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Michael Vartan Profile |
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Birth Date: November 27, 1968
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Birth Place: Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine,
Île-de-France, France
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Birth Name: Michael Vartan
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Height: 6'0"
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Biography |
Michael Vartan is a film and television actor.
Vartan grew up in France and the U.S., the son of Eddie
Vartan, who was born in Bulgaria of Armenian and Hungarian
descent, and Doris, a Jewish American who was born in
Poland; his paternal aunt is French pop singer Sylvie
Vartan. Vartan's parents divorced when he was five. At the
age of eighteen, Vartan moved to Los Angeles from France
with his mother since he did not wish to fulfil the
mandatory military service required in France. In Los
Angeles, he attended an acting school after he had been told
that he possessed acting talent.
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). He also starred as Michael Vaughn in the American
television series Alias (2001–2005), leaving the series at
the start of its fifth season when Vaughn was apparently
killed off. He has recently finished filming for the
Australian horror film, Rogue.
Vartan has also had guest appearances on Friends (as Dr. Tim
Burke, Tom Selleck's character's son), Ally McBeal (as
Jonathan Basset), and most recently Kitchen Confidential (as
a rival French chef) starring his former Alias co-star
Bradley Cooper.
2005–2006 was Alias's last season. Vartan returned as a
guest star in a number of episodes, after his character's
apparent death was revealed to have been a ruse. He appeared
as Vaughn in Sydney Bristow's dream in one episode, and in
the episode broadcast on April 19, 2006, he returned to the
series.
It has been claimed that Michael Vartan refused to sign a
waiver allowing footage of himself being Punk'd by Ashton
Kutcher to broadcast on television. The prank was supposedly
done to him on an airplane. Vartan claims the "Punk"-ing
never happened and denies any threatened legal action. |
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Other Information |
Wanted to be a professional pool player before deciding to
act instead. He played pool 12 hours a day, for 5 years.
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 "unknown", 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 (1988-98).
Also paints and plays guitar.
Although born in France, he comes from a complex ethnic
background - his Bulgarian-born father Eddie Vartan is half
Armenian and half Hungarian, while his American mother Doris
Vartan was born in Poland, and is of Jewish descent.
His favourite NHL Hockey team is the Los Angeles Kings.
Appeared in a television ad for the 2004 NHL Stanley Cup
playoffs. He stated that he hadn't been nervous while acting
in 3 years, yet he was very nervous about appearing with the
Stanley Cup.
Dated "Alias" (2001) co-star Jennifer Garner. (2003-2004)
Nephew of Johnny Hallyday.
Is a huge fan of Star Wars (1977). He said in an interview
that as a child he once watched it every day for a summer
and ended up memorizing the lines from the movie.
Stepson of writer Ian La Frenais.
He is of Armenian heritage.
He is half Bulgarian. |
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