Jennifer Garner, 54, reunites with unrecognizable ex Michael Vartan, 57, more than two decades after their split as they 25th anniversary of their hit show Alias
Jennifer Garner reconnected with her former co-star and ex-boyfriend Michael Vartan to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alias.
The 54-year-old actress gave fans a thrill by sharing a rare photo of the two posing together cheek-to-cheek on Instagram on Wednesday.
The spy series created by JJ Abrams aired on ABC from 2001 to 2006, and Garner and Vartan dated for about a year from mid-2003 to 2004.
The image showed Garner, who was pictured looking smitten with her current beau John Miller recently, wearing a black mock turtleneck with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and wearing little to no makeup.
Vartan, 57, was gray-haired and sported a beard and eyeglasses while dressed down in a faded blue denim shirt, white T-shirt and black baseball cap.
The social media tribute included a montage of photos and video of Garner in character as chameleon Sydney Bristow, a double agent who spies on the criminal group SD-6 for the Central Intelligence Agency.
Jennifer Garner posed for a rare photo with her former co-star and ex-boyfriend Michael Vartan to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Alias
The actress played double agent Sydney Bristow on the ABC spy series and Vartan portrayed her CIA handler and eventual husband. Above, Garner and Vartan in 2002
Garner reminisced about those years and the lasting effect the show had on her.
‘Alias was so far outside of anything I had done,’ she said in voiceover. ‘No one had thought of me for action; no one had thought of me for a tough role. Playing Sydney changed me as a person. I walked differently after I played Sydney. It’s something I’m so proud to be a part of.’
Also featured were warm-hearted snaps of Garner and director JJ Abrams, 60, Victor Garber, 77, Ron Rifkin, 86, and Merrin Dungey, 55.
‘They were my whole world, the cast and crew, and they still are after all these years later. We’ve been together, we’re a little band that’s gone together for the past 25 years,’ Garner said.
Also in the mix was a vintage clip of Garner wearing her Alias character’s magenta wig and talking about how she landed the part of Sydney.
‘Out of the blue they said you have an audition for the Untitled JJ Abrams project tomorrow. I just got sais, I didn’t even have the script,’ she was seen telling someone.
Garner captioned the video: ‘Happy 25th, Alias.’
‘Love you forever and I promise not to fight you in our apartment ever again,’ co-star Dungey wrote in the comments.
‘Alias was so far outside of anything I had done,’ Garner shared alongside her video and photo montage. Above, Garner and Vartan in a scene from Alias
Garner and Vartan shared major chemistry both on and offscreen. Above, the two stars in a still from Alias
‘They were my whole world,’ the 54-year-old actress said of the Alias cast and crew
Valerie Waters commented: ‘So much fun training you to play Sydney @jennifer.garner! I can’t believe this was 25 years ago! The most fun ever!’
‘Ahhh!! I remember watching this every week in awe of you,’ Reese Witherspoon gushed.
‘Loved this show! This was my “do not disturb” time of the week. Never answered the phone when this was on. Lol,’ a fan chimed in, while another shared: ‘Happy 25th year Alias Fam. I love seeing Vartan on here.’
Garner went on to marry Daredevil co-star Ben Affleck in 2005.
They welcomed three children, Violet, 20, Seraphina – now known as Fin, 17, and Samuel, 14, before their separation in June 2015 and their eventual divorce in October 2018.
Garner started dating burger chain CEO John Miller shortly after she finalized her divorce from Affleck. They briefly split up during the COVID-19 pandemic but reunited in May 2021.
Vartan was in a relationship – and engaged at one point – with actress Shannon Gleason from 1988 to 1998, and he was married to realtor Lauren Skaar from April 2011 to 2014.
Garner included a photo of her and Alias co-star Victor Garber, with whom she has remained close
‘We’re a little band that’s gone together for the past 25 years,’ Garner said as another photo of her with Ron Rifkin, 86, Victor Garber, 77, and JJ Abrams, 60, appeared in her reel
Garner and Varner have clearly remained friends through the years since their romance ended.
In 2023, the 13 Going on 30 star posted a 55th birthday tribute to her ex-flame on Instagram.
‘I can’t remember why I was Bavarian,’ she wrote in the caption alongside a photo of herself from Alias wearing a dirndl, ‘but I do know today is your birthday.
‘I hope it’s a great one, Michael! XX S. Bristow,’ she added.
Vartan, meanwhile, has kept a low-profile when it comes to birthday shout-outs to Garner.