lions Municipal Golf Course)

• There’s an active, real-world campaign to preserve this Austin landmark from development (45:00–45:42)
• Austin recounts securing a secret, unconventional golf course for filming—one owned by Willie Nelson—which provided a unique backdrop and highlighted the importance of community-supported spaces (45:42–48:05)

9. From Actor to Director: Learning on Set and the Power of Mentorship

• Both reminisce about their time on One Tree Hill as a formative “film school” (50:51–54:43)

• Austin credits getting to direct episodes and mentorship from their cinematographer, Peter Kowalski, as pivotal in his transition to directing

• Austin emphasizes the importance of learning every crew job, patience, and humility in creative growth

• Notable Quote:
  “I’m glad I waited and I’d had all this time and I understood every job … then I made a movie. … You never stop learning.” —Austin Nichols (54:44)

10. How Long It Takes: The Reality of Indie Filmmaking

• Making The Long Shot took about four and a half years, from ideation and raising money through shooting, editing, and festival distribution (55:17–56:31)
• Austin likens filmmaking to a startup—you must pitch, get investors, and deal with repeated rejection before any success
• Sophia marvels at the perseverance this process requires and celebrates Austin’s tenacity and vision

11. Looking Forward: What’s Austin’s Work in Progress?

• Austin shares a renewed pride in his acting career but feels a deep pull to continue directing, hoping to make five more films that are “from my soul” (57:34)

• He describes the unique fulfillment of seeing an audience respond to his directorial work and the satisfaction of “leaving something behind”

• Notable Quote:
  “As an actor, it’s so fun and it’s literally the coolest job in the world. But you are an instrument for someone else’s idea. … I want to leave behind some movies that I’m really proud of that came out of my soul.” —Austin Nichols (57:34–58:59)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “Our friendship has been a voter for two whole years of its life.” —Sophia Bush, joking about their 20-year friendship (07:11)
• “My mom was a 19 time national champion and we lived near Lake Austin.” —Austin Nichols (08:31)
• “Joan Green … she changed my life.” —Austin Nichols (11:45)
• “All the kids, none of the kids could keep a straight face. And I was so committed to hating the broccoli and then loving the broccoli with cheese … she’s like, this kid’s going to work.” —Austin Nichols on an early acting class (13:58)
• “Everyone’s insecure and thinks they’re missing something … We all just love something and we’re trying to do it.” —Austin Nichols (15:35)
• “Nobody wants to see me practicing my monologue in my bedroom at 3am.” —Austin Nichols (18:34)
• “Sigourney [Weaver] … said, it gave me such a base … for text and breaking down text.” —Austin Nichols (27:35)
• “You told such a beautiful story with a bigger context without even making it obvious.” —Sophia Bush, on The Long Shot (34:54)
• “Making a movie is a startup. It is starting a business.” —Austin Nichols (56:31)
• “I want to leave something behind that, you know, as an actor, it’s so fun and it’s literally the coolest job in the world. But you are an instrument for someone else’s idea. … I want to leave behind, you know, some movies that I’m really proud of that, that came out of my soul.” —Austin Nichols (57:34)

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Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

• [08:08] Austin describes childhood in Austin, family, and early sports
• [11:39] Meeting Joan Green; Sophia and Austin’s parallel paths
• [13:24] Austin’s first acting class story
• [15:35] The insecurity and “missing piece” all actors feel
• [16:07–16:55] Austin on measurable success in sports vs. acting
• [18:34] Austin pokes fun at acting in “the apocalypse”
• [24:46] Austin on family support and English major story
• [27:35] Sigourney Weaver’s advice/validation
• [30:04–30:23] Typecasting in sports roles
• [31:33–33:08] Discussing the environmental element in The Long Shot
• [34:16–34:58] Sophia’s praise for the film’s subtle climate message
• [45:00–45:52] Real campaign to save Lions Municipal Golf Course; filming at Willie Nelson’s golf course
• [50:51–54:43] Austin and Sophia reflect on One Tree Hill as creative “grad school”
• [55:17–56:31] The long journey of indie filmmaking
• [57:34–58:59] Austin on what comes next: “my work in progress”

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Conclusion

This episode is a heartfelt, candid, and frequently funny journey through friendship, creative growth, and the power of place. Austin Nichols’ story weaves together an athletic upbringing, a leap of faith into acting, the serendipity of mentorship, and the long, arduous, but rewarding road of making a movie on your own terms. Through their personal anecdotes and mutual admiration, Sophia and Austin remind listeners that being a work in progress is not just natural—it’s a beautiful part of an artist’s life. Fans of One Tree Hill, indie film, Texas, or simply creative journeys will find much to savor.

Where to Watch

The Long Shot is available on Amazon, Apple, and Fandango.

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“Maybe I’ll do a few more before I call it a day.”
—Austin Nichols (58:59)

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Transcript

[Sophia Bush]

This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human

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[Sophia Bush]

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[Sophia Bush]

