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Michael Vartan (born November 27, 1968) is a French-American film and television actor. A handsome, light-haired French-American actor, Michael Vartan began to study his craft shortly after arriving in Los Angeles as a way to meet people. Discovering a knack for performing, he soon lent his engaging presence to a variety of feature projects worldwide. Having completed a number of French productions, most notably "Un Homme et deux femmes" (1991) and the following year's "Promenades d'ete", Vartan made his international debut in 1993's "Fiorile", an Italian film directed by the famed Taviani brothers. In this acclaimed time-spanning film, Vartan played a captivating dual role, taking on the parts of idealistic French soldier Jean and the soldier's besieged descendant Massimo in a story of an Italian family believed to be cursed. He made his US film debut with a featured role in the cross-dressing comedy "To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar" (1995) and the following year co-starred in the comedy "The Pallbearer" as Scott Edelman, best friend of David Schwimmer's Tom Thompson. Vartan proved a pleasant presence onscreen, giving an endearing performance in the role of the friend who seemingly has it all. Vartan was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France, the son of Doris (née Pucher), a painter and artist, and Eddie Vartan, a musician. His paternal aunt is singer Sylvie Vartan and his stepfather is writer Ian La Frenais. Vartan's father was Bulgarian-born and of part Armenian and Hungarian descent and Vartan's mother is an American Jew originally from Poland; Vartan has said about his French background that “The funny thing is I’m actually a Polish Jew who happens to be born in France. My mom is Polish and my dad is Bulgarian. I don’t have an ounce of French blood. But I work it.” He has stated that he tends to be considered a Frenchman in the United States and an American in France. His parents divorced when he was five and he moved to America with his mother. He moved back to France to be with his father until his high school years, and grew up a "farm kid" in a "simple environment" in Fleury, a small town in Normandy. At the age of eighteen, Vartan moved back in with his mother in Los Angeles, telling her that he wanted to be an artist, because he did not wish to fulfill the mandatory military service required in France. In Los Angeles, he attended an acting school after he was told he possessed acting talent. Vartan now considers himself to be American and stated on the talk show "Rove" that he would like Australia to be his second home. He is completely bilingual in English and French. In 1997, Vartan gave a breakthrough performance in "The Myth of Fingerprints", starring as a sweet but unambitious son returning to the family home for Thanksgiving along with his brother, two sisters and girlfriend Margaret (Hope Davis). His Jake was a particularly effective contrast to his forthright girlfriend, his ill-tempered sister Mia (Julianne Moore) and his troubled brother Warren (Noah Wyle). Next up was "Touch Me" (1998), in which he appeared as a lecherous but charming health club manager who gets involved with an aerobics instructor (Amanda Peet) in this AIDS-themed drama. He could also be seen in "The Curve/Dead Man's Curve", a college-set black comedy given a limited regional release before landing on video shelves. Vartan starred as an undergraduate whose desperation to enter the Harvard Business School leads him to find ways besides studying to get straight As. He and roommate Tim (a particularly sinister Matthew Lillard) scheme to murder their third roommate (a distasteful character played by Randall Batinkoff) and make the death appear self-afflicted, following the urban legend that roommates of a suicide victim get an automatic 4.0 GPA as condolence. Vartan's characterization was most interesting, making the role sympathetic despite murderous intentions and blind ambition. After many minor film roles, Vartan had noticeable supporting roles in major movies, including Never Been Kissed (1999), One Hour Photo (2002) and Monster-in-Law (2005). In 2007, he appeared in the Australian horror film Rogue and will next star in the film Jolene. 1999 would see the actor come to the forefront as a leading man with starring roles in two films. In the romantic comedy "Never Been Kissed", he was cast as a young teacher lovestruck by an undercover reporter posing as a student (Drew Barrymore) while the indie "It Had to Be You" teamed him with Natasha Henstridge in a tale of a couple who discover a mutual attraction while planning their respective weddings. In 2000 he had a supporting turn in the dismal Madonna-Rupert Everett comedy "The Next Best Thing," and took the leading role in the drama "Sand," as a man whose life is upended by the arrival of his troublemaking family. Despite the regular flow of feature film work, television would prove to be the medium that would elevate Vartan from actor to star. His early TV work included "Murder, Obliquely", a 1993 segment of the Showtime series "Fallen Angels" and he made a memorable guest appearance as the handsome son of Courtney Cox's much older boyfriend (Tom Selleck) on a 1997 episode of NBC's "Friends" before landing a two-episode love interest stint on "Ally McBeal" in 2000. He had a high-profile turn as the legendary knight Lancelot opposite Anjelica Huston, Joan Allen and Julianna Margulies in the acclaimed CBS miniseries "The Mists of Avalon" in 2001, the same year he was cast in his breaktrhough as Agent Michael Vaughn, the tortured love interest of college-girl-turned-spy Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) on the adventure series "Alias" (ABC, 2001 - ). His "Alias" stint also landed him in the entertainment magazines when he was briefly romantically linked to his co-star Garner immediately following the breakup of her marriage to actor Scott Foley. His character was killed off in 2005, after rumors of Vaughn's impending demise prompted rabid fans to protest his departure. Vartan's increased profile as a result of his "Alias" role led to more work in features: in the creepy indie drama "One Hour Photo" (2002) he was the husband and father in a family that soon becomes the obessession of a distrubed photo processor played by Robin Williams. Next was a role in the romantic comedy "Monster-In-Law" (2005) as Jennifer Lopez's perfect man whose domineering mother (Jane Fonda) tried to destroy the couple's relationship. Vartan's most notable role to date has been as Michael Vaughn in the American television series Alias (2001–2006). After appearing as a regular cast member through the first four seasons of the series, Vartan returned as a guest star in a limited number of episodes. He appeared as Vaughn in Sydney Bristow's dream in one episode, and beginning with the episode broadcast on April 19, 2006, he appeared in all remaining episodes. Vartan has also had guest appearances on Friends (as Dr. Tim Burke, Tom Selleck's character's son), Ally McBeal (as Jonathan Basset), and also Kitchen Confidential (as a rival French chef) starring his former Alias co-star Bradley Cooper. As of September 2007, Vartan is starring in the new ABC drama, Big Shots, as James Walker. |
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