What's the Difference between Argo the Book and Argo the Movie?
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
Tony Mendez
|
Tony Mendez
Portrayed by: Ben Affleck
|
Julio (CIA officer with Mendez)
|
This Character does not appear.
|
Joe Calloway
|
This Character does not appear.
|
Joe Missouri
|
This Character does not appear.
|
Bob (CIA officer in Iran)
|
This Character does not appear.
|
Somchai Sriweawnetr
|
This Character does not appear.
|
John Sheardown
|
This Character does not appear.
|
Robert Anders
|
Robert Anders
Portrayed by: Tate Donovan
|
Cora Lijek
|
Cora Lijek
Portrayed by: Clea DuVall
|
Mark Lijek
|
Mark Lijek
Portrayed by: Christopher Denham
|
Joe Stafford
|
Joe Stafford
Portrayed by: Scoot McNairy
|
Kathy Stafford
|
Kathy Stafford
Portrayed by: Kerry Bishé
|
Lee Schatz
|
Lee Schatz
Portrayed by: Rory Cochrane
|
Ken Taylor
|
Ken Taylor
Portrayed by: Victor Garber
|
| In the Book |
In the Movie |
|
NBC's Peter Jennings would come to visit at times. The owner of the Sheardown house would also bring in prospective buyers while the Americans hide in back rooms. |
This does not happen in the book. |
|
No interrogation in the book. Mendez and the Americans go through the airport separately and only meet up near the gate. The Staffords buy a gift of caviar for Mendez. A Canadian MP sees Lee Schatz at the gate and asks him what he is doing. He is very surprised when Schatz tells him in a Canadian accent that he is flying home. |
Mendez and the Americans are brought to a room for interrogation prior to boarding. One of the Americans explains the plot of the Argo film to the guard questioning them. Mendez hands him a studio business Argo card to they can call to verify; the Iranian guard calls the office and is told Harkin is out of the country scouting a film.
|
|
This did not happen in the book. |
Mendez brings the Americans on an outing at a market to give them practice “being a movie crew”. It does not go well for them as they are approached by and insulted by various Iranian residents. Some of the Americans do not trust Mendez. |
|
Mendez does not find out about the “houseguests” until mid-December. He first heard about them in a memo from the State Department and thought they were settled in and safe. They initially planned to wait until after all the other hostages were released. |
Mendez is brought into a meeting with CIA officials to talk about ways to get the Americans out. He shoots holes in all of their ideas but has nothing better to offer.
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|
This does not happen in the book. |
Mendez goes over this boss' head to get a meeting with top CIA officials to convince them that the film crew method is the only one that will work. Mendez is given the go-ahead. |