break from our sponsor, Miracle Gro. Life is digitally distracted and time starved, but gardening is the perfect way to unplug. It isn't just about plants, it's about trading the digital noise for a quiet way to reconnect with yourself. Whether you're in an apartment or you've never even touched a shovel, don't let self doubt stop you. With 75 years of expertise, Miracle Gro takes the stress out of the process and makes it pure Joy. Head to miraclegro.com to check out all of their easy to use products and start your growth journey today. Hi everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to Work in Progress. Welcome back to this week's Work in Progress. Friends. We have a dear one on the podcast this week, someone I've called a friend for over 20 years. Been on plenty of adventures with both on screen and off, been been an advocate alongside and watched bloom into such an amazing phase of his career. I am so proud to have Austin Nichols on the podcast today. You all know him from my world playing my husband on screen on One Tree Hill. The iconic producer, director, writer Julian Baker. And he has an incredible history in film and television as an athlete in sports movies like Match Point and Glory Road, as an off screen advocate, advocate for global green and an on screen victim of a natural disaster in the Day After Tomorrow. Early in his career, Austin has become not only an incredible advocate but an incredible director. Most recently he directed the series Walker in Austin, Texas, his hometown. And now those worlds are collecting on his latest project, a feature film he has spent the last five years lovingly bringing to the screen called the Long Shot. It's about sports, friendship, love, ingenuity, the city that shaped him, and how important the spaces in our communities are to not only our communities, but to us, to our friendships and to our life. There is so much to talk with Austin about and reminisce about. I cannot wait for you all to hear him share his stories of what it took to make this film and how he feels now that it is finally on screen. Let's dive into all the behind the scenes tea from the Long Shot with our pal, Austin Nichols. I'm so happy you're here. It's also so cool to get to talk about everything that's going on because I feel like we've been talking about this movie for years. And like, to sit here last night, like, Ash and I made a bowl of popcorn and, like, pulled it up on the screen and I was like,

[Metabolism Ignite Advertisement Voice]

oh, my God, we're watching Austin's movie.

[Austin Nichols]

Oh, that's so cool. Thank you for watching it.

[Sophia Bush]

Oh, my God.

[Austin Nichols]

And having popcorn. That's. That's what it's all about. You know, we want people to laugh and we want people.

[Sophia Bush]

We need more for our zoom. Just spiritually, it felt correct.

[Austin Nichols]

I love it. I love it.

[Sophia Bush]

Okay, before we dive in to now and. And all the good things.

[Austin Nichols]

Yep.

[Sophia Bush]

We gotta go back. And I don't mean like 20 years back when we met. Like, literally 20 years now, because I was 23 when we met and I'm 43 now. That's insane.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

Like, our friendship has been a voter for two whole years of its life. I don't know how I feel about it, but I want to go, like, back, back. I know some fun facts about you, obviously, because we've known each other for 100 years. Everybody likes to giggle about you being Austin from Austin. But for our friends at home, our dear Austin Nichols was actually born in Michigan and then moved to Austin, Texas, and became Austin from Austin. I want to take our listeners and our friends back to way before they knew you. Like, before our show, before the movies. Like, let's go back to. Y' all have just moved from Michigan. You're settled In Texas, you're 8 or 9 years old. Paint us a picture of little Austin's life.

[Austin Nichols]

I mean, it was really sweet and normal. You know, I was a normal kid who was playing with, you know, a he man and a skeletor castle and GI Joe's and, like, you know, every once in a while, me and My buddy would build sandcastles and get black cats and blow up the, the little army guys in the sandcastles in his backyard with little fireworks, you know, and just totally normal. I played sports, I went to school, I had friends, and it was a really, really great place to grow up. Yeah, my, my family was very into water skiing, which is a thing that comes up because it's this very strange sport. But my mom was a 19 time national champion and we lived near Lake Austin. And that was, it was normal to me to just go out and go water skiing when I was, I started when I was 2 or 3 years old. Yeah, like, my parents kind of like put me on the skis while they were skiing and I was like, oh, look, the baby can ski. And so that was just very normal to be going out there and banging around on water skis and, and then wakeboarding changed everything. But I, me and my sister were competitive water skiers at a very young age, going to tournaments. And I got really into it probably at about 13 or 14, and decided I wanted to be like, I wanted to win stuff and like, so I really had to train and started going to train with people, coaches in Florida and Louisiana. And it really kind of the peak of it was when I qualified for the Masters. There's a big tournament in Georgia, and it's like the Masters of golf for water skiing. And I qualified for that when I was like 16, 17, went there, skied in that didn't win. But it was sort of this, like, okay, I accomplished something, you know, in the sport that I wanted to do before retiring at the young age. At the, at the, no, at the ripe old age of 17. Because then I, I had switched gears and I'd started studying acting at 15, and that started to kind of eclipse water skiing and the sports stuff. And I saw a future and I saw, oh, well, this is something I can do until I'm 80 years old. And.

[Sophia Bush]

Right.

[Austin Nichols]

Nobody kind of told me that it's really hard and you might be broke and, you know, why, why are you making it so hard on yourself? Why don't you go work at, you know, in this realm or do this job? But for some reason, acting really got its, its hook, hooks in me. And I started going to acting classes in Austin, Texas. And When I was 17, we went to Sundance with the family, and I have family in Salt Lake City. And I see this woman, I snuck into a party with my sister and I see this woman across the way looking at me, and it was Joan Green who Was both our man, the manager for both of us for a very long time. And she said, do you have a film here? And I go, no, I've never made a film. And she introduced me to two agents that night. And she really changed the course of my life because I knew I wanted to act, but I was gonna stay in Austin, go to ut, go to film school at ut. And she said, no, you need to come to Los Angeles right now, like as soon as possible. You have to start when you're young. And I talked to my parents and they said, okay. And I. I switched gears and moved to LA when I was 18 years old.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah. God, Joan Green, man, she. She was the linchpin for us, huh?

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah, I mean, she changed my life. And yeah, you know, I was with her for 13 years and I couldn't say enough amazing things about her. She was so supportive and so there for me in so many ways.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, for, for the pals at home, because obviously, you know this story. But similarly, I was doing a little play in high school. My senior year was when I got really serious about acting. You know, it was, it was freshman year, so I was around 14 when I started doing theater at school. And we did this play my senior year. That, that seemed absolutely correct to me. You know, I had this theater director, Tim Wright, who just, he gave us, you know, Sondheim, and then he gave us really crazy avant garde plays about what was happening world the year before. We'd done one about Tiananmen Square. And then my senior year, I'm doing this play about an ACLU lawyer who has to defend a Holocaust denier based on the First Amendment. Like hard hitting shit for a 17 year old, you know, and to us, that was just part of what we were doing. You know, my, our history department was incredible. Our theater department really worked alongside it. And I didn't know how radical Tim was. He was just my theater guy. And I guess it was kind of uncommon for like kids at a prep school in Pasadena to be doing such material. And we had a little write up in the Times and Joan Green read that article and came to see my play. And she's the reason I went to USC instead of Tulane. So she literally changed both of our lives.

