Michael Vartan
Michael Vartan 
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| Name in Armenian | Մայքլ Վարդան |
| Birthplace | Boulogne-Billancourt |
| Birth date | 27 November 1968 |
| Profession | Actor |
| Languages | English, French |
| Ethnicities | Armenian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Jewish, Polish |
| Dialects | Western Armenian |
| Spouses | Lauren Skaar |
| Relatives | Sylvie Vartan, Ian La Frenais |
Height 6' (1.83 m)
Michael Vartan was born on 27th November 1968 in France, his parents got divorced when he was only five. He spent his childhood shuttling between France (where his father, Eddie Vartan, a musician lived) and the U.S (where his mother lived). At the age of eighteen, after deciding against joining the French military service (mandatory for all males above 18 in France) Michael shifted to the States. He hadn't really thought about becoming an actor. He enrolled in an acting school after being told by many people that he had the potential for it. He made his acting debut in the French film Un homme et deux femmes (1991) and followed that with another French film called Promenades d'été (1992). It was with the Italian film Fiorile (1993), in which he played (rather ironically), a French soldier that he made his international debut. He considers The Pallbearer (1996), in which he starred with David Schwimmer and Gwyneth Paltrow to be his first big American movie. .....
Wanted to be a professional pool player before deciding to act instead.
Avid sports fan.
Plays hockey as often as he can. This attribute has also been given to his "Alias" (2001) character Michael Vaughn, who plays pickup hockey occasionally with his co-worker characters.
When the studio resisted casting an "unkown", Drew Barrymore pushed to get him cast in Never Been Kissed (1999).
Speaks French and English fluently.
Turned down a role in Scream 3 (2000) because he wanted to take his career in a different direction.
Nephew of Sylvie Vartan.
Cousin of French singer David Hallyday.
Was engaged to Shannon Gleason for about 10 years. They've since split.
Also paints and plays guitar.
Son of Eddie Vartan, an Armenian from Bulgaria, and his mother is a Polish-Jew. He himself doesn't mention his Armenian heritage, despite his last name. Rather he has said: "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."
External Links
Wikipedia
Michael S. Vartan (born November 27, 1968) is a French-American[1][2] film and television actor. He is probably best known for the role of Michael Vaughn on the American television action drama Alias. He most recently starred in the TNT medical drama Hawthorne.
Early life
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.[3][4] His paternal aunt is singer Sylvie Vartan and his stepfather is writer Ian La Frenais.[5] Vartan's Bulgarian-born father was of Armenian, Bulgarian, and Hungarian ancestry,[6][7] and Vartan's American mother is Jewish and originally from Poland.[8][9][10] 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".[8][11] He has stated that he tends to be considered a Frenchman in the United States and an American in France.[12]
His parents divorced when he was five and he moved to America with his mother.[13] 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"[10] in Fleury, Manche, a small town in Normandy.[13][14] At the age of eighteen, Vartan moved back in with his mother in Los Angeles, telling her that he wanted to be an artist,[15] because he did not wish to fulfill the mandatory military service required in France.[10] In Los Angeles, he attended an acting school after he was told he possessed acting talent. He had also attended the prestigious Lycée Français de Los Angeles. Vartan now considers himself to be American and stated on the talk show Rove that he would like Australia to be his second home.[16] He is bilingual, speaking both English and French fluently.[17]
Career
After starring roles in European films, including an acclaimed performance in the Taviani Brothers' Fiorile, and several smaller film roles, Vartan had noticeable supporting roles in major Hollywood movies, including Never Been Kissed (1999), One Hour Photo (2002) and Monster-in-Law (2005).[16] In 2007, he appeared in the Australian horror film Rogue, and starred in the film Jolene in 2008.
Vartan's most notable role to date has been as Michael Vaughn in the American television series Alias (2001–2006). Vartan has also had guest appearances on Friends (as Dr. Tim Burke, Tom Selleck's character's son) and Ally McBeal (as Jonathan Basset). He also appeared on the show Kitchen Confidential, which starred his former Alias co-star Bradley Cooper, as a French chef who was Cooper's rival. In September 2007, Vartan played James Walker, a main role in the ABC drama Big Shots. However, the show was canceled after one season.
