Max Nichols, Rachel Nichols Husband: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Rachel Nichols has returned to ESPN, as the host of the afternoon NBA program The Jump. Nichols first joined ESPN in 2004, but spent the past three years working for CNN and TNT.

Nichols made her mark on sports as a serious journalist, and doesn’t share much about her growing family. Nichols is married with twin daughters, but you won’t see that in any of her 1,377 Instagram posts. Rachel and her husband Max Nichols keep it professional, but the pair have a long relationship that started when they were teenagers.

Here’s what you need to know about Max Nichols:

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1. Max’s Dad Directed The Graduate & His Stepmom Is Diane Sawyer

Max is the son of Mike Nichols, best known for directing the 1967 film The Graduate. Nichols won an Oscar for Best Director for the picture, and was nominated for the same award three other times. Nichols also helped to start the Second City improv company in Chicago.

Max and his sister were born to the first of his father’s three wives, Irish writer Annabel Davis-Goff. Nichols was also briefly married to Margo Callas before marrying news anchor Diane Sawyer in 1988. Mike Nichols died in 2014 at age 83.

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2. Rachel & Max Met at Summer Camp When They Were Teenagers

Rachel grew up in Maryland and Max in New York, but both went to the same summer camp in Maine. That’s where the couple first met, but they lost touch after their teenage years. Nichols graduated from Northwestern and started writing for the Washington Post, while Max worked at indie record company Tommy Boy Music.

After a decade of no contact, Max reached out to the budding sports reporter, and the couple reconnected. They were married in 2001 in Venice, New York.

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3. Nichols Directed The Film Two Night Stand In 2014

Max made his first major foray into Hollywood recently, directing the romantic comedy Two Night Stand. The film stars Miles Teller and Analeigh Tipton as two young New Yorkers whose one-night-stand gets extended when a blizzard shuts down Manhattan.

When developing the film Max consulted his father, and realized that part of his relationship with Rachel was reflected in the film. He talked about it while promoting the film in an interview with the New Yorker:

When his father read the script, Nichols said, “he wisely introduced the topic of whether Megan and Alec’s relationship to ambition was a pitfall—whether it would make them unsympathetic, or unrepresentative. We ultimately concluded that they were giving each other permission to want what they really want, rather than what they’re supposed to want. And that’s a mantra I first heard from my wife when we were dating.”

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4. Nichols Transitioned His Career From Music to Film

When he married the former Rachel Alexander, Max was working for Tommy Boy Music in New York City. Nichols describes himself as a “lifelong New Yorker“, and his role with Tommy Boy had him finding new recording artists throughout New York.

Before directing movies, Nichols got his start directing music videos. He has directed videos for Three Days Grace, Bullet For My Valentine, and Willie Nelson. You can watch all of Nichols’ music videos on this page.

5. Nichols Is a Fan of Metal Music

The best way to follow Max is on his Twitter page, where he was most active when promoting Two Night Stand. Don’t expect any P.D.A. between him and his wife, although he’ll occaisionally retweet her articles.

What is most apparent on Nichols’ feed is his love for metal music. Nichols is also passionate about NASCAR and wrestling, but it’s clear that Nichols first love will always be music. Take a look at some of his best tweets, and follow him here.

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