Rachel Nichols is an American model turned actress who is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Rachel Gibson in the last season of television series, Alias. She has appeared in numerous television roles in series such as Sex and the City, Criminal Minds, Continuum, and Chicago Fire.

Born as Rachel Emily Nichols on January 8, 1980, Rachel is a native of Augusta, Maine, where she attended Cony High School. In 1998, she joined Columbia University. When she was a college sophomore, she was discovered by a modeling agent. She went on to model for brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Guess. 

Rachel made her film debut in 2000 with the romantic drama, Autumn in New York, and got her first major acting job in 2003’s comedy Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. In 2005, she starred in the short-lived crime series, The Inside. Her breakthrough television role in Alias came the same year.

Rachel’s other popular roles are in the movies The Amityville Horror, P2, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Conan the Barbarian, and A Bird of the Air.

In 2013, Rachel won the Best Female Performance award at the Constellation Awards for Continuum. She was also nominated in the Best Actress on Television category at the Saturn Awards in 2014 and 2015.

Rachel was married to producer Scott Stuber for seven months. They divorced in February 2009. The actress is presently married to real estate developer Michael Kershaw.