Michael Vartan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Vartan
Vartan in September 2010
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1988–2018
Spouse(s)	Lauren Skaar ​ ​ (m. 2011; div. 2014)​

Michael Vartan is an actor from France and America. He is well-known for playing Michael Vaughn in the TV show Alias. This was an action drama on ABC. He also starred in the medical drama Hawthorne on TNT. Later, he played Terence Anderson in the E! drama The Arrangement.

Michael Vartan has also been in many movies. Some of his film roles include Never Been Kissed, One Hour Photo, and Monster-in-Law. He has worked on many exciting projects throughout his career.

Early Life and Background

Michael Vartan was born to Edmond "Eddie" Vartan and Doris Pucher. His father was a musician, and his mother was a painter. His aunt is the famous singer Sylvie Vartan. His stepfather is a writer named Ian La Frenais.

Michael's family has roots from different countries. His dad's side has Armenian and Bulgarian heritage. They also have Hungarian Jewish background. His mother is a Polish Jewish immigrant to the United States.

Michael has shared that he is a Polish Jew who was born in France. He said his mom is Polish and his dad is Bulgarian. He feels he doesn't have any French blood, even though he was born there. In the United States, people often see him as French. But in France, they see him as American.

Moving Between Countries

When Michael was five, his parents got divorced. He moved to the United States with his mother. Later, he moved back to France to live with his father. He spent his high school years there. He grew up on a farm in a quiet town called Fleury, Manche in Normandy.

At 18, Michael moved back to Los Angeles to live with his mother. He told her he wanted to be an artist. He didn't want to do the mandatory military service required in France. In Los Angeles, he went to an acting school. People told him he had a natural talent for acting. He also went to the well-known Lycée Français de Los Angeles.

Today, Michael Vartan sees himself as American. He once said on the show Rove that he would love Australia to be his second home. He speaks two languages very well: French and English.

Acting Career Highlights

Michael Vartan started his career with roles in European films. He was praised for his acting in the Taviani Brothers' film Fiorile. He then got smaller roles in Hollywood movies.

Big Screen Roles

He had important supporting roles in major films. These include Never Been Kissed (1999), One Hour Photo (2002), and Monster-in-Law (2005). In 2007, he appeared in the Australian horror movie Rogue. He also starred in the film Jolene in 2008.

Television Success

Vartan's most famous role is Michael Vaughn. He played this character in the TV series Alias from 2001 to 2006. He also played Lancelot in TNT's The Mists of Avalon in 2001.

He made guest appearances on popular shows like Friends. He played Dr. Tim Burke, who was Tom Selleck's character's son. He also appeared on Ally McBeal as Jonathan Basset. Michael Vartan was also on Kitchen Confidential. In that show, he played a French chef who was a rival to his former Alias co-star Bradley Cooper.

In 2007, Vartan played James Walker in the ABC drama Big Shots. However, that show was canceled after one season.

Vartan later co-starred with Jada Pinkett Smith in the TNT series Hawthorne. He played Dr. Tom Wakefield. TNT ended the series after its third season.

He then starred as Terence Anderson on the E! drama The Arrangement.

Other Projects

Michael Vartan also co-hosts a weekly live sports show. It's called Advanced Shouting. He hosts it with his friends Dan Petriw and Noel Fogelman. The first episode was put on YouTube in June 2020. You can also find the show on Facebook.

Personal Life and Interests

Vartan at an awards event in Beverly Hills, California, in 2009

Michael Vartan dated his Alias co-star Jennifer Garner. They started dating in mid-2003. Their breakup was confirmed in August 2004.

In March 2010, Vartan announced he was engaged to Lauren Skaar. He met her in a Whole Foods Market parking lot in Los Angeles in 2009. They got married on April 2, 2011, in Newport Beach, California. Lauren Skaar filed for divorce in July 2014.

Michael Vartan has a dog named Millie. He appeared with Millie in a PETA video. The video was about how to take good care of dogs. He also wrote a "love letter" to Millie for a book.

He is a big fan of Australian rules football. He has watched the game many times when visiting Australia. He is good friends with Brendan Fevola and supports the Carlton team. After making the film Rogue, Vartan got a Southern Cross tattoo on his right arm. This was to show his love for Australia.

Vartan also loves ice hockey. This interest was even added to his character, Michael Vaughn, on the show Alias.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Michael Vartan para niños