The Safe House - Expositions

Caption: A man with a secret. The family life of Michael Vartan's character is in danger in One Hour Photo, which stars Robin Williams as a creepy psycho.

A man with a secret. The family life of Michael Vartan's character is in danger in One Hour Photo, which stars Robin Williams as a creepy psycho.

Michael Vartan is his own worst movie critic.

To hear the boyish, blue-eyed actor tear apart his work in the new film One Hour Photo is crushing. He dons a dark side in the creepy flick as a philandering husband who gets caught with his pants off by a stalker (Robin Williams). It isn't exactly the easiest job, especially compared with his squeaky-clean bits in Never Been Kissed and The Next Best Thing.

"It's such a shame, One Hour Photo is such a great movie," he says from Los Angeles. "But now I look at it and say, 'What was that? That is not acting. What the hell was I thinking?' I was really trying my best at the time, though. I wish I could shoot that part now. I think I could bring so much more to it, I would be more comfortable."

Vartan's current venture is in the television spy series Alias, where he plays a CIA ally to triple-agent Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner). After just one year on the show, he has found stability in his life and confidence in his efforts.

Vartan "just sort of fell into" show business, and that partly explains his previous insecurities. Born and reared in France, he moved to Los Angeles at 18 and played pool to pay the bills. After landing a few parts, at 26 he decided to take the camera seriously. He followed up with two small French films, as well as small roles in The Myth of Fingerprints and The Pallbearer. His breakthrough performance came in 1999 via his dimpled smile in Never Been Kissed. His turn as a charming high school teacher paved the way for a string of meatier characters and prime publicity. In addition to features in Esquire and TV Guide, the 34-year-old actor scored a spot on this year's People magazine list of Hottest Hollywood Bachelors.

None of that mattered when it came to taking on One Hour Photo, his biggest challenge to date. But the extended range isn't the reason he took an interest in the dark drama.

"I went on the basis that a film that had Robin Williams was going to be good," he says flatly. "Honestly, I didn't really care what the part was, I just thought, 'Oh my God. If I get this, I get to work with Robin Williams.' The character could have been the nicest or worst person on Earth, it wouldn't have mattered."

Vartan's story line called for a humiliating nude scene with an actress he had just met the day before.

"That was the hardest scene to shoot, and it had nothing to do with the nudity," he says. "The nature of it was creepy and Robin was so good in it, it made it that much scarier. As far as the young lady who plays my girlfriend, at first I thought, 'Wow this is so awkward.' But then in a weird way it kind of helped, because we had no history. It was just like, 'Get naked and be afraid.' Now if I had a scene like that with Jennifer (Garner), that would be so uncomfortable because we know each other."

Now that his indecent exposure is in the past, Vartan says all his energies are focused on Alias. However, his future looks grim. Last season's cliffhanger ended with him trapped in a sealed room that's filling with water.

He can't divulge all the details, yet he can offer a hint.

"If I told you anything, I'd have to kill you," he laughs. "I'm sworn to secrecy. OK, let's just say I can hold my breath for three months, apparently."

Now that's something to toot your own horn about.

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