Famous Exes Who Met On Set Reunite For Show's 25th Anniversary — And One Looks So Different Now
"Alias" fans knew that Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn were an endgame couple, and it turns out that the actors who played these hard-fighting, world-saving CIA spies — Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan — dated in real life. While their romantic relationship didn't last as long as that of their on-screen counterparts, Garner and Vartan have stayed real-life friends. It's now 25 years since the J.J. Abrams created show first aired, and Garner posted a tribute to the show's anniversary on Instagram. In a voiceover, she said: "They were my whole world, the cast and crew, and they still are. All these years later, we've been together. We're a little band that's gone together for the past 25 years." In the sweet video montage, she included a photo of herself with Vartan, and he's got a silver fox look along with a full beard.
It's a far cry from the often clean shaven "Boy Scout" version of Vartan as Vaughn on "Alias." Then again, it has been more than a couple of decades since the show first aired. For her part, Garner looks much the same as she did during "Alias" — Garner's skincare routine is definitely working for her.
It's particularly sweet to see the two of them together because Vartan hasn't acted in years and he's largely kept out of the spotlight. His last major part was on the TV show "The Arrangement," which ran for two seasons from 2017 to 2018.
Jennifer Garner's photo with Michael Vartan is a blast from the past that fans loved
Fans on social media loved seeing Jennifer Garner with Michael Vartan. One person posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Oh wow, talk about a blast from the past!! I had the hugest crush on Michael Vartan back in the day." Another said of Vartan, "that looks like a different person." Some fans on Instagram think there's a way that "Alias" could come back with Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan reprising their roles as Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn, and with their children taking up the family business and becoming spies.
Garner and Vartan were one of those celeb couples who broke up but still had to keep working together. The two of them dated from 2003 to 2004 — Vartan is just one of the celebs in Garner's relationship history. "Alias" ran for two more years after the couple split.
This isn't the first time that Garner has shown Vartan some love online. She's posted the occasional birthday tribute, including in 2023 when she shared a throwback photo of the two of them on the "Alias" set with Garner wearing a dirndl. In the caption, she wrote: "I can't remember why I was Bavarian, but I do know today is your birthday. I hope it's a great one, Michael! XX S. Bristow." In 2018, she posted, "Can you believe this baby face is 50?! Happy birthday, #MichaelVartan. #alwaysanALIASgirl #sydneyandvaughnforever."