Rachel Nichols

While growing up in a small town in Maine, Rachel Nichols had zero ambition of becoming a professional actor. A chance occurrence with a modeling scout on the streets of New York City, however, would soon have her starring in advertising campaigns for Abercrombie and Fitch and Guess Jeans. These ad campaigns drew the attention of a New York casting agent, who asked Nichols to read for a small part in the romantic drama "Autumn in New York" (2000), which she ultimately landed. Other roles soon followed, including recurring parts on the television shows "Alias" (ABC, 2001-2006) and "Criminal Minds" (CBS, 2005-), as well as supporting roles in blockbuster movies such as "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (2009), "Star Trek" (2009) and "Alex Cross" (2012). Thus, in a little over a decade, Nichols' acting career that seemingly began on a whim blossomed into numerous career-defining performances across a broad spectrum of television shows and movies.