[Austin Nichols]

That's incredible.

[Sophia Bush]

It's so cool.

[Austin Nichols]

I don't know if you ever told me that whole story. That's really cool. That's really cool. I have always been so jealous of anyone who has a theater background, because when I was in Austin and I was 15, my first acting class One of the things this teacher had us do was do a Velveeta cheese commercial where we have to put. Eat broccoli and we have to eat broccoli without Velveeta cheese. And then we have to put Velveeta cheese on the broccoli and eat it with. And go, oh, my God, it's so good.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And this sounds so stupid, but all the kids, no one, none of the kids could keep a straight face. And I was so committed to the. To hating the broccoli and then loving the broccoli with cheese that after we were over, she kind of made a big deal about how. How well I did and kind of. And it was really embarrassing because she kind of, like, called me out in front of the class and she's like, this kid's going to work. And I was like, what? But wow, such a strange thing. But ultimately probably really smart of her to do was, well, this is real world stuff. Like, you're going to be going out for commercials.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes.

[Austin Nichols]

But I never had. I never had the theater. The theater background in the theater, training. And I've always been so obsessed with it and, like, so secretly jealous of people who, you know, have been on the stage because it's the ultimate and it's.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

The best training ground there is.

[Sophia Bush]

It's really special. It's funny you say that, though, because I. I even feel a little bit of that. You know, I know my path was my path, but the fact that I went to USC for the BFA and, you know, did the auditioning and got into the program and the whole hullabaloo, but I didn't actually like it, and I transferred into the journalism school. I think I needed more variety in my studies, and I love that. But. But I have a little bit of that. Aww. Like, kind of wishing I'd had a really hardcore collegiate theater education. So it's interesting because I think about that in a different way. And then I'm telling you about high school, and you're like, I'm jealous of that. And I never really thought about how much of it I had.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah. And also, the more you talk to actors, the more you realize everyone's insecure and think they're missing something. And it's so silly because we're all just. We all just love something and we're trying to do it. That's all.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah. You know what? I wonder if it is too. And I'm curious your perspective on this as. As an athlete, because you were competitive in sport, you know, when you're the best, because there's a. There's a measure, there's a scale. Like, if you win the medal, you were the best.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

But as an actor, you make something, you watch it after you've made it, which I think is part of why it draws creative people. Because if you do the competition and you win the medal on your skis, you're not gonna go back and watch your tapes unless you're, like, reviewing them with a coach. Right, Right. And I wonder if it's the making of a thing that takes on its own life, that we love, but also that kind of fucks us up. Cause there's no way to measure how good you are. It's just.

[Xolair Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

Opinion and luck.

[Austin Nichols]

I struggled with that and maybe still do for most of my life, most of my career. Because I was always trained. Like, okay, you practice, you practice, you practice, you get better, you get better, you get better. And it's math, it's mathematical, it's measurable. Right.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And it's not like that in show business. You know, like. And for me in particular, I found that the more I trained or the more I tried to read books and hack the system, it didn't really move the needle. And for me, the things that click are when I'm not trying or when I'm.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

When I'm not studied or when I'm not rehearsed or when I'm kind of just living in my own skin. And.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes.

[Austin Nichols]

That tends to be what people respond to and why they want to cast you.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And before so long, I was like, gotta get better, gotta get better, gotta get better. And it was like, why isn't this. Why can't I see improvement in, like, getting roles or big, bigger, better movies or shows? It wasn't like that for me. It was just kind of like, hey, you know, just be you.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah. Yeah. You know, I think that's actually why I shifted out of the program in college when. When we were at sc, because only focusing on acting was making me crazy about acting. And then once I started focusing on all these other things I was interested in, I was an interesting actor.

[Austin Nichols]

There you go.

[Sophia Bush]

But when I was trying to be interesting, I was a basket case.

[Austin Nichols]

That's it. There's something about an authentic person living an authentic life. And. And, like, whatever it is, whether it's journalism or whether, you know, I'm. I'm really into archery, you know, but when you see somebody who's doing something that's life, and they're really into it.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

That's what we're interested in. Right?

[Sophia Bush]

Like, yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

Nobody wants to see me practicing my monologue in my bedroom at 3am no,

[Sophia Bush]

totally. Do you ever think about that? And I wonder about this. I think about it a lot. Watching a lot of apocalypse content. You actually worked on the Walking Dead. Like, do you ever look at, look around and go, what happens in the apocalypse? Like, are they going to eat us first? Nobody needs a monologue in a crisis.

[Austin Nichols]

Good point. I've always wanted to do a show that is hyper realistic like that, where maybe there isn't a lot of talking. It's just reacting and running and, you know, action. Yeah, that'd be really interesting. I don't know if it would work, but that's a really interesting idea. No, I know. In the dramatic structure, we need characters and we need them to be talking.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes.

[Austin Nichols]

Or else, you know, we. It's hard to connect.

[Sophia Bush]

Absolutely.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

And now a word from our sponsors who make this show possible.

[Xolair Advertisement Voice]

Xolair Omalizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Xolair, 150 milligrams is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people 1 year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Xolair, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Xolair. Xolair may cause a severe, life threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Xolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Xolair is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches and rash, parasitic infection, or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see xolair.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Xolair. This is an advertisement for Xolair, paid for by Genentech and Novartis Friends.

