The son of a U.S. Navy officer, Austin (born Jeffrey Austin Peck) was living with his family in L.A. when he was spotted and signed by the Nina Blanchard modeling agency. After appearing in GQ, Esquire, and various foreign editions of Vogue, he quit modeling at age 19 to become an actor. Austin, his wife (actress Tara Crespo), and sons (A.J. and Roman) live in Brooklyn, where he enjoys boxing, in-line skating, and drawing cartoons of his family, friends, and co-stars.

Austin made his first TV appearance at age 16, in a commercial for Kellogg's Pop-Tarts. His big break came in 1995, when he began playing Austin Reed on "Days of our Lives." He was such a fan fave, he made the covers of both YM and Playgirl. He left "Days" in 2002 and guested on "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," "Charmed," and "The District" before returning to the soap in 2005.

The next year, Austin joined the cast of "As the World Turns," playing romantic, daring boxer-executive Brad Snyder. He's since appeared on "CSI: NY" and starred in the indie film "Dating Games People Play."