Pilot Walter

Stephen Furst as Walter in the original pilot.

Walter Nichols is a weatherman that almost always is wrong about the weather. Because of this, many characters on the series and even his own family have suffered due to his bad weather predictions. His main rival is the successful Bruce Winchill, another weatherman mentioned in many episodes, who is known for his accurate forecasting and "good-looking hair".

In the "Pilot", Walter gets married to Audrey Parker, and thus becomes Drake and Megan's step-father. However, both don't show much respect for him, many times refusing calling Walter "dad" and often get annoyed by him. Yet, his biological child Josh respects him and has repeatedly defended Walter from the insults of Audrey's children, though sometimes he agrees that his father acts goofy and somewhat clumsy.


  • In "Honor Council", it is revealed that at his sister's wedding, Drake unleashed a stink bomb, and Drake made an assumption that even Walter hates his sister.
  • In "The Affair", it's shown that Walter is allergic to cumin.
  • Walter was portrayed by Jonathan Goldstein.
  • In the original pilot episode, he is played by actor Stephen Furst.
  • Drake Bell made a mini-series called "Where's Walter" on his YouTube channel based on him being missing and everyone is trying to find him.
  • It is revealed in the episode Steered Straight, that he constantly gets laughed at, mostly due to his bad weather predictions. This is seen when two police officers ask Walter if he is a weatherman, and laugh when he says he is.


Walter is shown to be geeky and clumsy, who loves magic tricks and electronic devices. He is also very playful, as he often crack jokes to cheer up people, though nobody finds them funny at all. Still, he is a bit strict and persistent about the conduct of Drake, Josh and Megan. Despite that, Walter is portrayed as a caring and kind father.

Walter isn't aware of Megan's constant pranks on Drake and Josh, so he almost never shows severity towards her. On the other hand, Walter is often scolding and punishing her brothers for things she did, as they are never able to show him what really happens.

Relationships with Other Characters

Audrey Parker-Nichols

Walter and Audrey are a happy couple and almost never fight. The only episode where they have a real fight is "The Affair", where it was pretty much Drake's fault. Yet, Audrey prefers Walter's competitor, Bruce Winchill as the weatherman along with Megan.

Josh Nichols

Josh is very similar to his father. Both like magic tricks and are considered awkward. Josh is the one that most respects Walter, and often defends him in many situations. Walter's love for Josh is proven to be very strong given his reaction to Josh's false passing in the episode, "Paging Dr. Drake". A nurse misunderstands Walter when he asks for Josh Nichols and tells him that the patient (thinking Josh is someone else) has died and Walter nearly has a panic attack. The nurse immediately clears this up, and Walter is relieved.

Drake Parker

At first, Drake didn't like Walter and hardly talked to him. In "The Bet", Walter is on Drake's side. In the episode "Guitar", Walter tries to befriend Drake. Drake often calls Walter by his name, but still calls him "dad" most of the time.

Megan Parker

Like Drake, Megan never calls Walter "dad". She also mocks him for his "awful" job and thinks he is goofy. For Walter, Megan is his sweetest and most innocent child. Megan seems to only respect him when he is yelling at Drake & Josh.