[Sophia Bush]

I've learned that the best gifts aren't the ones you grab at the last minute. They're the ones that become part of someone's everyday life. In my home, the kitchen has always been the center of everything. Family gatherings, traditions and recipes that somehow manage to taste better when they're made together. A new conversation piece in my kitchen. You know it. It's the viral Lenox Spice Village. It is a charming set of 24 hand painted little houses, each one holding a spice that you actually use. It is super cute and very practical and the colors on all of these little things, oh my goodness, they just are so precious and so beautiful. Lenox has been bringing timeless design into homes for generations and the Spice Village feels like one of those pieces that just stays. It's not tucked away, it's not forgotten, it is used and loved. I think I might order a set for a friend's housewarming or it would be a unique Mother's Day gift. Once you'll see it, you'll want one too. Discover the full Lenox Spice village [e-mail] SpiceVillage oh friends, spring is springing and I am so excited. Temperatures are starting to warm. The days are getting a little bit longer. I feel the like my energy is getting a refresh and I can't wait to get out and refresh everything in my life from a spring cleaning in the closet to replanting in the garden. It's time and one way you can welcome spring is by changing up your routine. A refresh can be as simple as amplifying your look with clean beauty from Thrive Cosmetics. Every one of their products is 100% vegan, cruelty free and made with skin loving ingredients that work with your skin natural, not against it. And when we use Thrive Cosmetics, we're helping others shine too. With over $150 million in product and cash donations to over 600 giving partners, every purchase fuels real impact. And that's what I call beauty with purpose. I love a bold lip, so I use their Empower Matte Precision Lipstick Crayon. This one comes in 18 buildable, long lasting matte shades. It's designed to be worn as either a liner or layered and it leaves your lips looking luscious and fuller. I also love their brilliant eye brightener. It's a waterproof eyeshadow highlighter stick made to brighten and open your eyes. Definitely comes in handy after long days on set. So amplify your everyday. Go to Thrive Cosmetics Progress for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. That's Thrive Cosmetics. C A U S e m e t-I c s.com progress a doubly certified

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OBGYN and endocrinologist doctor, a naturopathic doctor and a certified health coach Walk into a room. What do they talk about? GLP1, of course. But more specifically, the difference between the synthetic version of your body's own hormone that are prescribed by doctors nationwide versus metabolism ignite product which naturally increases your body's GLP1 by 61%. GLP1 side effects can lead to nausea, fatigue and muscle loss whereas metabolism ignite is powered by plants and there are no side effects. Some long term results of GLP1 links to weight gain after stopping the synthetic drug which has been proven in multiple studies. In comparison to metabolism ignite there is no weight regain and this product supports Metabolic health. Join the 50,000 customers by skipping the needles and taking two capsules of metabolism Ignite a day for sustained weight loss with plant based therapy. Visit V E R A C I T Y Health co promo code iheart for up to 65% off your order today.

[Sophia Bush]

What was it like for you deciding to pursue acting? Because, you know, you mentioned your amazing mom was such an incredible athlete. Your dad is like an unbelievably renowned radiologist. You know, your mom, similarly, I think to my dad turned what one could call a hobby into a career. And your dad has this very serious career. And then here you come, Mr. Prize Winning Athlete, who then is like, I'm gonna go make movies. Like, how did it go over? Because I know how it went over in my house.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah. You know, my parents were surprisingly supportive and I was bracing myself for the opposite. But the message I remember was if you, if you buckle down and bust your butt the way you have for sports, we'll support you, we'll, we'll help you and we will be there for you and we're going to be behind you 100%.

[Sophia Bush]

That's so cool.

[Austin Nichols]

Still go to college.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

You know.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

Get a degree. But, you know, so there was always that sort of like, look, we're behind you, but this is a mercurial, strange world and not everybody can make a living.

[Sophia Bush]

Right.

[Austin Nichols]

So they were very pragmatic about it and, and ultimately just, you know, really big cheerleaders for me, both of them. And that's rare. I was very lucky to have that.

[Sophia Bush]

Absolutely. Do you think that's why you decided to get your degree in English? You wanted to be adjacent to the arts but also have like a practicality

[Austin Nichols]

to your studies that my dad would not agree with. He would be like, what are you gonna do with an English degree? Teach? He was so rude about it. But I was like, look, I mean, I started communications. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't, I hated it. I didn't know what it was. And I Changed over. Because I loved literature.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And I started reading all these amazing books, and I started reading Shakespeare, and I started writing papers every week, and I. And then I started taking creative writing classes and my writing to develop, which, at the time, I didn't really know was going to be helpful, but it was.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And it wasn't until. I love this story. It wasn't until I did a movie with Sigourney Weaver where she played my mother, and she goes, I told her I was an English major. She goes, I was an English major. And I go, really? I was just so thrilled to have, like, a hero say that they had done the same thing. Because then Sigourney started saying, it gave me such a base and a foundation and a strength for text and breaking down text and understanding text.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes.

[Austin Nichols]

Like, anytime a script or a play comes to me, I can sit down. I know what I'm doing. I know how to look at this, I know how to translate it. And just the sheer amount of reading you do in college in that major can set you up for success. So when she said it to me, it made me feel like, okay, maybe I didn't waste my time in college.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah. Oh, I love that. Did you immediately tell your dad? You call up Dave and you're just like, guess what?

[Austin Nichols]

He might be finding out right now?

[Sophia Bush]

Oh, God.

[Austin Nichols]

I don't know if I ever told him.

[Sophia Bush]

Oh, my God, that's so fun. Well, I mean, I think about all the amazing things that you did, and no surprise, you know, you were tearing up these incredible movies. You hit the scene in such a big way, man. Like Day After Tomorrow in Wimbledon. And, you know, getting to see you play an athlete, like, looking back at that feels so fun. Because, of course, your discipline from water sports was so easily applied, I would imagine, to tennis. Right. Had you ever played tennis before that movie?

