Michael Vartan has lived a quiet life for years now. He flirted with fame and celebrity stardom briefly more than a decade ago, when he was on the hit show Alias and dating his then-costar Jennifer Garner. While Garner has played up her churchy, baking-with-children image for years, I also remember how quickly she moved from her first husband, Scott Foley, to her costar Michael Vartan, and then to Ben Affleck. Some would argue “hey, Ben was the love of her life and all’s fair in love and war,” but I remember thinking, during that time, that her romantic life was a lot shadier than her already-wholesome image. I always thought that Vartan was sort of broken up about the way Garner basically dumped him for someone more famous. Well, Quiet Vartan talked recently about how he’s pretty much done with romantic entanglements and now he’s just about his dog.
Michael Vartan apparently prefers animal contact to human. Although the “Arrangement” star, 49, has had his fair share of relationships, including a romance with former “Alias” co-star Jennifer Garner, Vartan told E! News that his dog, a chocolate labrador named Millie, holds his heart.
“I am single,” he said. “Single for life, unless she has four legs. That’s a whole different story.” He added, “She’s the love of my life. I adore her.”
As for his relationship with Garner, Vartan said fans shouldn’t hope for a reunion — even though the actress been back on the market since her 2015 split from Ben Affleck.
“I don’t think so. If it didn’t work once, there’s a reason it didn’t work,” he said.
Vartan isn’t too worried about his single relationship status, though.
“Everyone’s getting single,” Vartan said. “It’s crazy. Everyone’s realizing that is so much easier to be single. I love relationships. When they work, when they’re great, they’re great, and when they’re not, they’re not.”
I agree – being single is where it’s at. Honestly, my cat takes up too much of time and he’s already pretty possessive of me. I would imagine Millie feels the same way about Michael: she’s looking at him constantly like “why would you need a girlfriend when you have ME?” As for Vartan shrugging off the idea that he would get back with Jen Garner… well, yeah. She broke his heart. He was torn up about that for years. He doesn’t want to punish himself any further.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
Ancient history. He’s been married and divorced since he and Jennifer broke up. I don’t think his anti-relationship view had anything to do with her. Dogs will never ask for alimony.
Also, Jen has admitted that this was not a great time in her life and apologized for causing drama on the Alias set due to her love life.
I loved him and them on the show together. In real life they seemed too messy to ever work for the long haul. Crazy that the tabloids are trying to dredge that pairing up, it’s really ancient history.
Love the old photos. The pink dress looks great on her. Funny how men’s suits used to be so much baggier back in that era.
I’m 42, question is it in for men to wear skin tight jeans? Slim or fitted I’m ok w but the skin tight is like they borrowed from our closets? I’m old keep me in the know.
I’m not the person to ask, lol. I also prefer slim or fitted jeans and not skin tight.
I think if you wear the skin tight jeans you also have to have an unkempt beard, preferably paired with an overly-groomed handle-bar-type mustache. Once you get the jeans and the facial hair, I think you get a will beanie in the mail and you have to wear it at all times, including the Summer even if you live in a region where it’s extremely hot and humid. I think something bad happens if you don’t, maybe you go to jail, I’m not sure.
And you can only drink IPAs, especially Blue Moon, and you cant like anything that anyone else likes or has heard of. So, I mean, it’s not just pants we’re talking about. More like a philosophy, or… a cult.
he and his dog millie are part of the sweet book “a letter to my dog’. i bought it for my mom (a mega dog person) after sobbing uncontrollably in a barnes and noble leafing through it. highly recommended for a dog lover!
Thank you. Will have a look at it.
He’s so hot.
His face was just perfection back in the day. I think unhappiness has carved its way through the years.
Yes, God, he’s hot. I looooved him back in the day.
LOL. Doubt Garner’s going to get any serious interest from a normal man while she’s still living with her drunken, cheating “ex.” Both Vartan and Foley know that they dodged a bullet.
He seems settled. Good for him. She looks lovely in that lilac gown and holy smokes she has a whiff of Jolie in her face there! Compare to the grinning picture it’s like two different people!
He is the reason that I have never bought into the Jen of the Sainted Mini-Van image. She literally jumped from her okay looking husband (Scott Foley glowed up in later years), to the hot Frenchman, to the supastar. I’m not judging her for it (I’d have defintely leaped off of early Foley onto Vartan. Repeatedly and with enthusiasm) but she got no flack while people like JLo or Angelina were and would have been ripped to shreds for it.
Very true, all of this.
I think she always had a crush on Ben, unfortunately for Vartan.
I’ve always thought he was so hot (and very good on Alias) and wondered why he never had a bigger career. Now I kind of want to rewatch Alias…
He seems content. Not everyone needs a partner all the time.
I loved his rom-com role with Drew, and wondered why his career seemed to go on the down-low after the Jen publicity.
He seems like a decent guy, and it seems he chooses to stay out of the spotlight. Good for him.
