Victor Garber's Partner: 5 Things to Know About Rainer Andreesen—and Check Out His Garber Paintings!

Alias star has been with his artist companion for 14 years, and it's time to know more about the guy who makes Garber so happy

Love stories are the best, aren't they?

Though Victor Garber has been happily partnered with artist Rainer Andreesen for the past 14 years, news that the Alias star (and "hey, it's that guy!" from so many other things) is gay just made headlines the day after he shared the Golden Globes spotlight as part of the cast of Argo.

Call it the Jodie Foster effect.

Anyway, Garber's lengthy CV detailing his stage and screen success is already pretty well-known (and probably more extensive than you realized). But you may have some questions about the bearded gent who's been making the actor so happy since the turn of the century.

Here are five things to know about Rainer Andreesen:

1. Something to Talk Aboot: He's Canadian, just like his other half, though while Garber hails from the east (London, Ontario, to be exact), Andreesen was born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and studied art and design at Capilano College in Vancouver. The couple now mainly split their time between New York and Los Angeles, the centers of the acting and art worlds.

2. He's a Painter: A painter of portraits, in particular, Garber being one of his repeat subjects and oils being his chosen medium. In addition to his realist portraiture, however, his body of work includes landscapes and still lifes. He counts John Singer Sargent, James Whistler and Rembrandt among his influences.

3. He's Also a Pretty Face: Before he met Garber, the rather handsome Andreesen did some modeling in Europe after being discovered in Milan (Not too hard to believe, right?) and strutted his strapping stuff for Armani, Gucci, Valentino, Hugo Boss and Ermenegildo Zegna. He's also the new face of the Perry Ellis Spring '13 Men's advertising campaign.

4. He's Got a Celebrity Following: Bold-faced names who've added his work to their collections include—no surprise here—Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, Nathan Lane, Clive Davis, J.J. Abrams, Alfred Molina, Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Short, Laura Linney, Alan Alda and David Hyde Pierce, according to Andreesen's biography.

5. He Is a True Artiste: Art and inspiration are everywhere, according to the painter, who once said, "Life has a wonderful opportunity to paint your experience, and I am always looking at life on a canvas...I often make a playlist for each painting. It helps the flow and essence of what I am working on and it can also inspire a painting all together."