[Austin Nichols]

I had sent in some audition tapes, and they said, look, can you even play? Because this guy needs to be able to play. So they sent me to the Valley to, like, coach. Some coach in the Valley.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And he's like, we're going to video you. And just, you know, don't be tentative. Just swing through. Like, don't worry about where the ball goes, because we're not going to see where the ball goes. So just swing through, like, hard. I was launching balls out of the court. I couldn't. I couldn't keep a ball in bounds.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

I did not know how to play tennis. And then I was so lucky to have Murphy Jensen, French Open doubles champion, teach Me for two months in la, we're doing like two a days. And then Pat Cash, who was Australian Wimbledon champion, teach me in London for a month. Wow. And with other coaches and biomechanics and I mean, it was. It was a dream to have this sort of infrastructure and this team behind me. Making sure I knew how to play tennis was just one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do.

[Sophia Bush]

That's so cool. I think about how much sport has been part of your career, from that movie to John from Cincinnati. Like, you got to do this tennis movie, you got to do this big surf show. I mean, did you just. Were you just gagged?

[Austin Nichols]

I also did a basketball movie, Glory Road. And yeah, I honestly never. I was kind of thinking about it at the time. I was kind of going, well, I was an athlete and maybe I'm athletic, so maybe I'm getting these athletic roles. But I wasn't hyper aware of it. I was really more focused on being an actor.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And then it wasn't until many years later where I kind of look back and I go, oh, that's interesting. That's cool. That makes sense.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah. Well, I think when your life informs your career, you know, something that dawned on me when you've obviously been on the other podcast so much, when we started Drama Queens and we got to the third season and Brooke Davis gets the job at Carl's Crab Shack and like, unionizes all the waitresses, I was like, oh, my God. I was politically organizing even then.

[Austin Nichols]

You know, that's so brilliant. I mean, his life imitating art or the other way around. It's so cool.

[Sophia Bush]

Well, and you realize the things you're drawn to, that you talk about, particularly in TV in front of your writers, become passion points for your characters. You know, it's like even now, you know, watching your movie, the whole time I'm watching it, knowing Austin, you know, as a city, from living there for movies, from spending so much time there, you know, as I was so lucky, too, with your family and, you know, especially when your mom was around and like, going back there so much for conferences and other projects, it's like, I've known that city for 20 years also.

[Austin Nichols]

Yes.

[Sophia Bush]

And, oh, yeah, you guys are talking about these secret spots and these beautiful swimming holes and Barton Springs and Muni and. And these natural resources, these areas that you want to protect. And halfway through the movie, it dawned on me. I'm like, this is a. This is a hilarious comedy, but it's also a love letter to protecting your environment. And then I was like thinking back to us doing all that global green work after the oil spill in 2010 from Wilmington, and I was like, did you mean to make a climate movie? Did you even know that that's what you were doing?

[Austin Nichols]

No, not at all. And I only started to realize that recently. I mean, the movie's finished, we're in theaters in Austin right now, and we come out April 10th. But it wasn't until like a few weeks ago that I really started to think about like the. There's an environmental message in this movie.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

Because when they're at that, that, that secret gym, swimming hole, and he's talking about this endangered species, I, I was telling a story of Austin, like that really happened here at Barton Springs. And I was telling that story. But it wasn't until much later that, with reflection, because like, getting a movie like sold and out to the world is so like, you go crazy.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

It wasn't until recently that I've had some time to think about it that I went, oh, well, the environmental activist in me. That makes sense that, you know.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

In my first, that's in my first movie. And you know it. I don't know what else to say except it's a nice little sign that you're kind of going in the right direction.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, yeah, I think that's really true. And you know what I appreciate about it? I think Back to like 2010, you know, being on the ground in Louisiana.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

Working with all the folks in those fishing communities and you know, people in New Orleans who had just years before been so affected by Hurricane Katrina. And I think there was such a purity at that time of no matter where you are, red state, blue state, no matter how you vote, what you do, if you have money, if you have none, like, the environment is all of ours. Like, we're stewards of this place. And over the last 20 years, any kind of care about your neighbor, care about your climate messaging has just gotten so stomped on and like pounced on and co opted and people roll their eyes about it. And you made this movie in the heart of Texas. You've got hilarious characters, like real, you know, you're, you're, you're groundsman slash coyote hunter in the movie is like such a. So Southern dude.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

And all he wants to do is protect this green space. And you didn't hit anybody over the head with it. And you didn't, you didn't like go make a disaster movie. You made a love story to your city and you're reminding I think everybody, that those spaces are for us, that's where everybody gathers, whether you're a larper, a golfer, a hunter, you know, a researcher, like the woman who works for the city. It's like you did it in this way that I went, oh, you, you told such a beautiful story with a bigger context without even making it obvious. And I, I was really, I was excited about it for you. It's cool.

[Austin Nichols]

That's really sweet. And I'm, I'm. Thank you. I don't, I don't know what to say. That's, it's. That's what we, that's the best we could hope for, you know, like, yeah, you know, we want to, we want people to laugh, we want people to cry, we want to entertain. But yeah, if there's, if there's a good message in there too, that's icing on the top.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, I, I really love too, like, because the story reflects it's a specific thing. Like, that golf course in your home city is a specific place, but it feels universal because there's this core truth, right? That love and community is what motivates people to fight and to show up and to protect something. Even if there's something they're trying to protect is where they drink beer with their friends and the sweetness of just how fun it is to be with your people that. The movie highlights was so enjoyable to watch. Like, I just had the best time laughing and especially, you know, watching feeling like you're sensibility in the whole movie, and then seeing Ryan Hansen, who's a really old dear friend of mine, like, play the guy who's kind of you but not you, and then you guys have a scene together. I just was like, this is so. It's perfect in so many layers. I giggled through the whole thing. And I'm curious, having grown up there and, and having the outdoor spaces in Austin be so integral to your life and your family's life, were there specific locations or sets that you put in the movie because they're precious to you, or were you, you know, doing the thing with your location scout, figuring out what was available, what was affordable, and that's how you decided, like, like, how did you do the behind the scenes bits?

