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Ocean Drive
May 2005
Michael Vartan: French Kiss
"There's nothing worse than being in a tickling scene with someone who's not ticklish."
By Jeanne Wolf
In Your Face: Photograph by David Stoltz
Plays pleasant: Though he was concerned about appearing with Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez in Monster-in-Law, Michael Vartan says both ladies were "really sweet."
Scans provided by Souris. Transcript by Lugia.
Michael Vartan manages to flash a wry grin at the irony of where he ended up spending his summer vacation from Alias. The French-born hunk with the chiseled profile went straight to the set of Monster-in-Law, where he had a strange connection to one [of] his co-stars, Jennifer Lopez. J.Lo was in a relationship with Ben Affleck, who is now in [a] relationship with Jennifer Garner, who used to be in a relationship with Vartan. He shrugs, "What can you do? It's Hollywood. All I can tell you is that it was certainly not discussed on the sets of Alias or Monster-in-Law."
Vartan confesses that he had one trepidation about taking a role opposite Lopez and Jane Fonda. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous because I was afraid the two ladies might not get along, and if that had been the case what a horribly long summer it would have been," he says. "But luckily they loved each other.
"They're both very powerful, talented and driven," he adds, "but they're also really sweet. I was surprised because everyone reads all this crap about stars in those stupid magazines. I did my best to leave all that shit at the door, but I'm human and I hear gossip and rumors. I was really amazed at how humble Jennifer was and how Jane sort of took me under her wing right away and said, 'It's okay, buddy, it's going to be fine.' "
As for getting to lock lips with the beauteous Lopez, with whom his character is falling in love over the objections of his mother, played by Fonda, Vartan deadpans, "Hollywood kisses are horrible. Well, maybe not that bad, but a camera boom is up your butt and 40 people are watching you. There's nothing romantic about it. You're really thinking about lunch."
Vartan admits that he had a lot more fun tickling Lopez. "She's very ticklish, thank God," he says. "There's nothing worse than being in a tickling scene with somebody who's not ticklish. I've had to do it and it's a lot of work."
And Vartan is giggly himself about the boost in ratings for Alias this fourth season. He reveals it's almost like doing a new series. "People come up to me like they never did before and say, 'Hey, we love your show,' " he says. "It's a nice feeling."
© Ocean Drive Magazine 2005
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