JTG MINI: The Man Who Lived In An Airport For 18 Years | Mehran Karimi Nasseri episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 31, 2026 · 42 MIN

JTG MINI: The Man Who Lived In An Airport For 18 Years | Mehran Karimi Nasseri

from Just The Gist

In the movie The Terminal, Tom Hanks plays a man who is forced to live in an airport for 9 months after his passport is declared invalid. Most people know that The Terminal was based on a true story, but they don't know that in real life, Mehran Karimi Nasseri wasn't stuck at the airport for 9 months. He ended up living there for 18 YEARS. He entered the international terminal of Charles de Gaulle Airport in 1988, and didn't leave until 2006, all because he didn't have a valid passport.Getting by with gifts from airline staff and travellers, 'Sir Alfred' used two benches as a bed, washed in the airport toilets and ate McDonalds for every meal. This is Just The Gist (MINI) of Mehran Karimi Nasseri; the stateless man who lived in Terminal One at Charles de Gaulle Airport for almost 20 years, the bureaucratic nightmare that put him there, and the far sadder truth about why he stayed.We give you Just The Gist, but if you want more, there's Breakin' Nooz, JTG After Show AND Bonus eps! You can access them by joining the Gistener Club via the Just The Gist Patreon or Apple Premium Subscriptions.Watch Just The Gist episodes on Youtube @JustTheGistPodcastFollow Just The Gist on Instagram and TikTok @JustTheGistPodcastFollow Rosie in all the places at @RosieWaterlandWant to give us a SuGISTion? Tell Rosie to stop singing so much? Email us at [email protected] Just The Gist is a Just The Network production. Executive Producer and Host: Rosie Waterland | Senior Producer and Editor: James Joseph | Producer: Kate Leaver | Additional production support: Hayley Staveley | Acast Legends: Guy Scott-Wilson and Simon McDermott | Production Assistant: PocketDon't forget to follow and give us 5 stars, which means something apparently!Thank you, as always, for Gistening. Now go say something impressive at a dinner party.The 15-Year Layover — Michael Paterniti, GQ (via Longform)AP News: Mehran Karimi Nasseri, 'The Terminal' man, dies in Paris airportThe Guardian: 'Terminal Man' lived in Paris airport for 18 years — I'll never forget my weeks with himAll That's Interesting: Mehran Karimi NasseriNew York Times Magazine: Waiting For SpielbergThe Guardian: The man The Terminal left behindHere To Where (2002 film, available on Vimeo) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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JTG MINI: The Man Who Lived In An Airport For 18 Years | Mehran Karimi Nasseri

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