Q+a [michael Vartan]

The 35-year-old Alias star and avid L.A. Kings and Mets fan is featured with the Stanley Cup in the NHL's ad campaign

SI: For a huge hockey fan like you, how big a thrill was it to hang around the Cup?

Vartan: I've worked with some of the hottest women in Hollywood, and it's by far the most nervous I've been on camera. The moment I saw the Cup I got the chills. The first 10 takes I flubbed every line.

SI: You only moved to the U.S. at age 18. How does a guy from Fleury, France, become a Mets fan?

Vartan: I had Mets pajamas as a kid.

SI: You're filming Monster-in-Law with Jennifer Lopez, a Yankees fan, and Jane Fonda, who was married to the owner of the Braves. Have you outlawed baseball talk on the set?

Vartan: The first thing I told Jane was, "I was a huge fan of yours until I saw you sitting in the stands of Turner Field doing the tomahawk chop."

SI: You play pickup hockey several times a week. Do you wear a mask so that pretty face of yours doesn't get smacked?

Vartan: Oh, yeah. Believe me, I'd welcome a couple of pucks and high sticks to the face, but I gotta protect the investment.

SI: In filming the NHL playoff spots, did you get to drink out of the Cup?