CIA enlists Jennifer Garner to help recruit spies

We’re guessing that real CIA agents don’t spend as much time in rubber outfits and lingerie as Sydney Bristow does on ”Alias.” Still, the agency thinks she makes a fine recruiting tool. On Wednesday, Garner told the Hollywood Reporter that the CIA had asked her to appear in ”a recruitment video (to show) university graduate students.” The CIA’s film industry liaison, Chase Brandon, confirmed the request, saying, ”We very much would like to continue our discussions with Miss Garner and possibly other cast members to work with us on a recruitment video. We feel that Miss Garner, both in character as agent Sydney Bristow and as herself, embodies the intelligence, enthusiasm and dedication that we’re looking for.”

Besides, having Garner shoot the video might give the CIA an excuse to bring her to its headquarters. Said Brandon, ”Miss Garner has a standing invitation to come by the agency, where she is guaranteed to meet a vast number of fans.”

Garner has a lot of other ”Alias”-related work to do these days. On Tuesday, the cast took a break from shooting the third season to attend a Hollywood party promoting the new ”Alias” videogame and next week’s release of the complete first season on DVD. It marked the first official public appearance by the now-dating Garner and co-star Michael Vartan, but just like on the show, there was an obstacle to their spending quality time together. In this case, it was a piece of bad sushi that sent a queasy Vartan home early. ”If he had stayed one more minute, it would have been all over,” costar Victor Garber told USA Today. ”But he’ll be fine. Just a bad piece of fish.”