Austin Nichols has spoken about a moment from early in his acting career that he now views with discomfort. While appearing on the Drama Queens podcast, Nichols described his experience filming a kiss scene with then-15-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen in the 2001 teen movie Holiday in the Sun, saying the situation felt inappropriate at the time.
“I was definitely nervous because Mary-Kate was 15, and I was, I think, 18 or 19, or maybe even 20,” Nichols said. “I don’t remember, but I was too old, and it felt weird, and it felt wrong.”
He explained that although the characters appeared age-compatible on screen, he remained aware of the age difference while filming. “I looked very young, so watching the movie, I don’t think you notice. I’m real tall and skinny and, like, nerdy, but I don’t think you can tell there’s a big age difference. But for my brain, [it] was like, she’s 15. This is not… this is weird.”
Nichols said he brought his concerns to producers and even spoke to Olsen’s father on set. “I was like, ‘Is this okay with you guys?’ And they were all like, ‘Oh, don’t worry about it.’ Nobody seemed concerned, and I was very concerned. But it turned out fine. It was all very G-rated.”
In Holiday in the Sun, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen play twin sisters Madison and Alex Stewart. The plot follows the girls on a family trip to the Bahamas, where they uncover a smuggling operation and develop romantic interests. Nichols played Jordan, a local teen who becomes close to Mary-Kate’s character.
At the time of the film’s release, the Olsen twins were already widely recognized for their work across television and direct-to-video projects. They began acting as infants on Full House, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner. Before turning 18, they had appeared in over 20 titles. These included How the West Was Fun (1994), It Takes Two (1995), Billboard Dad (1998), Passport to Paris (1999), Our Lips Are Sealed (2000), and New York Minute (2004), along with television series such as Two of a Kind and So Little Time.
Nichols said his view of the film has changed over time. “It’s one of those things… when you’re young and you’re trying to make your career as an actor and do all these 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 did not suggest the scene was exploitative in its content but emphasized that the situation raised concerns for him at the time. Nichols’s comments come during a period of broader industry reflection on the treatment of young performers and the oversight of scenes involving actors of different ages.
