It’s a happy birthday to Rachel Nichols, who turns 28 today. And what better way to celebrate, really, than with an espresso-like double shot of the fetching starlet?



I’m a stranger to her work on Alias, alas, but Nichols seems to really have a smart sense of how to play a scene to go along with her Northeastern-esque, Abercrombie & Fitch-style hotness. She first made her mark in 2003’s Dumb & Dumber prequel. Small but memorable turns in The Amityville Horror, Shopgirl, and May director Lucky McKee’s Sick Girl follow-up, 2006’s The Woods, gave way to a slightly larger role in Resurrecting the Champ, a starring role opposite Wes Bentley in the thriller P2, and a bit part in Mike Nichols’ Charlie Wilson’s War, with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Too bad, in a way, that she’s been snapped up as part of the ensemble for The Mummy director Stephen Sommers’ update/adaptation of G.I. Joe, planned as Paramount’s summer action tentpole for 2009; it’ll boost her profile, sure, but I’d love to see Nichols instead get the chance to brighten up a romantic comedy.