This 2000s Star Linked to Jennifer Garner Has Changed So Much Since Leaving Hollywood – Photos

He starred alongside Jennifer Garner, headlined major films, and captured hearts in the early 2000s. Now, decades later, he bears little resemblance to the actor fans remember.

A retired actor was recently spotted at a Los Angeles grocery store — but unless you were a diehard fan of early‑2000s television, you never would've guessed who he was.

Dressed down in a black hoodie, Puma track pants, and a Los Angeles Kings baseball cap pulled low over his face, the silver-bearded shopper went unnoticed by nearly everyone in the store. But to those who did recognize him — or thought they might have — the shock was real.

This wasn't just any man in the frozen food aisle. This was someone who once starred opposite Jennifer Garner on a smash-hit spy drama, whose swoon-worthy smile graced movie posters in theaters across America. A former Hollywood heartthrob who, for a time, defined early-2000s romance on screen.

Now? He's nearly unrecognizable.

The Clean-Cut Dreamboat Is Gone — And Fans Are Gasping

Time, facial hair, and a step away from the spotlight have transformed him into someone barely reminiscent of the characters he once played.

The man in question spent five seasons playing a double agent's love interest on one of ABC's most explosive dramas. He shared the screen with some of Hollywood’s biggest names in box-office hits like "Monster-in-Law" and "Never Been Kissed."

But while his roles remain iconic, the actor himself has taken a dramatic turn — stepping back from Hollywood, embracing a private life, and quietly letting go of the industry that once made him a household name.

His last on‑screen appearance aired in 2018 — a one-off role in "God Friended Me" on CBS. Since then, he's kept an extraordinarily low profile, popping up only occasionally through friends and fan tributes. So who is this retired actor turning heads — and stirring memories?

Yes, that's Michael Vartan.

The actor, now 57, became a sensation after starring in the beloved 1999 rom-com "Never Been Kissed" as Sam Coulson — the dreamy English teacher who fell for Drew Barrymore's undercover high school student.

He followed that with a major TV breakout in "Alias," playing Michael Vaughn — handler, agent, and love interest to Garner's character, Sydney Bristow. But despite his boyish good looks and clean-cut image back then, the man photographed recently bore little resemblance to that era's rising star. And fans are stunned.

Rom-Com Royalty Reflects on That Controversial Role

Though "Never Been Kissed" helped launch his film career, Vartan later admitted the story's premise gave him pause. "I don't know if someone who had a darker disposition at the time, maybe the creep factor would have intensified it a bit," he told Page Six. "But if I'm a 30-year-old man and I think this girl is 17, it's completely inappropriate."

Still, he stood by the sincerity of the character. "I don't think he lusted for her," he said. "He's just really taken by her spirit and her soul… Maybe deep down inside he felt like there's no way this girl is 17." Despite his initial nerves, Vartan recalled filming with Barrymore as a career-defining experience.

"I had no idea what I was doing," he confessed. "I was concentrating more on not forgetting my lines or vomiting on Drew's shoes." On his very first day of filming, Vartan had to deliver a Shakespeare monologue — complete with a reference to hockey legend Gordie Howe. "It was like doing live theater. I was terrified," he said.

It was Barrymore's humility that helped calm his nerves. "She showed up on the first day of shooting in an old, beat-up white Volvo, and from that moment on she was my hero," he shared. "She treated everyone equally."

The two grew close during a pivotal scene on a bitterly cold night in Chicago — a moment on a Ferris wheel that would go down in rom-com history. It was a Hollywood dream for Vartan — one that wouldn't last forever.

A Whole Foods Meet-Cute Turned Real-Life Romance

While his characters were falling in love on screen, Vartan's real-life fairy tale began in the most unexpected place: a Whole Foods grocery store. In 2009, he met Lauren Skaar in the aisles — and, as she cheekily put it, "after some well-calculated 'stalking,'" he made his move.

Though she didn't give him her number at first, she accepted his email address. The two reconnected later and began dating. They married in 2011 in a lavish ceremony at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California.

"My family was thrilled," Vartan gushed to People. "They love Lauren and could not be happier. Now all my mother talks about is grandchildren." Skaar said their families saw it coming from the start. "They knew probably before we did that this was serious and going somewhere."

Vartan proposed in New York in 2010. "It's a thing that people always say: 'When you know, you'll know.' I never really understood what that meant — and I do now," he said at the time.

But the story didn't end happily ever after. Just three years later, in 2014, Skaar filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Court documents revealed they had quietly separated in April of that year. The couple had no children.

After years in the limelight, the man who once played America's favorite onscreen boyfriend slowly slipped out of public view.

Still 'Alias' at Heart: Jennifer Garner Keeps the Connection Alive

One of the few Hollywood ties Vartan seems to maintain is with his "Alias" co-star and former flame, Garner. In 2023, she posted a warm and quirky birthday tribute for his 55th, complete with a throwback photo of the two in costume.

"I can't remember why I was Bavarian," she teased. "But I do know today is your birthday. I hope it's a great one, Michael! XX S. Bristow." The duo briefly dated from 2003 to 2004, but even after their romance ended, the affection clearly remained.

Back in 2018, Garner also celebrated his 50th on Instagram, posting, "Can you believe this baby face is 50?!" along with the hashtags #alwaysanALIASgirl and #sydneyandvaughnforever.

Fans React to the Transformation — and the Privacy

After new photos of the now-bearded Vartan surfaced online, reactions came pouring in. "He's 57 years old," one commenter wrote. "No one looks the same after 30 years — even the ones that have become plastic don't look the same."

Another added, "Yeah, well… it's funny how years passing make you age. No need to make it sound like he did anything more than that. He looks good!" Some were genuinely stunned. "He's 57?! How did they even recognize him?!"

Others defended his departure from the spotlight. "Considering he's retired, he probably likes it that way," one fan posted. Another chimed in, "He's not like most of the actors and actresses who go straight to plastic surgery. Leave the dude alone."

A Star Fades from View — But Never from Memory

Vartan may no longer have the boyish charm that made him a fixture in rom-coms and spy thrillers, but his characters live on — in rewatches, tributes, and hearts. Now living life far from the flash of cameras and Hollywood glitz, he appears content. The transformation may be jarring, but it's also a reminder: time changes faces, but not legacies.