[Austin Nichols]

I mean, a little bit of a combination because, you know, with a, with a small indie, we can't just do anything and go anywhere. We can't afford it. Yeah. So there's definitely times where you look at your location person, you go, okay, well, if we can't do that, then show me what else, what else can we do? But the big one is where we did the swimming pool, because that was originally written as Barton Springs.

[Sophia Bush]

Right.

[Austin Nichols]

But Barton Springs is extremely crowded, and getting to shoot there is very difficult. Their message is basically like, yeah, you can shoot here, but we can't. We can't close the pool. And you're just going to have to kind of deal with the crowd. And for a movie shoot, that's a continuity nightmare. It's a sound nightmare.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And so I went to the writer and I said, hey, is there maybe we. We. We tweak this. And what he did was he made it into, like a hidden gym.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

You know, one of these little ones that people haven't found yet.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, I loved that.

[Austin Nichols]

Which I actually think worked better for the movie because it's like the last

[Sophia Bush]

place, you know, it's like the last remaining place. And it gave you that hilarious moment. I don't want to spoil this. So if you haven't watched the movie yet, well, what are you doing? Watch the movie and plug your ears for 30 seconds. You know, when your caddy pulls up on the golf cart and you're like, did anybody fall? You know, the guys are like, did anybody follow you? Take a different route home. It's like we all have those places that we don't want to become the next tick tock trend or whatever and get invaded. And it just felt so real to me.

[Austin Nichols]

Oh, good, good. And that place is, to further answer your question, was a place I went as a kid and, and this is part. This speaks to, you know, making a film in your. In your hometown. Like, I always think about Greta Gerwig and, and Lady Bird in Sacramento and how she thought it was, like, not cool. But then she made this beautiful story about this place and these people, and if I hadn't grown up here, I never would have known about.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And a lot of our crew and cast and people that have watched the movie still don't know about it.

[Sophia Bush]

Wow.

[Austin Nichols]

So, I mean, I'm a little bit. I feel a little bit bad about blowing it up. Not that we're gonna do that, but it's this place. Because a lot of the swimming holes in Austin are municipally owned.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

They're owned by the city and they're taken care of by the city and actually privately owned by the family. And part of the magic is that they've kind of taken care of it themselves.

[Sophia Bush]

That's really cool.

[Austin Nichols]

You don't have, like, big money municipal projects coming in. It's like oh, we're going to build a retaining wall here to help protect.

[Sophia Bush]

Right.

[Austin Nichols]

You know, so it's very natural and it's, it's a real, real special area and we were really lucky to get to use it.

[Sophia Bush]

I love that. Do you want us to bleep it out in the whole podcast so no one knows where it is?

[Austin Nichols]

Maybe. Yeah, maybe.

[Sophia Bush]

Honestly, I think it would be really funny. No gatekeeping. No gatekeeping. Some things we have to gatekeep for their purity. We'll be back in just a minute, but here's a word from our sponsors.

[Xolair Advertisement Voice]

Xolair Omalizumab is proven to significantly reduce allergic reactions if a food allergy accident happens. Xolair 150mg is a prescription medication used to treat food allergy in people 1 year of age and older to reduce allergic reactions due to accidental exposure to one or more foods. While taking Xolair, you should continue to avoid all foods to which you are allergic. Don't use if you are allergic to Xolair. Xolair may cause a severe life threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Tell your doctor if you have ever had anaphylaxis. Get help right away if you have trouble breathing or if you have swelling of your throat or tongue. Xolair should not be used for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Xolair is for maintenance use to reduce allergic reactions including anaphylaxis while avoiding food allergens. Serious side effects such as cancer, fever, muscle aches and rash, parasitic infection or heart and circulation problems have been reported. Please see xolair.com for full prescribing information. Ask an allergist about Xolair this is an advertisement for Xolair paid for by Genentech and Novartis.

[Sophia Bush]

When I'm choosing a Mother's Day gift, I always ask myself, will this still matter a year from now? And that is why I love the Lenox Spice Village. It is a charming set of 24 hand painted spice jars, each one shaped like a little house. It is beautiful, it's actually useful and it brings a little joy into the everyday, which honestly is where the best moments live. Buying a meaningful gift can be a challenge sometimes, but the Spice Village feels practical and thoughtful and enduring. Plus unique. Just like Mom. Explore the full Lenox Spice village [e-mail]

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[Sophia Bush]

And now a break from our sponsor, Miracle Grow. Let's be real. We're all feeling a little digitally distracted and time starved lately. We're craving real connections and ways to unplug. And honestly, gardening is the ultimate way to do this. It isn't just about plants, it's about trading the digital noise for a quiet win. As you pour your energy into helping something grow, you're pouring a sense of calm and connection back into yourself too. If you're in an apartment or you've never even touched a shovel, don't let self doubt stop you. With 75 years of expertise, Miracle Gro takes the stress out of the process and makes it pure joy. And let me tell you what I can confirm this. From the garden I love spending time in outdoors in Los Angeles to my little potted plants where I grow herbs indoors in New York, I love working with plants. And I love Miracle Gro because whether I'm doing something in the soil or potting something in the apartment, Miracle Gro takes the best care of my plants. So my plants can help take care of me. And here's the big secret. Most people think water and sunlight are enough. But no, no. Your plants actually need more to truly thrive. Whether it's starting with the right soil foundation or giving plants the boost they need to stay vibrant with plant food, our friends at Miracle Gro have all the essentials to make growing simple and stress free. Head to miraclegro.com to check out all of their easy to use products and start your growth journey today. I'm curious because to your point, the city of Austin does such a good job maintaining so many of these municipal spaces. But in the movie Muni as A golf course is, you know, this historic site that's kind of run down. You know, it's. It's the other side of the tracks for a golf course. Golf course is. Is this inspired by like true events at all? Was there a fight to save Muni?

