Is Tony Mendez a real person?

Is Tony Mendez a real person?

Antonio Joseph Mendez (November 15, 1940 – January 19, 2019) was an American technical operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who specialized in support of clandestine and covert CIA operations. He wrote three memoirs about his CIA experiences.

Is Tony Mendez from Argo still alive?

Deceased (1940–2019)
Tony Mendez/Living or Deceased

Who played Tony Mendez in Argo?

Ben Affleck
He is best known for smuggling six American diplomats out of Iran during the 1979-81 hostage crisis by posing as a film producer. Ben Affleck, who directed Argo and starred as Mendez, called him “a true American hero”.

How did Tony Mendez get into Iran?

During his quarter-century at the spy agency, Mendez served in multiple foreign posts, spending much of his time in Asia. He was a specialist in “exfiltration,” the art of quietly slipping people out of a country where they are endangered. For this reason, he was selected to travel secretly to Iran in January 1980.

Where does the name Mendez come from?

Mendez is a patronymic surname meaning “son or descendant of Mendel or Mendo,” both given names that derived as a reduced form of the medieval name Menendo, itself derived from the Visigothic name Hermenegildo, meaning “complete sacrifice” from the Germanic elements ermen, meaning “whole, entire,” and gild, meaning ” …

What did Tony Mendez do for the CIA?

He was hired by the CIA and became an espionage artist for the Technical Services Division, where he specialized in identity document forgery and creating disguises. He worked as an officer in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, and served in the CIA for 25 years.

Who was the actor who played Tony Mendez?

Bearman’s account was loosely adapted for the screenplay and development of the feature film Argo (2012). It was directed by Ben Affleck, who also starred as Mendez. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture. When interviewed in 2013 by ShowBizCafe.com, Mendez was asked how he felt about being portrayed by Ben Affleck, who is non-Hispanic.

Who was Tony Mendez in the movie Argo?

John Mulaney and Olivia Munn. Tony Mendez, a CIA operative who was portrayed by Ben Affleck in the 2012 Oscar-winning movie “Argo,” died Saturday morning, his literary manager Christy Fletcher said. He was 78.

What did Tony Mendez do in the Canadian Caper?

In 1980, in what became known as the Canadian Caper, Mendez travelled to Iran to rescue six American diplomats who had taken refuge at the Canadian embassy, after the United States embassy was overrun in the disruption related to the overthrow of the government.