After portraying agent Michael Vaughn on
ABC’s wildly successful (and avidly followed)
Alias for five years, appearing in profitable
big-screen projects and giving lauded
performances in critically received indie flicks,
you might think that it would be hard for actor
Michael Vartan to keep his ego in check. But
you would be wrong. Born in France, Vartan
is that rare Hollywood aberration–a legit talent
and a solid guy. And, let’s face it, he’s a
looker. This fate made him perfect for starring
roles in romantic comedies like Monster-in-Law and Never Been Kissed, and the perfect
foil for their perennial leading ladies, Jennifer
Lopez and Drew Barrymore. But after a 20-
year career (and residency in Los Angeles to
boot), Vartan is unexpectedly down to earth
and admits to being incredibly grateful to be
what he calls a “working actor.” Humility,
especially from a guy who, for all intents and
purposes (at least by Hollywood standards),
has made it, is just one of the many surprising
things about Vartan–playing ice hockey to keep
his mind right is another, as is the fact that he
just doesn’t seem to get how cool he really
is. If he does, he is really adept at avoiding
it. Either way, it’s noble.
If show business is one big hustle, and
there is a fair amount of evidence to suggest that
it is, not only does Vartan know how to play the
game, but he also is aggressively dealing. Having
recently finished two movies, the upcoming
Jolene and the Australian film Rogue, the latter a
Weinstein Company film, Vartan insists he’s still
“just happy to have work.” (Again, modesty.)
Currently, he appears as James Walker on Big
Shots, ABC’s adult response to Entourage and
its male counterpart to Desperate Housewives,
of which it is a hybrid–albeit, one still finding
its identity. One thing it has found, however,
is a stellar cast; a who’s who of Hollywood
heavyweights including Dylan McDermott,
Christopher Titus and Joshua Malina.
Vartan isn’t tabloid fodder and can’t
think of anything he’d want less. What he
does want, however, is less romantic comedy
face time, a few edgy roles, quality time with
his chocolate lab, Millie, and a patch of playable
ice. In this candid Q&A, Vartan dishes
about his career ambitions, the genius of J.J.
Abrams, his admiration for both Usher and
Tony Romo, and why he doesn’t believe his
own hype. And, while there is something
magnanimously optimistic about his disbelief,
we’ve got several compelling reasons why you
absolutely should believe.
JEZEBEL:
Growing up, you were shuttled
back and forth from France to the United
States. Where do you live now?
Michael Vartan
I live in L.A.
JEZEBEL:
How do you really feel about Los Angeles?
Michael Vartan
L.A. gets a lot of grief from a lot of
people. It is what it is. Its main industry is
show biz. It doesn’t necessarily attract the most
down-to-earth people, but if you don’t like it,
[you can] get on a plane and get out–that’s
been my philosophy. Obviously, if I wasn’t
an actor, I wouldn’t live here, but it’s got a lot
of great qualities.
JEZEBEL:
Do you feel that the cultural diversity of
your background is helpful to your career?
Michael Vartan
Absolutely. I’m very fortunate to be
working, and I always feel incredibly lucky
when I get a job, almost to the point where I
can’t believe it.
JEZEBEL:
Even at this point in your career?
Michael Vartan
An actor’s career is ever changing, and
you’re always at the mercy of, ‘What have
you done lately?’ I have no idea what I’ll be
doing in 10 years; it’s just one of those things
where you point the way and try and get parts
that you hope are stimulating to you, and [that]
hopefully people go and see. Sometimes you
fall flat on your face, but that’s the nature of
the business.
JEZEBEL:
Do your characters stay with you?
Michael Vartan
No, not at all. Acting to me is a job, a
fantastic job. Again, I feel incredibly fortunate
to work. I have a nice house, I have a great
dog, I have great friends… I’m very, very fortunate
in many ways, but acting is something
that if it were taken away, I would just find
something else to do.
JEZEBEL:
How did you get interested in that?
Michael Vartan
To be honest with you, until the second or
third year of Alias, I wasn’t sure I still wanted
to be an actor. You’re dealing with a business
that’s 99 percent rejection. It definitely has
its low points; it’s not all it’s cracked up to
be. You often think of all the successful actors
and how great it’d be, but don’t forget about
the other 98 percent who are struggling and
trying to do what they love. That’s a tough
gig; it’s a tough way to live. You know, I never
really even thought of acting; it certainly was
not something I wanted to do as a kid. When I
was 18, my mom had a friend who was a director
who said, ‘Hey do you want to be in this
documentary I’m doing?’ I said, ‘Absolutely
not; I don’t want to be an actor.’ Then he said,
‘I’ll pay you $600 dollars a day,’ and I said,
‘Absolutely, absolutely.’ I’m not embarrassed
to say it was for the money, because when you
are 18 years old and you’re broke, you can
use [it]. That’s how it started, basically. I’m
really one of those people who got very lucky
because there are so many talented actors out
there who aren’t working and there’s no reason
for it; they’re just at the wrong place at the
wrong time, they haven’t got their break yet,
whatever it may be. I’m certainly no Sean
Penn, but I’ve been lucky enough to find my
way throughout the years. I’m a working actor,
and I feel really lucky for that.
JEZEBEL:
Is it fair to say that you were kind of
surprised by it all?
Michael Vartan
A little bit. I’ve been acting for 20 years
now, so I wouldn’t say I’m surprised anymore,
but I definitely have those moments of,
‘Really? They hired me? That’s cool.’ It’s a
constant struggle. If you’re at the top, then it’s
a struggle to stay at the top. It never ends.
JEZEBEL:
Do you foresee yourself staying with
acting?
Michael Vartan
One of the things I really love about
acting is the unpredictability. I’m not a nine-to-fiver, so I guess this job is perfect for me. I
could definitely see myself doing something
else down the road, but I think that would
be more of a function of my career kind of
dwindling away and me not getting the kind
of roles that were satisfying or artistically
stimulating. All the red carpets, press and all
that stuff is necessary, but I’m not one to toot
my own horn too much, so sometimes it gets
a little uncomfortable.
JEZEBEL:
Are you comfortable to be back on a
TV show?
Michael Vartan
People ask me why I decided to come
back to television and I say, ‘Are you kidding
me?’ The reason I went back to television is
because they pay me, and I can be a working
actor, which is what I do. Obviously, if I had
my choice, I’d want to work with the Martin
Scorseses and Paul Thomas Andersons of the
world, but they are not knocking on my door,
so, in the meantime, you just go about your
business as proudly and diligently as you can
and see what happens.
JEZEBEL:
Film-wise, what is your ideal situation?
For the full article, pick up a copy of the January 2008 JEZEBEL Issue today!