Vartan is co-starring opposite Jada Pinkett Smith in TNT's series Hawthorne. Vartan replaced Jeffrey Nordling, who played the role in the pilot.[18]
Personal life
Over the course of his relationship with Alias co-star Jennifer Garner, he never made any public appearances with her. Garner confirmed their relationship in August 2003.[19] Vartan began dating Garner in mid-2003, and though rumors of their break-up began in March 2004,[20] Garner only confirmed the end of their relationship in August 2004.[21][22] On March 5, 2010, he announced his engagement to Lauren Skaar, whom he met in a Whole Foods Market parking lot in Los Angeles in 2009.[23] The couple married on April 2, 2011 at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California.[24] He has a dog named Millie, with whom he appeared in a PETA video about good canine care and to whom he wrote a "love letter" for an anthology.[25]
Vartan is a keen supporter of Australian rules football, having watched the game on numerous visits to Australia, in particular Melbourne. He is good friends with Brendan Fevola and supports Carlton.[26]
After the completion of the film Rogue, Vartan got a Southern Cross tattoo on his right arm to show his love for Australia.[27]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Black Leather Jacket | Motorcycle Boy | Documentary |
| 1991 | Un homme et deux femmes | Fred | |
| 1992 | Stringer | Chris | |
| Promenades d'été | Thomas | ||
| 1993 | Fiorile | Jean/Massimo | |
| 1995 | To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar | Tommy | |
| 1996 | The Pallbearer | Scott | |
| 1997 | Touch Me | Adam | |
| Friends | Dr. Tim Burke | Television series | |
| The Myth of Fingerprints | Jake | ||
| 1998 | The Curve | Chris | |
| 1999 | Never Been Kissed | Sam Coulson | |
| 2000 | It Had to Be You | Charlie Hudson | |
| The Next Best Thing | Kevin Lasater | ||
| Sand | Tyler Briggs | ||
| 2001 | The Mists of Avalon | Lancelot | Television miniseries |
| 2001-2006 | Alias | Michael Vaughn | Television series |
| 2002 | One Hour Photo | Will Yorkin | |
| 2005 | Monster-in-Law | Dr. Kevin Fields | |
| Kitchen Confidential | French chef | Television series | |
| 2007 | Rogue | Pete McKell | |
| Big Shots | James Walker | Television series | |
| 2008 | Jolene | Brad | |
| 2009-2011 | Hawthorne | Dr. Tom Wakefield | Television series |
| 2009 | Demoted | Rodney | |
| 2010 | High School (2010 film) | Calculus Teacher | |
| 2011 | Colombiana | Danny Delanay |
References
- ↑ http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/030323/030323alias.html
- ↑ WE'RE NOT FONDA THIS ONE. J.Fo out-divas J.Lo in 'Monster' catfight that goes ogre the top. Oh well, that's shrew biz
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ j. – Celebrity Jews
- ↑ Interview Michael Vartan – Alias
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Template:Dead link
- ↑ :: Michael Vartan – vartanfan[dot]com – fan site ::
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Template:Dead link
- ↑ Susman, G, "Undercover Work". Entertainment Weekly. August 14, 2003. Retrieved on December 13, 2006.
- ↑ Buzzle Staff and Agencies, "Garner & Vartan Split?". Buzzle.com. March 24, 2004. Retrieved on January 23, 2007.
- ↑ "Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan". Moono.com. August 21, 2004. Retrieved on January 23, 2007.
- ↑ "Garner Confirms Love Split". AskMen.com. August 19, 2004. Retrieved on January 23, 2007.
- ↑ "Michael Vartan of Alias is Engaged!". People.com. March 19, 2010.
- ↑ "Alias Star Michael Vartan Gets Married!". Us Weekly. April 2, 2011.
- ↑ "Michael Vartan Pens Love Letter To His Dog," People, 7 December 2011.
- ↑ "Outback tests Michael Vartan". November 10, 2007. Retrieved on April 19, 2010.
- ↑ "Rogue star Michael Vartan answers back". November 16, 2007. Retrieved on April 19, 2010