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NW, New Weekly (Australia)
November 12-18, 2007
Inside Entertainment: Michael Vartan
On: Why he loves Aussie women; Working in the outback; Staying out of trouble in LA
By Tiffany Dunk
Scans thanks to mitchum, Vartan Ho #3883! Transcript by Lugia.
Michael Vartan used to fight spies in Alias. Now, he's wrestling killer crocs in the Australian flick Rogue
Being the only American in the cast of hit new Aussie flick Rogue (though he was born in France), Michael Vartan was apprehensive about travelling Down Under to work in the remote Northern Territory outback for four months.
But, he tells NW, he fell in love -- with the country, the culture and, most of all, the women. We chat to the sexy (and single) star about making the jump from Hollywood to Jabiru.
* How did Rogue come about for
you?
The traditional way. My agent called me and said, "Would you like to go to the outback for four months and star in a giant-crocodile movie?" And I said, "I'd rather stick needles in my eyes." I knew nothing about it, obviously. But then I saw Wolf Creek and it scared the living daylights out of me. I was able to talk to [Wolf Creek and Rogue director] Greg McLean on the phone for a couple of hours and that helped me realise I would have the time of my life on this film. He just seemed like such a nice guy and Wolf Creek was such a scary movie. So I thought, a) I would have a lot of fun making the movie, and b) it would end up being a very scary movie as well.
* How did you enjoy working with Australian actress Radha Mitchell?
It was such a great experience working with Radha -- and the rest of the cast, for that matter. I was the only American in the entire cast, which was actually a little bit scary at first. Actually, that was what I was most apprehensive about, because I thought, "l can deal with mosquitos and tiger snakes, but if I'm the only American and they hate me it's going to be a long four months!"
* And did they hate you?
[Laughs.] No. They were so welcoming, sweet and generous. We all got along well from the first day we met. We had rehearsals in Melbourne before heading off to Darwin and Jabiru [in Kakadu National Park]. It's funny -- it was so hot and the conditions were so oppressive that it was almost like we had a common enemy. Because of that, we bonded a lot quicker than a normal crew would have. It was great working with that cast and crew, and Radha is such a trooper. She had to drive this boat in 50-degree conditions and her make-up was running down her face. By the second day the director had said, "Screw make-up. There's no point -- it's gone after five minutes anyway." There aren't many places for you to get a nice massage and manicure in Jabiru after a day on set, so the girls really had to go through some harsh times. But they never complained -- it was a great time.
* Did you pick up any Australian slang?
Yes, but I don't think you can print it. No wucking furries! [Laughs.]
* Which part of Australia did you particularly like?
The landscape in the Northern Territory was so beautiful. Some of those sacred Aboriginal grounds were so majestic. [It was intense to] know how ancient and prehistoric those grounds are and that they were untouched by man till recently. You really get a sense of connection to the land that you don't in a city or at most country sites. And I love Melbourne -- it's become my favorite city. The people are so welcoming and nice and laid-back. They're just incredibly giving and generous people. The weather was great, there's awesome restaurants and good shops, and the women are beautiful. And you've got horse races and the Grand Prix .... it's just such a great city. It's an incredibly big sporting city and I love sports.
* What makes Melbourne women special?
I can really only compare them to the other cities I've Iived in, like New York and Los Angeles. But I'd say the overall thing I noticed about Australian women is that they don't really care what you do or where you're from, they just care that you're nice. They're very honest and there's no pretension about them. Some of the women in LA certainty have that issue. [Laughs.]
* They're not after your bank account, you mean?
They're not after the bank account and they're comfortable in their own skin. Going back to the Australian attitude in general, I love their mentality. You put that mentality into a beautiful Australian woman and that's just hard to refuse.
* Did you meet anyone in particular?
No, just my whole experience there.
* Just window shopping?
[Laughs.] Well said! Yes, I was window shopping.
* Before you were famous, which celebrity would you most have liked to go on a date with?
Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman.
* Have you ever met her?
No.
* What's the best thing about being in love?
Wow. Is there a best thing? Okay, the best thing is too long of an answer.
* What about the worst thing?
When she cheats on you.
* That's pretty bad!
Yeah! [Laughs.]
* What do you find most attractive in a woman?
Kindness and voluptuous curves -- not necessarily in that order!
* Do you have any nasty habits?
I was a smoker, but I've quit that. I guess I have one too many pints on the weekend, but it's not a nasty habit really.
* What was your nickname at school?
When I was at school in LA it was "Frenchy", and when I was in France it was "You Damn Yankee" -- so I really couldn't win. [Laughs.]
* Were you happy at school?
Miserable. To this day I hate school with a passion. I'm 38 years old and Sunday afternoon still makes me depressed because I think I'm going to school the next day. [Laughs.]
* Were you the unpopular guy?
No. Well, that's not really true. I hated school in France more than I did in America. In France, school was from 8am to 6pm weekdays and from 8am till 1 pm on Saturday. I went to a Catholic school in the north of France.
* We've heard you're Jewish ...
I have a Jewish mother but I was baptised a Catholic. I'm a mess; I have no idea what I am! But yeah, I was basically a Jewish kid in a Catholic school. No wonder I hated it! [Laughs.]
* Alias was such a big hit and it really propelled your career forward. What do you miss about those days?
The crew and cast. That has to go down as the greatest job I'll ever have. I think in any walk of life, if you spend that long with a group of people, 14 hours a day, you can't help but bond and become like a family. I stay in touch with most of them. I'm seeing Victor Garber [who played Jack] tonight, actually. But that crew and those actors were just really fantastic people to work with.
* What do you like doing in your spare time?
I guess what any normal guy Iikes -- going out to dinner with my friends. And I'm quite active. I have a dog who takes up most of my spare time. I mean that in a good way.
* She takes you for walks?
She does! She basically takes me wherever she wants to go. Millie rules the house and I don't pretend that she doesn't. She's a labrador -- a real dog who loves water and ducks and tennis balls. We have a ball together.
* You seem to pretty much stay away from the Hollywood scene.
I have nothing against it. It's fine and occasionally I'll go to a Hollywood party or an event that has a red carpet. But the people there don't seem to enjoy themselves. When you go to those events, it's usually just a bunch of people staring at one another. It's like dogs at a dog park -- they look at each other, they sniff each other's butts and everyone's trying to get something from someone, whether its a tennis ball or, in this case, a new job or a rich boyfriend. No-one actually has fun at those parties.
* But don't you have girls throwing themselves at you?
Not really. Anyway, to be honest with you, if that was the case it would be kind of off-putting. You like to earn the respect of someone or the right to
talk to them and get to know them. Regardless of whether you're a plumber or an actor, I think you can be a good judge of character over time and work out whether someone is genuinely interested in you or if they're just going along for the ride. But I'm not too worried about it. I think l have a much better chance of meeting a girl at the Iibrary. Actually, I've never been to a library, so I don't know what I'm talking about. [Laughs.] But, for instance, l have a much better chance of meeting my future wife in Melbourne than l do in a Hollywood nightspot.
* Are you a sunrise or sunset person?
I enjoy both depending on my mood. It goes in phases. If I have a girlfriend I'm usually a sunrise kind of person -- go to bed early, get up early and head to the market. If I'm single, I'm definitely a sunset kind of person. Like today I woke up at 11am and that's okay.
* So you're not in a relationship at the moment?
No. I'm not.
© 2007 Australian Consolidated Press
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