Tony Mendez has gone from decorated CIA agent to writers’ award nominee…

The 72-year-old Mexican American retired CIA technical operations officer, the man portrayed by Ben Affleck in Argo, has earned a Scripter Award nomination.

The award is bestowed by the Friends of USC Libraries and honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished movie adaptations, as well as the author of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.

Mendez is nominated for writing The Master of Disguise, which chronicles his on-scene management of the “Canadian caper” during the Iran hostage crisis, in which he rescued six American diplomats from Tehran in November 1979.

Along with  Mendez, Joshuah Bearman, author of the article “The Great Escape,” and screenwriter Chris Terrio are nominated for Argo.

Winners will be announced on February 9 at USC.