“Argo” was undoubtedly the film that put Ben Affleck’s career back on track, famously winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards after having already grossed an impressive $232 million at the box office. But not everyone was so enamored with the historical drama set during the Iran hostage crisis.
Indeed, best known for his roles in “Miami Vice,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and “Blade Runner,” Edward James Olmos certainly wouldn’t have been celebrating the film’s Oscars glory. In an interview with Deadline, the actor essentially accused Affleck of whitewashing a true story involving a fellow Mexican-American.
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“He should never have played Tony Mendez,” Olmos remarked, referring to the real-life CIA agent who helped to rescue six hostages under the guise of shooting a sci-fi flick. “[Affleck] said, well, they wouldn’t have made the movie if I wasn’t playing the role. Bulls***. He was directing it, he wrote it. It won the best film of the year Academy Award, so what are you taking about? Tony Mendez was a Chicano, a Mexican American, born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Now, 99% of the people don’t even know that.”
