Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Tony Mendez was a specialist in disguises and forgeries at the CIA
Ex-CIA agent Tony Mendez, who inspired the Oscar-winning film Argo, has died at the age of 78.
He had been suffering from Parkinson's Disease. At the CIA, Mendez specialised in disguises, forgery and rescues.
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".
"He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness," Affleck said in a tweet.
"He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country."
Skip Twitter post by @BenAffleck Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness. He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country. I’m so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories. #RIPTonyMendez — Ben Affleck (@BenAffleck) January 20, 2019 Report
Former CIA deputy director Michael Morell also tweeted that Mendez "was one of the best officers to ever serve at CIA".
"His work was unique, and it help [sic] to protect our nation in significant ways."
Mendez's literary agent, Christy Fetcher, said: "He was surrounded with love from his family and will be sorely missed."
'An artist first'
Born in 1940, Mendez worked as a draughtsman after graduating from university and joined the CIA after answering a blind advert for a graphic artist.
Over a 25-year career he worked with Hollywood make-up artists and magicians to perfect disguises and fake identities.
He served in multiple foreign posts, mostly in Asia. In 1980 he orchestrated what would later be called the "Canadian Caper", a daring rescue of six American diplomats from Iran.
The diplomats were forced to shelter in Canada's embassy in Tehran after protesters overran the American embassy.
Mendez met the six and helped them to pose as a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a non-existent sci-fi movie, Argo.
With Canada's help, the group was able to evade Iranian security services and board a flight to Zurich from Tehran.
After retiring from the CIA, Mendez ran an art studio and wrote three memoirs about his experiences.
"I've always considered myself to be an artist first," he told the Washington Post, "and for 25 years I was a pretty good spy."
Former United States Central Intelligence Agency agent  died Saturday, aged 78, at a , Maryland assisted living facility.  Mendez is known for organizing the safe return in 1980 of several U.S. nationals who had  during the .
Tony Mendez, left, with then-President Jimmy Carter in 1980. 
Former CIA deputy director  praised Mendez on Twitter: "Tony was one of the best officers to ever serve at CIA. His work was unique, and it help to protect our nation in significant ways. He will be missed. May he Rest In Peace."

Mendez once told ''The Washington Post'' he considered himself "an artist first."  He worked as a draftsman before applying for a graphic artist job in 1965 that turned out to be at the CIA.  Mendez spent most of his 25-year career at posts outside the U.S., many in Asia.  He specialized in removing people from areas that had become dangerous for them, a process called "exfiltration." He studied  makeup and special effects for use in his work, later titling his memoir ''The Master of Disguise''.

Mendez's wife Jonna Mendez, also CIA, said, "He could be Pakistani, he could be Mexican, he could be from a lot of different countries... It was incredible to work with my husband."

In 1979,  and captured the U.S. embassy, taking dozens of people there hostage. They would be held for 444 days.  Six other U.S. diplomats fled to the Canadian embassy and hid until Mendez and another agent successfully smuggled them out of the country disguised as a Canadian film crew working on a supposed movie called ''Argo''.  The events were nicknamed "the Canadian Caper" and later made into an -winning film of the same name — '''' — in 2012, with  directing and playing Mendez.

For his work, Mendez was awarded the  by then-U.S.-president Jimmy Carter, though the CIA's involvement in the Argo rescue remained a secret until 1997.

Affleck tweeted, "Tony Mendez was a true American hero. He was a man of extraordinary grace, decency, humility and kindness. He never sought the spotlight for his actions, he merely sought to serve his country. I'm so proud to have worked for him and to have told one of his stories."

According to his publicist, Mendez died of .  He is survived by his wife, Jonna, three children from two marriages, two grandchildren, and his sisters.  Another son has predeceased him. He has authored three books, one with his wife.  A fourth, also co-written with Jonna Mendez, is due out in May.



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