Jennifer Garner has given longtime “Alias” fans a reunion they probably weren’t expecting. The 54-year-old actress shared a rare new photo with her former co-star — and real-life ex-boyfriend — Michael Vartan as she celebrated the 25th anniversary of the hit spy series that transformed her career.
Garner included the nostalgic snapshot in an Instagram video montage posted on September 30. She can be seen with one arm around 57-year-old Vartan, who kept things casual in glasses, a baseball cap and a button-down shirt. For fans who remember them as Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn, the image instantly brought back memories of one of the show’s most beloved couples.
“Alias” premiered 25 years ago and ran for five seasons between 2001 and 2006. Garner’s anniversary tribute also featured other familiar faces from the series, including Victor Garber, Ron Rifkin, Merrin Dungey and creator J.J. Abrams. In a voiceover, Garner described the cast and crew as having once been her “whole world” and said their “little band” has remained connected throughout the past quarter-century.
But her reunion with Vartan carried an additional layer of nostalgia because their onscreen chemistry once became a real romance. Garner played highly skilled double agent Sydney Bristow, while Vartan portrayed CIA officer Michael Vaughn. After meeting through the series, the two began dating in 2003 before ending their relationship in 2004.
Despite the breakup, they continued working together and remained friendly. Vartan later described their split as amicable, explaining that they had been close friends before, during and after their romantic relationship. When asked years later whether the two might ever reunite romantically, however, he said he didn’t believe that would happen because their relationship had already run its course.
There was also nothing in their latest reunion to suggest that their friendship has turned romantic again. Instead, the photo appears to show that more than two decades after dating, Garner and Vartan have maintained the warm relationship they previously described.
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For Garner, the anniversary was also an opportunity to reflect on how profoundly “Alias” changed her life. Before playing Sydney, she said she was not necessarily seen as an obvious choice for physically demanding or particularly tough roles. Taking on the character changed both the industry’s perception of her and the way she viewed herself. “I walked differently after I played Sydney,” she recalled.
The demanding role required Garner to handle elaborate disguises, action sequences and emotional storylines while portraying a woman navigating an increasingly complicated double life. Her performance brought major recognition and established her as a leading television star before she moved further into movies including “13 Going on 30,” “Elektra,” “Juno” and “Dallas Buyers Club.”
Twenty-five years after “Alias” began, Garner’s affectionate reunion with her former leading man offered fans the perfect dose of nostalgia — and proof that some Hollywood exes really can remain friends long after the romance is over.
