Name: Victor Garber
Age: 58
Occupation: Actor; singer; classy bad-ass
Experience: Dozens of TV movies and guest shots; one action series; four Tony nominations
Jennifer Garner gave the impression that she was the star of Alias, because her Sydney Bristow wore the wigs and beat people up; her role in the show (not to mention in the tabloids) was more...showy. You didn't readily notice that Sydney was just reactive, neutralizing the short-term target. Her father Jack, on the other hand -- (under)played by Victor Garber -- was a veteran of the CIA and an ex-double agent, an expert in game theory, and the smartest person in any room full of smart people. And Jack had secrets! He was owed favours by all kinds of shady people, and had access to several warehouses and all manner of spy gear. Jack may not always have been on the side of good, but we sensed that he sometimes did the wrong thing for the right reason. Or at least a reason that screwed over someone in his way. Jack could dispatch a pack of assassins and then have dinner at a four-star restaurant, all without mussing his suit. Bad-ass.
Pre-Alias, Garber had less in common with James Bond. Like, Bond seldom breaks into song (unfortunately), whereas Garber is a veteran of musical theatre (originating roles in several Stephen Sondheim shows on Broadway) who played no less an icon than Jesus Himself in the film version of Godspell. He's also hooked up with TV producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, appearing in Disney specials from Annie (as saintly billionaire Daddy Warbucks) to a moist Judy Garland biopic (as saintly husband Sid Luft). If you've never seen him either outmaneuver an adversary or belt out a show tune, then you may remember him as the designer of the Titanic in James Cameron's film, nobly going down with the ship and providing more pathos to the story than any scene in which anyone screams "Jack!" or "Rose!" at each other. If only it had been Jack Bristow on that ship as it sank. He would have figured out a way to right it and recommended the perfect wine to go with the celebratory dinner.