Yes!! “Never Been Kissed” I loved that movie!! I always thought MV was a hotty, and don’t understand why his career didn’t take off.
Yes, that Dinner for Five episode from 2003…Garner looks like the hearts-for-eyes emoji. She was smitten with Affleck.
I watched that clip after someone mentioned it on this site during the never-ending BenJen breakup. She was clearly crushing on Ben, before they actually got together.
Jennifer did move on very fast from Michael Vartan to Ben Affleck. She was single for a nanosecond and then only weeks later when she was filming Elektra, Ben was on set to film a cameo (that I think never made it into the movie but I never saw the movie and never will) and that’s when the two hooked up. I was obsessed with Alias back in the day so I followed news of the actors very closely.
I don’t know what Michael is up to these days… oh wait doesn’t he have a role on that ridiculous show E! show The Arrangement? Hahaha I forgot about that! I saw a few episodes of the first season last year, he plays this David Miscavige like figure of this cult organization called “The Institute” it was so hilariously cliche. Anyways he’s been married and divorced (to a non famous person) in the last 10 years but good to see his dog Millie is still around! I remember when she was tiny and just a puppy. Always will have a soft spot for him.
I confess that show is my shameful, guilty pleasure. Even so, I usually fast forward through a lot of it. And if I’m honest, Vartan is probably 100% why I watched in the first place, and 90% why I continue to watch – with the actress playing his wife taking a small percentage of my interest. On the other hand, I feel sorry for the actor playing the “Tom Cruise” character. He’s supposed to be a superstar that is idolized by millions, and I suppose he’s good looking in a conventional sort of way, and an okay actor, but when when he is in scenes with MV, there is just something missing. He has all the charisma of a tub of margarine.
Hahaha no criticism from me here! I thought the show was wonderfully ridiculous in a good way. I’d still be watching it but my new roommate doesn’t have a TV and I don’t think I can watch it on streaming.
I’ll always have a soft spot for him! I think one should embrace being single as no one was more shocked than me when I got married. That said I hope he finds someone who is worthy of him and his lab. You can be single and not lonely but you can also find some contentment with company
Dang, at 49 he’s as sexy as I remembered him to be. I like what he’s saying here! To this day, there’s still a bit of a stigma over singlehood as a choice. You know who I think he had great chemistry with, though? JLo!!! I’m sure they’d be hot together…
Ben Affleck was the bigger star, but this guy was the hottest.
and is STILL hot. Ben? Not so much…..
Yes, true. Point taken.
He’s still hot and I so would if I were single. In any case if he’s happy being single that’s awesome and I don’t see a problem
He’s always been gorgeous. If he’s happy, good for him.
She is soooooo annoying. She was a straight cheating trollop and now she’s morphed into Betty Ford and Betty Crocker. He’s right. Four legged all the way. If he’s happy, cheers!
Yo. Michael.
I also love dogs and appreciate my alone time. I think we might be perfect for each other, if you’re reading.
He’s right…if it didn’t work out before, why would it work out now?
I think he really got burned in his divorce but I think he was quoted as saying something like he & Jen were better as friends. So I think they are still friends.
Funny how gossip sites had Jen running to Michael Vartan to console her!
What did happen in his divorce? I’ve been dying to know…
They should put this on t-shirts “if it didn’t work once, there’s a reason it didn’t work”. Absolutely brilliant quote. Can someone text it to Selena and Justin? Like those people who get divorced in their 50’s and suddenly start looking up old boyfriends from high school. Gag.
@ justjen
Good one!
Another one should be ” Insanity is doing the same thing over & over again, but expecting different results.”
I don’t read even the smallest trace of bitterness in his words. He just sounds happy where he is.
Leading his interviewer from a complex subject he may not wish to discuss — relationships in general and the Jennifer Garner history in particular — to the warm, fuzzy subject of his love for his dog was a skillful diverion. And having the wisdom to recognize that “if it didn’t work once, there’s a reason it didn’t work” is even more skillful.
Good for Michael Vartan for courteously refusing to indulge romantic fantasies and intrusive questions.
+ 1… Michael was always a gentleman.
He always struck me in the same way, and genuinely so, as opposed to some sort of image-management or -enhancement strategy. And I’m someone who’s automatically suspicious of someone that gorgeous-looking 🙂
He said he and Jen were better as friends, and he also said that he would love to be in one of Ben’s movies he directs. He said that way back when. He certainly has no issues with her now. As far as his marriage, no one knows what happened. Maybe he was the problem. He’s 49 and was only married three years. Maybe the guy is a loner.
He has not aged well. At least he’s honest about who he is and what he wants. I’m pretty much in the same boat – I’d rather be single!
I just came here to say that seeing him after so long made me giddy. He’s some serious hotness. Always liked him. And we share a birthday so he gets bonus points in my book. Jen did him dirty and it’s old news. I’ve tried for years to like her but there’s something definitely off… putting on all the time.
I cant believe they seriously asked him that. Jeez people are crazy,