‘Argo’ hero Tony Mendez reveals he has Parkinson’s disease

Tony Mendez, the CIA agent who was played by Ben Affleck in the movie “Argo,” has confess that he is suffering from Parkinson’s disease

Mendez and his wife, Jonna, spoke about his condition during a four-day symposium run this week by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, as well as in an interview with the Washington Post.

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“I started crying when they talked about doing a book tour for Argo,” Jonna, a 27-year-veteran of the CIA herself, said at the symposium. “I didn’t think he could do it. There is nothing better than a little determination and grit that will get you through — just like he did when he worked. It was up to me to help disguise his disease.”

The two are now trying to use Tony’s name to help push for new treatments for Parkinson’s.

“We come from a technical background — we were the gadget guys — it was all about clandestine technology and solving problems with new technology,” Tony said. “If a device didn’t exist, we would invent it and that’s where some of our best stuff came from. We’ve always been interested in new technology and that is why we support the development of new technologies like focused ultrasound so that in the future patients do not have to undergo the trauma of brain surgery.”

“If we can fill a room, to get a bunch of people to listen, whether it’s about ‘Argo,’ whether it’s about ‘this is how I deal with Parkinson’s’ … then this is just his latest operation,” Jonna told the Post.

According to WebMD, Parkinson’s disease affects the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine.Parkinson’s disease symptoms include muscle rigidity, tremors, and changes in speech and gait. After diagnosis, treatments can help relieve symptoms, but there is no cure.

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