[Austin Nichols]

There is, there's. It's still ongoing. I mean, Lions Municipal Golf Course is a real place here. And they have the Save Muni campaign because the land is owned by someone else that potentially could sell it whenever they want because Muni had like a 99 year lease and that came and went. But the people in Austin love it so much and they don't want it to be developed and turned into like condos and retailers that they mounted a huge effort to save it and they got a historical designation and it's still alive, you know, and it. But it's really. People loved a place and they fought for it.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, that's really special.

[Austin Nichols]

The second half of that is we couldn't afford to shoot there. So we went out 45 minutes outside of town where Willie Nelson has a nine hole golf course.

[Sophia Bush]

No way.

[Austin Nichols]

That no one really nobody knows about. It's. I don't know how they've. It's such a secret, but the fairways are dirt, but the tee boxes and the greens are perfect. So we. It's kind of like outlawed redneck golf. And you go out there and when you are in the fairway, you can put down a little AstroTurf mat and hit off that.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

But it's like no other golf course in the world. And you know, people have written about it and like travel magazines and stuff, but it is a real. It's a real little hidden kept secret. And we couldn't have filmed the movie without it. And with the people, the people that let us film there, it was such a little nugget that we like, it just happened and we didn't even like plan it. We were just lucky that we found out about it.

[Sophia Bush]

Oh, that's so special. Oh my God. I can't believe. So wait, if you had to go out to this place, were you. Were you CGI ing the Austin skyline behind it?

[Austin Nichols]

That was. No, that was my one, like one of my only CG shots in the movie. There's very few. And we pinpointed that early on. We're like, look, this has a great backdrop. We can shoot a plate of the downtown skyline. Just put it in, put it in. And it worked out so well because people come up to me and they're like, wait, that that view doesn't exist. Where is that?

[Sophia Bush]

Yes.

[Austin Nichols]

I was like, yeah, we made that up.

[Sophia Bush]

By the way, not to say I know the city as well as you, but I had the same thought. I was like, where is this? I've been all over that city for so long because the. The summer that I filmed the Hitcher, I lived in Austin that whole summer, and I lived along the river and. And I. Even now, like, when I go back and I see how much the skyline has changed, I can't imagine how it feels like. Feels for you, because you have 20 more years of history there than. Than I do as a, you know, friend and fan of the city. Yeah. And I was looking at it, and I was like, I think that. I think the view I'm looking at is from Zilker, but that's not in Zilker Park.

[Austin Nichols]

Like, no, you're spot on, because I shot the plate shot of the skyline from Zilker.

[Sophia Bush]

I knew it. Are you so proud? I feel.

[Austin Nichols]

You nailed it. You nailed it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

Oh, my goodness. So interesting.

[Austin Nichols]

That was fun. I. Peter Kowalski, who we both know well, he was our director of photography on One Tree Hill, was the DP on my movie.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And that was such a gift to have him. But that was something, you know, because, you know, as long as I've been making movies, you still. There's. There's things you don't know. And visual effects is something that I still have a lot to learn about.

[Sophia Bush]

Yep.

[Austin Nichols]

So that was one thing. I went to Peter. I was like, hey, can we do this? And he was like, yeah, no problem. Easy. Just shoot a plate and we'll put it in later.

[Sophia Bush]

Peter is amazing for our friends at home. Pete, when I first started on One Tree Hill, was our B camera operator. He eventually became our DP in the later seasons. You know, season seven, eight, and nine, when we were both directing. I cannot imagine pulling off what we did directing these massive episodes of network television with special effects and fires and Halloween Horror nights and all the shit we were doing without Pete. Like, I don't. I knew he was amazing at his job. I don't think I realized how unbelievably talented he is until I started working with other people. And I was like, whoa. So I love that you guys got to do this movie together.

[Austin Nichols]

I mean, MVP status for sure. And, yeah, I would imagine on multiple shows and movies that you and I never even set a foot on set. He was as well. I mean, he's such a. Such a talented guy. So brilliant. But no pretense. I mean, he's, like, cracking jokes. DPs can be very quiet and artsy. And Peter's a funny, fun, hilarious dp. He's so fun on set. And that was so big for my movie because it's a comedy.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And. But he'll never really let you know how brilliant he is. You know, he kind of. He can't. Keeps it real low key. And he still. He'll send me little messages all the time. He's like, I'm watching this movie and they have a drone shot that went through a skyscraper. I don't know how they did it. And, you know, he's still got this curious kid inside him.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

Wants to keep going and, like, keep creating cool shots and. And keep shooting. And he's just got that sort of magic about him.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah. When do you think? Because, you know, the way that you talk about all of this. You love being an actor, but you love being a director, too. When do you think you got bit by the directing bug? Was it when we were all doing One Tree Hill and we got the chance? Or did, you know you wanted to direct before that?

[Austin Nichols]

Well, so I was interested. I knew I. It was another thing where I was like, it was there, but I wasn't paying a lot of attention to it because when you're an actor and you're busy, it really takes over. So it, you know, for my. In my younger years, I was, you know, acting was working, it was happening. So I was focused on that. But I was going to Videot the video store in Santa Monica, and I was going to the director section, and I was looking at, like, all of Robert Altman's movies or Francois Truffaut or, you know, some of these, you know, great, great directors. And I would kind of like, go down the line and. And if I could, I'd watch them in order. And I wanted to see, like, the trajectory of a career. And, like, what was the first movie and how did they make that? And then what was the second movie? And then, like, how did this all flow together?

