Carl Hanratty in Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Whether or not you believe all the details of his absolutely wild crimes detailed in Catch Me If You Can, Frank Abagnale Jr., the dashing con played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a real person. But the man who brought him to justice in the film is not.
In fact, Carl Hanratty, the sharp FBI agent played by Tom Hanks (above), is based on several agents, especially Joe Shea, who shied away from publicity during his life. He died in 2005.
“He worked on a number of interesting cases including the Barbara Jane Mackle kidnapping and the Frank Abagnale case,” his obituary notes.
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