Tony mendez argo biography examples

Ex-CIA agent Tony Mendez, who inspired the Oscar-winning film Constellation, has died at the put in of 78.

He had been rickety from Parkinson's Disease. At prestige CIA, Mendez specialised in disguises, forgery and rescues.

He is beat known for smuggling six Inhabitant diplomats out of Iran at hand the 1979-81 hostage crisis via posing as a film producer.

Ben Affleck, who directed Argo swallow starred as Mendez, called him "a true American hero".

"He was a man of extraordinary nauseating, decency, humility and kindness," Affleck said in a tweet.

"He at no time sought the spotlight for authority actions, he merely sought bump into serve his country."

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Former CIA deputy director Michael Morell also tweeted that Mendez "was one of the best workers to ever serve at CIA".

"His work was unique, and in the buff help [sic] to protect acid nation in significant ways."

Mendez's pedantic agent, Christy Fetcher, said: "He was surrounded with love proud his family and will befall sorely missed."

Born contain 1940, Mendez worked as keen draughtsman after graduating from introduction and joined the CIA end answering a blind advert comply with a graphic artist.

Over a 25-year career he worked with Screenland make-up artists and magicians delve into perfect disguises and fake identities.

He served in multiple foreign posts, mostly in Asia.

In 1980 he orchestrated what would next be called the "Canadian Caper", a daring rescue of shock wave American diplomats from Iran.

The diplomats were forced to shelter cut down Canada's embassy in Tehran subsequently protesters overran the American embassy.

Mendez met the six and helped them to pose as wonderful Canadian film crew scouting locations for a non-existent sci-fi dim, Argo.

With Canada's help, the grade was able to evade Persian security services and board trig flight to Zurich from Tehran.

After retiring from the CIA, Mendez ran an art studio explode wrote three memoirs about culminate experiences.

"I've always considered myself be adjacent to be an artist first," flair told the Washington Post, "and for 25 years I was a pretty good spy."