Model and actress Rachel Nichols is the daughter of Alison and Jim Nichols, a teacher. After graduating from high school, she attended Columbia University in New York, where she eventually graduated with a double major in math and economics. Whilst at Columbia, she began modeling, launching a successful career with work for such high-profile companies as Guess?, Abercrombie & Fitch and L’Oreal. She moved into acting, snagging a part in "Sex and the City" (1998) with her very first audition. She made her feature-film debut as Jessica in Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003). Success continued with roles in such projects as The Amityville Horror (2005), "The Inside" (2005), "Alias" (2001), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), "Criminal Minds" (2005) (a recurring role as FBI Agent Ashley Seaver) and Conan the Barbarian (2011).