Mehran Karimi Nasseri, the Iranian refugee who inspired ‘The Terminal’, dies aged 76
Mehran Karimi Nasseri, the Iranian refugee who inspired Steven Spielberg‘s 2004 film The Terminal, has passed away aged 76 following a heart attack. Nasseri lived in Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport between 1988 and 2006 after being stranded there.
Born in 1945, Nasseri came to England in 1973 to study at the University of Bradford. He spent time in Belgium, Netherlands and Germany; however, incorrect immigration documents resulted in his relocation to France, where he decided to make Terminal 1 of Charles De Gaulle his home. Nasseri spent his time reading and writing whilst living in the airport.
He was granted refugee status in 1999, yet Nasseri decided to stay put until 2006 when he was taken to hospital following an illness. In 2004, a film was made by Spielberg inspired by Nasseri’s story. Featuring Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski, a man who lives in John F. Kennedy airport in New York, The Terminal earned $219 million worldwide. Spielberg reportedly paid Nasseri $275,000 for the rights to his life story, although the film ended up only being loosely inspired by him.
Using this money, Nassari lived in a hostel, yet returned to live in the airport a few weeks ago, where he died. He wrote an autobiography in 2004, The Terminal Man, which coincided with the release of Spielberg’s film, which gives a greater insight into his extraordinary life.
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