Jennifer Garner has nothing but love for her former costar and ex-boyfriend Michael Vartan, and she even sent him a special birthday tribute.
“I can’t remember why I was Bavarian, but I do know today is your birthday,” Garner, 51, wrote via Instagram on Monday, November 27. “I hope it’s a great one, Michael! XX S. Bristow.”
She included a photo of them from Alias. Vartan, who turned 55 on Monday, met Garner while working on the ABC spy drama where they played love interests Michael Vaughn and Sydney Bristow, respectively, from 2001 to 2006. In the midst of filming, they sparked up a romance off camera.
Garner’s rep confirmed to Us Weekly in August 2003 that the costars were dating, but they ultimately split the following year. They remained friends and continued to play love interests until the show ended, though Vartan only appeared in seven episodes of the final season.
Shortly after their split, Vartan told USA Today that the breakup was “benign” and drama-free. “Jennifer and I were best friends first, during [the romance] and after,” he said in May 2005.
Vartan went on to marry Lauren Skaar in 2011, but they separated in 2014. Garner was married to Ben Affleck for a decade and welcomed three children with him before their 2018 divorce but has since moved on with businessman John Miller. (Affleck, meanwhile, is married to Vartan’s Monster-In-Law costar Jennifer Lopez.)
Garner and Vartan have kept in touch since the end of their series. Garner previously wished him a happy 50th birthday, and she hopes to one day reunite with Vartan and their other castmates for an Alias revival.
“First of all, it is insane how close I am to that cast still,” Garner said at SeriesFest in June 2021. “I’ve texted with Kevin Weisman and Merrin Dungey in the last week! I’ve spoken to Victor Garber in the last week. Ron Rifkin. I mean, I just love those people still. Michael Vartan, Carl Lumbly and, of course, Gina Torres. So, I guarantee we would all be game.”
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However, Garner explained that an official reunion wasn’t up to her but rather former showrunner J.J. Abrams, who has since gone on to create Lost and helm Star Wars films.
“The thing is you’ve got to talk to your buddy [J. J. Abrams] and you’ve got to talk to your buddies at Netflix. They would have to want to do it,” she added. “You better just speed it up a little bit if you want me back! … I don’t necessarily do 5 [a.m.] anymore, but yes I can still do those fight scenes if I have to.”
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