TV

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) "Alias" star Michael Vartan may get to break out his French-language skills a little more this season.

The series has added award-winning French actress Elodie Bouchez to its cast for 2005-06, ABC announced Tuesday (Aug. 2). Her character, Renee Rienne, may shed some light on Vaughn's (Vartan) season-ending revelation to Sydney (Jennifer Garner) that he wasn't who he claimed to be.

The network says Renee is an "internationally wanted criminal who, unbeknownst to Sydney, has secretly been working with Vaughn for several years." Just what they've been working on is still a secret.

Bouchez is the second new cast member of "Alias" this season. ABC announced last week that Rachel Nichols ("The Inside") will play a CIA technical analyst.

The 32-year-old Bouchez has won two Cesar Awards -- the French equivalent to the Oscars. In 1995 she won the award for most promising actress for her work in Andre Techine's "Wild Reeds"; four years later, she won best actress for "The Dreamlife of Angels."

Her other credits include "CQ," "La Faute a Voltaire" and "Shooting Vegetarians," an independent comedy released earlier this year.

"Alias" begins its fifth season on ABC at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, Sept. 29.