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

You know, because that information is not really out there. You kind of have to look a little deeper. And I was doing that while I was an actor, but it wasn't until One Tree Hill where suddenly you're. You're on set every day for years.

[Sophia Bush]

Right.

[Austin Nichols]

And you're kind of like, have a minute to breathe and not just be an actor and go, oh, I'm noticing things I never noticed before.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

Or I'm sitting at The Video Village in a chair, watching Modern. I'm listening to conversations. I'm going, oh, I never really knew that because I was always on set talking to the actors and rehearsing. And so that's where it really started to happen. And I saw you direct an episode, and I went, oh, okay, this might be my chance. So, yeah, I snuck into a scout van. You might have been in there, too. I snuck into a scout van. I remember this director came, goes, what are you doing here in the van? And they kind of go, oh, okay, got it, got it. And it wasn't too long after that that I got the chance to do one in season eight, and then I got to do one in season nine.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah, it's so cool. It's just, like, such a neat opportunity. And I. And I think, to your point, you know, one of the things we now see in hindsight about that set, because we were such an ensemble cast, like, look, we've all been on the shows where you're fighting for your life just to stay afloat in the amount of acting work you have. And on that show, because we all kind of got to breathe, especially in the later seasons, we would have days, and we were so tight with the crew. It's like sometimes you'd rap midway through a Wednesday. But also, what the hell else was there to do? We'd been to every restaurant in that small town a hundred times. So we'd stay on set and shoot the shit from Video Village and learn something. And it really. It really did feel like there were waves of that show, in my own experience, that were the continuation of my BFA acting program. And then waves of that show that were my film school and waves of that show that were a course on directing. And, you know, I don't think it's something people get anymore when you do three seasons and it's six episodes a season. Like, the world we got to experience, I think, really shaped us all. And it's really. It's really cool.

[Austin Nichols]

It's. It's such a blessing to be able to have spent that much time on a set, you know, because, I mean, directing is a big mountain to climb, and. And if you're a young aspiring director and you want to go make a movie or whatever, I mean, there's not a lot of places. I mean, you can go to film school, but you're never going to learn it all until you're on sets. And, yeah, I mean, I was. I used to say this. This thing where, like, when I was really young, I Had the confidence. I was like, yeah, I can. I can direct a movie. But I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad I didn't then.

[Sophia Bush]

I know.

[Austin Nichols]

I'm glad I waited and I'd had all this time and I understood every job, every, every job that the crew has. And I've spoken in depth with them about what they do now and then I made a movie because there's so, so much to learn. And you never stop learning. There's so much that goes in.

[Sophia Bush]

It's true. And making a movie is hard. Like, can you give people a little peek behind the curtain? From, from writing to fundraising to shooting to now the movie coming out this week.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah.

[Sophia Bush]

How long of a process was it?

[Austin Nichols]

So we talked about it for two years and we were going back and forth like, I thought this should be a workplace comedy. It'd be perfect to be like Parks and Rec.

[Sophia Bush]

Yeah.

[Austin Nichols]

And so I was doing that and I was trying to go to people in L. A and talk them into it. Nobody bit. Finally, Drew, the writer said, let's, let's make an indie movie. And I go, great, write it. He write it. Script turned out great. And it wasn't until we found our producer, Jennifer Kuchai. She came on with so much energy that we raised the money in less than a year. And then we started shooting. So from talking about it to shooting was close to three years. Then shooting was 19 days post. You know, post varies. You know, I think it took me a couple of months to get the movie to final cut to locked. But, you know, there's weird things like people want to do screenings and get opinions and all this stuff. And that is weird. With time, you never know how long that's going to take. But then it took more time to go through the festival circuit and then go out to the buyers and the distributors and have them watch it. So all in all, I think it's, you know, close to four and a half years.

[Sophia Bush]

Wow.

[Austin Nichols]

And it making a movie is a startup. It is starting a business.

[Sophia Bush]

Yes.

[Austin Nichols]

You have to come up with the idea, come up with the product, build a deck, go out to investors, show them your deck, Be excited, talk about it.

[Sophia Bush]

Get everybody thousand no's.

[Austin Nichols]

Yeah. And to give you their money, their hard earned money. And it's so, so hard. It's a miracle that these things ever get made.

[Sophia Bush]

Well, I think it's so incredible. I'm just so. I'm so happy for you. Friends, you have to check out the long shot. It's on Amazon, Apple and Fandango so you have multiple places to watch it. I'm going to pick your brain a little more in depth about the movie. We're going to do a little bonus chat. But to wrap up this perfect hang and it feels like a crazy question, particularly on the other side of a nearly half decade love story with this piece of work you've made. But from this point, you're in right now, what feels like your work in progress?

[Austin Nichols]

Oh, great question. You know, I don't know when this happened, but I'm very in, in a new way. I'm like, really proud of my acting career and I, I have no ideas to stop at all. I'm about to go to Ireland to do a TV show, but I want to make five movies and I want to direct five movies. And, you know, they may not all be good, but I want to, I want to leave behind, you know, some movies that I'm really proud of that, that came out of my soul, you know, I want to leave something behind that, you know, as an actor, it's so fun and it's literally the coolest job in the world. But you are an instrument for someone else's idea. And I can't tell you how satisfying it is to have an idea and go execute it and then see a finished product. I mean, I went to the Violet Crown here tonight where it's playing in Austin, and I peeked in the theater just to, just to look at their faces. And you just see these, these faces lit up, just staring up at the screen, smiling and laughing. And I've never felt anything like that. And I just, you know, maybe I'll do a few more before I. I call it a day.

[Sophia Bush]

I love that for you. I'm just, I'm so happy for you, man. This is so cool.

[Austin Nichols]

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

[Sophia Bush]

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[Sophia Bush]

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[Sophia Bush]

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[Sophia Bush]

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[Sophia Bush]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.