One Tree Hill star Austin Nichols recalls being forced to kiss 15-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen at age 20

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One Tree Hill's Austin Nichols has admitted that it 'felt wrong' kissing a 15-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen when he was 20 for a romantic adventure family film.

The 44-year-old actor starred alongside Mary-Kate and her twin Ashley, now 38, in the 2001 movie Holiday in the Sun, which also served as Megan Fox's acting debut.

Set in the Bahamas, Holiday in the Sun followed twins Madison (played by Mary-Kate) and Alex (played by Ashley) as they're whisked away for winter break by their parents.

During the vacation, the sisters enjoyed their newly-earned freedom in their own hotel suite and also found themselves some holiday romances.

Austin's character Griffen was among the young heartthrobs trying to woo Madison, while Alex fell for Ben Easter's character, bad boy Jordan.

During an appearance on Sunday's episode of the Drama Queens podcast, Austin revisited the movie - and he shared just how awkward he felt about having to lock lips with a then-teenage Mary-Kate.

'I was definitely nervous because Mary-Kate was 15, and I was, I think, 18 or 19 or maybe even 20,' he said. 'I don't remember. It felt weird, and it felt wrong.'

Based on their nearly six-year age difference, Austin would have been 20 when she was 15.

One Tree Hill's Austin Nichols has admitted that it 'felt wrong' kissing a 15-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen when he was 20 for a romantic adventure family film 

The 44-year-old actor starred alongside Mary-Kate and her twin Ashley, now 38, in the 2001 movie Holiday in the Sun (seen), which also served as Megan Fox 's acting debut 

Austin shared that at the time he 'looked very young' because he was 'real tall and skinny and nerdy.'

'I don't think you can tell there's a big age difference,' he continued. 'But from my brain, I was like, "She's 15. This is weird."'

Like Austin, co-star Ben also revealed trepidation about being much older than his on-screen love interest Ashley.

At the time of filming, he was about to turn 22 – although his manager had told the twins that he was 16.

Speaking to E! in 2021, Ben recalled: 'My manager was like, "I think they told the girls you were 16." I was like, "I don't want to lie."

'I'm not a lying kind of guy. This isn't what we do, I'm from Iowa. This is not how we roll. I am the worst liar. I was like, "Please don't bring this up, please don't bring it up."'

Ben's fears subsided when he claimed Ashley said it was fine and named another co-star she had that was older.

'We hit it off right off the bat,' he added. 'They could see I was professional and I wasn't some creep.' 

During an appearance on the Drama Queens podcast, Austin revisited the movie - and he shared just how awkward he felt about having to lock lips with a then-teenage Mary-Kate 

Similarly, Ben Easter - who was 22 at the time - kissed Ashley in the flick

In February, Oprah Winfrey's controversial 2004 interview with the then-teenage twins – in which she asked them their size - resurfaced and brought them back into the spotlight.

The twins were 17 when the interview was taped, and Mary-Kate was rumored to be struggling with an eating disorder at the time.

The young star went on to check into rehab later that same year to undergo treatment for what was later revealed to be a battle with anorexia.

During the sit-down, Oprah - who was 50 at the time - had no issue with addressing the eating disorder rumors outright, despite admitting to the girls: 'I know a new rumor [that has] recently surfaced has really upset you, right?'

The twins hesitated as they waited for the rest of the question, leading Oprah to add: 'You know, the one about eating.'

Ashley then spoke up to try and wrap up the direction of questioning as she explained: 'Yeah, you know people are going to write what they're going to write.

'We try not to read the good or the bad because it just comes with the territory.

'Either you're too fat, too skinny and people are just gonna write what they...'

Holiday in the Sun followed twins Madison (Mary-Kate) and Alex (Ashley) as they're whisked away for winter break by their parents

Oprah then interjected and asked point blank: 'What size are you, by the way?'

Both girls seemed taken aback by the question and shared a look with each other, before Ashley replied: 'Size?'

Mary-Kate explained they had always been 'petite,' to which Oprah - who has herself admitted weight struggles across her career - replied in a seemingly sarcastic tone: 'Oh, that's so interesting!'

This led the audience to start laughing. The twins attempted to smile along as Oprah added: 'That is so interesting, I'm obsessed with size and you're like, "I really don't know!"'

'If we were obsessed with our size it'd be, I don't know, a different story,' Mary-Kate explained before she tried to move on from the topic.

Later that same year, Mary-Kate checked into a rehabilitation facility where she sought treatment for what transpired to be a battle with anorexia - news that made Oprah's comments all the more uncomfortable.

The actress was admitted to rehab in the summer of 2004, and spent six weeks undergoing treatment for an eating disorder, before being released in July of that year.

At the time, the twins' publicist said that Mary-Kate and Ashley 'understood' that the interest in their personal lives 'came with the territory' of life in the public eye.