BALTHAZAR GETTY JOINS THE CAST OF ABC'S "ALIAS"

Balthazar (pronounced BALL-THAH-ZAR) Getty is set to join the cast of "Alias" for the series' fifth season. "Alias" will have its season premiere on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. Getty will play Thomas Grace, a new agent who joins the APO team and a man with a long history of deep cover experience.

Getty most recently co-starred in the miniseries "Into the West" and "Traffic," and in the feature film "Ladder 49," opposite Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta. He starred in and produced Newmark Films' "Shadow Hours," which he also co-produced under his production company, 5150. He starred in the film "Slingshot" with David Arquette, which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival this year, and will soon be seen in "Feast," playing the lead role in this latest Project Greenlight feature.

He released his first album in 2004 with Scott Thomas and his band, Ringside. Getty also starred in the Diane Keaton-directed and produced television series, "Pasadena," and in Wayne Wang's digital film, "The Center of the World," with Peter Sarsgaard.

Additional film credits include starring opposite Val Kilmer and Christian Slater in Peter Antonijevic's "In God We Trust," "Big City Blues" with Burt Reynolds and William Forsythe, "Fait Accompli" opposite Rosanna Arquette and Michael Madsen, David Lynch's "Lost Highway," "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Deuces Wild," Ridley Scott's "White Squall," Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers," "Where the Day Takes You," "Young Guns II" and "My Heroes Have always Been Cowboys." In his debut film, "Lord of the Flies," Getty was critically lauded for his work at the age of 14 in the role of Ralph.

"Alias" stars Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow, Victor Garber as Jack Bristow, Ron Rifkin as Arvin Sloane, Michael Vartan as Michael Vaughn, Carl Lumbly as Marcus Dixon, Kevin Weisman as Marshall Flinkman, Balthazar Getty as Thomas Grace, Rachel Nichols as Rachel Gibson and Ilodie Bouchez as Renie Rienne.

The series was created by J.J. Abrams, who executive-produces along with Ken Olin, Jeff Pinkner, Jesse Alexander and Jeffrey Bell. "Alias," which is filmed in Los Angeles and premiered on September 30, 2001, is from Touchstone Television.