Austin Nichols has opened up about the uncomfortable reality of sharing a kiss on-screen with 15-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen.
Nichols is reflecting on one of his earliest roles - Holiday in the Sun, the 2001 teen movie where he starred opposite Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
The film centers around twin sisters Madison and Alex Stewart (played by the Olsens) as they head to the Bahamas with their parents for a family vacation.
Determined to make the most of their time in the Caribbean, the girls dive headfirst into a whirlwind of tropical adventure and young romance.
Nichols, who was around 18 or 19 years old during filming, played Griffen Grayson, a fellow vacationer who befriends the twins on their trip.
Now 44, Nichols spoke candidly about the experience on the Drama Queens podcast, which is hosted by One Tree Hill alumni Sophia Bush and Robert Buckley, and revealed that the age gap between him and 15-year-old Mary-Kate made filming a kissing scene feel uncomfortable.
“I was too old, and it felt weird, and it felt wrong,” he said. “And, you know, I looked very young, so watching the movie, I don’t think you notice.”
“I don’t think you can tell there’s a big age difference, but for my brain, was like, she’s 15, this is not, this is weird," he added.
Nichols revealed that his discomfort led him to raise concerns on set. He reportedly spoke with producers and even Mary-Kate’s father, who was present during the shoot. But he said no one else seemed particularly worried.
“Nobody was you know, nobody seemed concerned, and I was very concerned, but it turned out fine. It was all very G-rated,” he said.
While the One Tree Hill star once saw the role as a “silly” entry in his filmography, he’s since changed his tune after hearing from longtime fans.
"It's one of those things ... where, when you're young and you're trying to make your career as an actor and do all these cool projects, when you have this one that you feel is maybe a little silly, I had to give that up years ago because people love it," he said.
He continued: "It's only paid me back a million times with love. Though that's another lesson I've learned from doing what we do is, you know, sometimes it's the same thing. Sometimes those things that you think maybe aren't, like, super cool or hip - a lot of people love them."
Holiday in the Sun also featured an early appearance from Megan Fox, who, like Nichols, would go on to have a Hollywood career.