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Michael Vartan on 'Alias' 2.0: There's only one Sydney Bristow
A "reliable insider" at ABC said preliminary talks were
circulating about creating a reboot of J.J. Abrams hit spy series
"Alias," according to an E! Online report.At this point, there's no word whether original stars Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan and Victor Garber would be involved in any remake, or even whether Abrams would return (he's currently working on the new spy drama "Undercovers" for NBC).
Vartan, present star of TNT's medical drama "HawthoRNe", weighs in on the "Alias" reboot buzz.
"I've heard rumors here and there," Vartan tells Zap2it. "I really do not know anything. It's such a rumor, quote, unquote, that I haven't even bothered calling anyone that was even loosely associated with the show in the past to find out if there's any validity to the story.
"I think it's a total rumor, but if they do redo it, and they don't bring back the original cast, that would be weird. I was talking about this with someone the other day -- it's one thing to do 'Charlie's Angels' all over again with a brand-new cast, because obviously enough time's passed.
"But I feel like Victor and Jennifer and myself and Bradley [Cooper], we're still young enough to do all those things. It's not like we're fossils, where they need to get an entire new cast of twentysomethings.
"So, I think if they did revisit 'Alias' with a new cast, to be honest with you, it's not because I think we were so great, but I don't think it would be well-received. It would be so weird."
After all, "Alias" was not just about spy hijinks, it was also very much about the journey of Sydney Bristow and those she knew and loved.
"Exactly," says Vartan. "The characters themselves were just as much a part of the story as the story itself. It just would be weird. I have heard rumors of a possible 'Alias' movie, but again, all rumors, who knows how these things get started?"
There's also the question of the stars being employed, such as Vartan's job in "HawthoRNe," or Garner's and Cooper's movie careers. This year alone, Garner and Cooper appeared in "Valentine's Day," and Cooper can currently be seen in the big-screen reboot of "The A-Team."
No matter what, it would be very hard to imagine "Alias" without Garner.
"Jennifer's got her children and movie career," Vartan says, "so she's busy. I'm not sure she'd want to do it."
Asked if he would want to guest-star if "Alias" rebooted with an all-new cast or just tell them to 'go with God' and do something else with his life, Vartan says, "I would say, 'Go with God' and do something else. There's only one Jack Bristow and Sydney Bristow."
Viewers can catch Vartan on TNT's "HawthoRNe" when the second season kicks off on June 22 and stay tuned for more of Zap2it's interview with the star.
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Sounds to me like Vartan is angling to be apart of the remake (if it happens).
To me he and his character are the reason why the show never reached its full potential. To me the pilot was the best episode of the show mainly due to the fact that Vartan had such limited screen time and presence and had that continued to be his role the show likely would've been better from a quality prespective, ratings/audience likely wouldn't have had much difference (maybe slightly higher) due to the way the show was constructed (storyline wise - i.e. the heavily serialized nature of the show and its stories).
Someone needs to break it to him that some of them are too old now, specifically for a show like this. It's not "Murder, She Wrote" after all.
Sounds to me like Vartan is angling to be apart of the remake (if it happens).
Asked if he would want to guest-star if "Alias" rebooted with an all-new cast or just tell them to 'go with God' and do something else with his life, Vartan says, "I would say, 'Go with God' and do something else. There's only one Jack Bristow and Sydney Bristow."
Hey Rishi, try reading before bashing next time.
I agree with Rishi that Vartan's role should have been limited. He was originally an agent who wasn't field trained one year and then becomes a superspy the next isn't too plausible. Besides, the storylines became too convoluted and the 'bad guy's too confusing after an excellent seaon one and most of season two. A new cast and a direction that follows seasons 1 and 2 will be a winner.
I loved Alias. It was the first show I ever really fell in love with.
But the idea of a re-boot is ridiculous and stupid. It is not like 90210 or Melrose, where they can just have new people in the same place. The best part of the show were the characters.
I hope they don't ruin this legendary series by trying to re-do it. Get some new ideas and roll with those.
hey redrover, maybe it's your reading comprehension that needs improving. he said he could see it only using the original cast (who he said was still young enough). it was only if they recasted the characters that he said he wouldn't be part (as a guest star). DUH!
I agree with Vartan, remaking Alias so soon with a different cast would be weird. I loved the show because of the characters on it, and it wouldn't be the same otherwise. I would be all for an Alias movie though, as long as the original cast was in it.
I would LOVE an Alias reboot with the original cast (or at least most of them) in place. It would be great to see Garner, Vartan, Garber, Amanda Foreman, Greg Grunberg, Kevin Weisman, Ron Rifkin, Terry O'Quinn and Carl Lumbley. I have my doubts that they could get Bradley Cooper right now, though. I loved this show. That being said, I would HATE an Alias reboot with a new cast. If you can't get the original actors, or at least a decent majority of them, please leave this classic show alone.
I totally disagree that Alias would have been better without Vartan. Somebody wasn't following very closely. The Syd-Vaughn romance has gotten tons of newprint and excited online comments for years. When Vartan's character was apparently written out in the 5th season, there was a major outcry which many think brought him back. On some online polls there were times that Vaughn got even more votes than Sydney as favorite Alias character. ALL the characters were integral to the widely-loved "character driven" focus of the show. I think somebody has an ax to grind with Vartan, but tons of us LOVE him!
Kristen Bell would be a good lead for the Sydney Bristow character.