Man Who Inspired ‘The Terminal’ Dies in Paris Airport
Merhan Karimi Nasseri lived in Charles de Gaulle Airport for 18 years and that is where he died after recently moving back in just weeks ago.
Victor Tonelli/REUTERS
An Iranian man who inspired the Tom Hanks film The Terminal has died at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport where he lived 18 years of his life.
AP reports that Merhan Karimi Nasseri died after a heart attack in the airport’s Terminal 2F around midday Saturday, citing an official with the Paris airport authority. He was reportedly treated at the scene but sadly passed away.
Karimi Nasseri’s life story is literally the stuff of a blockbuster movie after he ended up living in Charles de Gaulle Airport’s Terminal 1 from 1988 until 2006, initially because he lack residency papers but later simply because he liked it there.
Merhan Karimi Nasseri, Iranian homeless called Sir Alfred poses in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, August 6, 2004. He has lived inside airport for 16 years and his surreal existence inspired Steven Spielberg's The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.
Viktor Tonelli/Reuters
In 1999 he was granted refugee status and the right to remain in France.
“He no longer wants to leave the airport,” his lawyer Christian Bourguet said at the time. “He’s scared of going.”
The airport official who spoke with AP said he had started living in the airport again just a few weeks ago.
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Karimi Nasseri’s story was the inspiration for the 2004 Steven Spielberg film The Terminal which sees Tom Hanks’ character get trapped at New York’s JFK Airport when his home country collapses into revolution.
Karimi Nasseri was 77 years old.
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