Mehran Karimi Nasseri, Man who Inspired ‘The Terminal,’ Dies in Paris Airport

Mehran Karimi Nasseri, man who inspired Tom Hanks’s ‘The Terminal,’ passed away while living at the Paris Airport!

As reported, an Iranian man who called Paris‘ Charles de Gaulle airport home for 18 years passed away on Saturday, Nov 12.

Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who was in his late 70s, died of a heart attack in Terminal 2F around noon, said a spokesperson for the Paris airport.

“He was an iconic, charismatic character. There is a lot of emotion at the airport in the wake of his death,” the spokesperson said.

Reports claim that Nasseri was exiled from Iran for being involved in anti-government activity in 1977.

As a student in England, he allegedly protested the government of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

Nasseri resided in the Paris airport from 1988 to 2006, initially because of legal hurdles to prove his refugee status, and later by choice.

Nasseri, before taking up residence at the airport, also traversed Europe and was reportedly expelled from several countries for lacking proper immigration paperwork.

France offered Nasseri permanent residency in 1999, however, he did not leave the airport until 2006 for a medical procedure.

Afterward, he struggled to adapt as a person continuing to experience homelessness.

A loose adaption of Nasseri’s life in the airport was made into 2004 Steven Spielberg film The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Though Nasseri is not named in the film or any promotional material but was reportedly paid for his story.