John P. Johnson, NBC/Paul DrinkwaterRemember that guy "John" from "Cincinnati?" Well, you may have been a bit confused about his real identity, but I have finally uncovered the truth: His name is Austin Nichols, and he’s an actor from Texas!
What, you were hoping I was going to solve a different mystery? Well, sorry, I can’t clear up any unresolved questions the ill-fated John from Cincinnati may have left behind. But the fantastic actor who played him has moved on to something even more (dare I say it?) kickass: a great little show you often hear me blathering on and on about, Friday Night Lights.
Nichols begins his two-episode stint tonight, playing Dillon High’s new twentysomething English teacher, and the kids take an immediate liking to him, especially...wait for it...Coach Taylor's daughter, Julie.
Arrrrgh! Let me be the first to say that if this girl keeps up this business with inappropriately older love interests, I'm gonna start to think Matt Saracen is better off without her!
Austin reveals life imitated art when he shot scenes with Aimee Teegarden (Julie), saying: "It felt different with Aimee, because she is really young. She has her mother on set. So, it felt just right, exactly the way it should. Like, wow, that is a beautiful girl over there, and I really like her a lot, but we are light-years apart!"
Austin says his character, Noah Barnett, is "actually a guy like me. He grew up in Texas and moved away to the big city to go to college and study journalism, and he worked at a major newspaper, but now he's come back to a small Texas town to teach. And he gets himself in a little bit of trouble."
Yeah, you heard him. Trouble. And that starts with a "J" and ends with an "ulie," and let's just say Mama Taylor (Connie Britton) is not gonna be happy.
"It's funny," Nichols laughs, "Connie is actually my neighbor [in real life]. She lives down the street from me. She's great; we became good friends. But she came after me pretty hard in those scenes."
Here's hoping she gives his character a nice, proper ass whuppin'—for Matt Saracen's sake.
Friday Night Lights airs Fridays at 8 on NBC.
—With reporting by Korbi Ghosh