Created by Josh Schwartz Gender Female Creator Josh Schwartz TV show The O.C. | Portrayed by Amanda Righetti Played by Amanda Righetti Significant other Jimmy Cooper | |
 | ||
Occupation Fashion sales representative Family Caleb Nichol
(father; deceased)
Rose Nichol
(mother; deceased)
Julie Cooper
(stepmother)
Kirsten Cohen
(older sister)
Lindsay Gardner
(paternal half-sister)
Marissa Cooper
(paternal stepsister; deceased)
Kaitlin Cooper
(paternal stepsister) Relatives Sanford "Sandy" Cohen
(brother-in-law, via Kirsten)
Seth Cohen
(nephew, via Kirsten)
Sophie Rose Cohen
(niece, via Kirsten)
Ryan Atwood
(adoptive nephew, via Kirsten) First appearance "The Countdown", (episode 1.14) Last appearance "The Dearly Beloved", (episode 2.24) Similar Caleb Nichol, Lindsay Gardner, Kirsten Cohen, Jimmy Cooper, Theresa Diaz | ||
Hailey Nichol is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Amanda Righetti. Seen as something of a black sheep of the family, Hailey is the younger daughter of Caleb and Rose Nichol, younger sister to Kirsten Cohen, and older half-sister to Lindsay Gardner. It is not known if she ever met her half-sister Lindsay since they never appeared in an episode together. Nichol was not seen in either season three or four, though it can be assumed that she is living in Japan working still in fashion retail. Righetti is around 4 and a half years younger than Benjamin McKenzie and nearly 3 and a half years younger than Adam Brody, even though her character is 11 years older than them.
Contents
Background
Hailey is well known to have done little with her life, leaving home at 16, squandering her trust fund and traveling around the world at the expense of her father, Caleb Nichol. Hailey had borrowed three grand from a friend, which she failed to pay back.
Season 1
Hailey makes her first appearance in the Cohens' pool house wearing nothing but her underwear and a top and quickly announces that she'll be staying for a while. It also revealed that Hailey owes money to people. She settles in, and meets her old friend Jimmy Cooper, reconnecting instantly. Kirsten, knowing that Hailey has come for more money, talks to Caleb which leads him to cut her off completely.
Hailey decides to leave and tells Kirsten she's got a new job as an aerobics instructor, but Ryan, Marissa, Seth and Summer discover Hailey is working as a stripper in a Los Angeles nightclub. Hailey refuses to go back but is eventually fired and Jimmy convinces her to return to Newport. Hailey and Jimmy spend more time together and start dating. During this time, her father proposes to Julie and she accepts. Hailey makes it clear that Julie is marrying Caleb for his money and they end up getting into a fight at her bachelorette party.
Season 2
Jimmy and Hailey are trying to figure out where their relationship would or could lead. With a lucrative job offer in the Tokyo fashion scene, Hailey accepted the position. She tells Jimmy but he begs her to stay and proposes to her. Hailey refuses and leaves Newport. Soon after, Jimmy also left Newport for Hawaii, leaving behind his daughters. Hailey returned to Newport for her father's funeral. During this visit, she took part in an intervention for Kirsten's alcoholism. It is implied that Hailey returned to Japan after this.
Trivia
When Hailey returned for the second season finale, Jimmy said to her, "You would not believe the North Shore." This was a reference to Amanda Righetti's departure from the series to star in North Shore.