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The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
November 4, 2007
Hollywood hero's bush horror
By Peta Hellard
HE'S best known for playing a never-ruffled CIA agent, but Hollywood star Michael Vartan was anything but cool, calm and collected when it came to shooting his new film in the Australian outback.
Vartan is the only non-Australian in the cast of the crocodile thriller Rogue, the follow-up to director Greg McLean's 2005 debut, Wolf Creek.
Vartan, who sprang to fame playing agent Michael Vaughn in the hit television series Alias, says the month-long shoot in the Northern Territory was the most physically challenging thing he has ever experienced.
"It was horrific -- you get off the plane in Darwin and you get slapped in the face and grabbed by the throat,'' he says with a smile.
"I've been in hot places, but Darwin is a tropical heat that makes you want to put a bullet in your head -- especially in the first few weeks, when we were shooting all the landscape shots and not really doing anything.
"Two days into shooting, I was sitting in this polyester suit on the front of the boat in 52-degree heat, and I realised I hadn't gone to the bathroom to pee yet -- literally. I know that sounds impossible, but I hadn't.
"It was an amazing thing to be drinking gallons of water every day and never have to go to the bathroom because it was so hot.''
Vartan, who plays a visiting travel writer who takes a river cruise that turns into a battle for survival when a rogue crocodile attacks, says shooting in Kakadu -- far from the controlled environment of a Hollywood set -- had its own set of challenges.
"There were man-eating crocs everywhere,'' he says, eyes wide.
The French-born star says his peripatetic upbringing -- shuttling between his mother in California and father in France -- helped him adapt to life as an actor.
But in 1987, when Vartan turned 18 and moved to Los Angeles, despite having been nominated for a French Caesar award for his acclaimed work in European films, he struggled to launch his acting career in Hollywood.
His big break came when Drew Barrymore rallied to have him cast in 1999's Never Been Kissed, despite studio bosses being adamant they wanted someone with a higher profile to play her love interest in the romantic comedy.
Vartan says he owes Barrymore a debt of gratitude.
"At the time, I was very insecure,'' he says. "This is a very tough business, and 99 per cent of your life is rejection.
"There's nothing normal or comfortable about having cameras on you and pretending to be someone else.
"It's a very odd way to make a living, and back then I didn't have much confidence in my ability -- so to have such an icon say, 'No, I want you' was wonderful.''
Vartan went on to the profile-raising role in Alias -- where he met his now ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Garner -- and starred in several films, including One Hour Photo, opposite Robin Williams, and Monster-In-Law, opposite Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda.
He says his experience working on Rogue has given him a thirst for life in Australia.
"It was really an amazing, life-changing experience.
"Being the only American on set was one of my biggest trepidations. I didn't know how Australians feel about Americans, whether they hate them, love them or are indifferent.
"But they were so welcoming and generous, and it was four months of camaraderie and friendship. It was almost like we made this kick-ass horror film on the side.''
Vartan is now obsessed with AFL, looking to buy a home in Melbourne and has even added a Southern Cross to his group of tattoos -- with a Latin inscription below the inked constellation.
"It means light of the world -- that basically sums up my feelings for Melbourne and Australia in general,'' he says.
EXTRA from print edition thanks to aussiefan at Vartanopia!
"I made friendships in four months in Australia that are far beyond - on every level - stronger and deeper than friends I've made for 25 years here", he says.
Vartan says he was pleasantly surprised by the singles scene in Australia compared to the superficiality of dating in Hollywood.
"I'd like to marry an Australian girl," he says. "Australian girls are cool. They don't give a s..t what kind of car you drive, or whether you are rich or poor. Overall, it was a really, really great experience and I definitely belong in Australia."
© 2007 News Limited
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