Biography for
Michael Vartan More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

27 November 1968, Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France

Birth Name

Michael S. Vartan

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

Michael Vartan was born on 27th November 1968 in France, the only child of a Eddie Vartan, a Bulgarian-born musician of Armenian-Hungarian decent, and Doris Vartan (nee' Pucher) a Jewish immigrant who was born in Poland. His parents divorced when he was only five. He spent his childhood shuttling between France (where his father, a musician, lived) and the United States (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.

He gave an impressive performance in The Myth of Fingerprints (1997) as Jake, who, during a Thanksgiving family reunion tries to gain some perspective into the nature of love and family relationships. Michael's true mettle as an actor was seen when he played a character that he has described as being most unlike him. The role was that of the English Lit teacher-cum-Prince Charming Sam Coulson in the 1999 hit Never Been Kissed (1999) and it catapulted Michael to never experienced popularity and adulation. He followed his much talked about NBK performance with similar good ones in The Next Best Thing (2000) and It Had to Be You (2000). Meanwhile, he joined stellar company by being one among the biggest names in Hollywood to feature on shows like "Ally McBeal" (1997) and "Friends" (1994).

He also played the role of the legendary Lancelot in the serialized version of Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel The Mists of Avalon (2001) (TV). In 2001, he became a regular feature on TV playing CIA agent Michael Vaughn in the series "Alias" (2001). Still playing the character, he has described it as being more close to home than his previous roles. Hockey is a passion with Michael. He also enjoys other sports, as much for the joy of playing them as for the therapeutic value he derives from them! He continues rendering impressive performances in films, his latest being One Hour Photo (2002).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Leena Dumsai (leena_d@yahoo.com)

Mini Biography

Michael Vartan came to international acclaim with his starring role as Agent Michael Vaughn for five seasons on the worldwide hit ABC series, "Alias" (2001).

This fall, Vartan stars in the new ABC/Warner Bros. Television series, "Big Shots" (2007). He plays James Walker, the moral center of the drama, which revolves around four high-powered CEOs who socialize at the same exclusive golf club.

For the big screen, Vartan has wrapped production on a starring role in his first action/thriller, Rogue (2007) for the Weinstein Company. He plays a cynical American travel writer who embarks on a river cruise in the Australian outback, where the group finds themselves stranded in a treacherous lagoon. The role offered a departure from his recent romantic male leads in such romantic comedies as the Summer '05 blockbuster _Monster-in-Law_ and FOX 2000's _Never Been Kissed_. Rogue (2007) is written and directed by Aussie Greg McLean (whose debut film Wolf Creek (2005) has received rave reviews). With a reported $25 million budget, it is one of the most expensive, locally produced movies made in Australia.

Also in the can is a lead role in the independent feature "Jolene: My Life" for director Dan Ireland (The Whole Wide World (1996)). Based on a story from critically acclaimed author E.L. Doctorow (_Ragtime_, Billy Bathgate (1991)), the film revolves around a woman who at the age of 15, escapes an oppressive foster care system only to jump into three disastrous marriages, each of which forces her to rely on her survival instincts and determination to make something of her life. Vartan plays Brad Benton, the only son and heir to an oil drilling fortune who uses his charms to pursue an uninterested Jolene.

Most recently, Vartan starred opposite Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez in New Line Cinema's summer blockbuster Monster-in-Law (2005). He portrayed Kevin, a man whose overprotective mother (Fonda) tries to derail his engagement to his fiancée (Jennifer Lopez). He also previously starred opposite Robin Williams in the psychological thriller One Hour Photo (2002). He played Will Yorkin, a husband and father whose family becomes the obsession of Williams' character, an employee at the local One Hour Photo.

Vartan appeared in the two-part TNT mini-series The Mists of Avalon (2001) (TV), a retelling of the legendary story of Camelot which was shot on location in Prague. He portrayed Sir Lancelot, opposite 'Angelica Huston', Julianna Margulies and Joan Allen.

Born in Paris to a French father and an American mother, Vartan grew up in the tiny Normandy village of Fleury until the age of 16 when he moved to Los Angeles to live with his mother, who encouraged him to take acting classes.

After starring in two small French films, Vartan grabbed the attention of the film world with his breakthrough performance in the 1993 Italian epic Fiorile (1993), directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. Vartan, who was nominated for a French Caesar Award for Best Up-and-Coming Actor, played two characters in this fable of a curse that haunts a family through centuries. Of his performance, New York Post movie critic Mike Medved heralded the actor, saying, "[Vartan] is so hugely effective that it's hard to understand how he could have (so far) avoided discovery by Hollywood."

Soon after, Vartan signed with an agent and landed a role in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) playing the bigoted small-town thug who harasses three drag queens (Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo). He went on to star opposite David Schwimmer as one of his best friends in The Pallbearer (1996), a comedy of escapades surrounding three old high school pals coping with bachelorhood, marriage and a case of mistaken identity. He also starred in Sony Pictures Classics' The Myth of Fingerprints (1997) with Julianne Moore.

In his limited free time, Vartan feeds his obsession with sports, particularly ice hockey. "If it weren't for acting, I'd give anything to play a professional sport," he says, still holding onto his life-long dream.

IMDb Mini Biography By: NIPR

Trivia

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 Polish Jewish mother Doris Vartan was born in Poland but later in life became an American citizen.

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)

Former nephew by marriag 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, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Polish heritage.

He is half Polish and half Bulgarian with the Bulgarian side being of Armenian and Hungarian ethnicity.

Has a chocolate Labrador Retriever named Millie.

Personal Quotes

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.

Where Are They Now

(March 2005) Wrapping up filming on the final few episodes of the fourth season of _Alias_.

(December 2005) Currently in Australia filming a new movie called _Rogue_.

(September 2007) Co-starring on Big Shots with Dylan McDermott, Christopher Titus and Joshua Malina

(December 2008) Will be in Melbourne in January attending the Aussie Millions Poker Championship at Crown Casino

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z