Former CIA Chief of Disguise Breaks Down 30 Spy Scenes From Film & TV | WIRED

Jonna Mendez, former CIA Chief of Disguise, takes a look at spy scenes from a variety of television shows and movies and breaks down how accurate they really are.
To learn more, check out Jonna and Tony Mendez's new book "The Moscow Rules" out now: amzn.to/2J8zPWa
The International Spy Museum located in Washington, D.C. is a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to educate the public about the history and impact of espionage and intelligence. The Museum features the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display. www.spymuseum.org
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Former CIA Chief of Disguise Breaks Down 30 Spy Scenes From Film & TV | WIRED

[@heavycloud1382]

"You have to be forgettable" I think I found my calling guys

[@angelastephens8526]

Yes, there are times when one should be forgotten easily. There are also other times when others refuse to allow that to happen and it caused multiple problems.

[@oP-qq2ib]

How is bright red hair forgettable??

[@iamfeign8498]

Ditto 😂😂😁😁

[@daelaenor]

@@oP-qq2ib That specific persona, she was talking about, is forgettable. The little grey man.

[@SilencedButNotForgotten]

@@daelaenor wdym?

[@ThatJakeGuy99]

"We can arrange....anything" That was terrifying. I love it.

[@kanigutter5513]

ikr

[@cecejackson3100]

And her little smile that went with it!

[@MsZoedog66]

I found it scary and a little thrilling too :o

[@JerkyMcAsshole]

You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.

[@rmcguire7033]

She may well have been the Chief of Disguise If any viewer knows about 'body language' it is entirely obvious when she is Lying.....it just is

[@loreshansmith3560]

She’s a total badass. With all the stuff she’s allowed to tell us, imagine what she isn’t allowed to talk about- it’s so fascinating.

[@totalhuman6531]

Or maybe THEY want us to think what she is telling to be the whole truth

[@bossnian5615]

Is she a badass? Or a criminal?

[@crypticshadows]

i mean i think she’s talking about older disguises because she worked a while ago with them so i think it’s outdated now

[@WilliamWizer]

I'm sorry but, I'm not allowed to let you imagine that. some secrets, are better to remain secret.

[@AlexGreeneHypnotist]

Mystique. It's one of the most bankable tools of intelligence agents, everywhere. A half smile and "That's classified" can open so many doors.

[@CoxDannyJ]

"Nobody left our labs looking better, they left our labs looking different." Love that.

[@brieannabernier399]

"Ben Affleck played my husband" that is crazy, she said it so casually

[@majrahabibija9742]

Brie Bernier It took me a minute to get that she's talking about her actual husband and not her famous crush, as I would.

[@sophii7906]

@@majrahabibija9742 ooooohhhhh that makes sense. I was so confused!

[@FriggSaga]

I say it casually too. ;)

[@user-fk1we3gs4d]

@@sophii7906 Just try to use your brain next time.....

[@TheBrittneycolburn]

Hahaaha :D You beat me to it! Super casual mic drop... continues amazing stories equally as casually

[@queenaguo9524]

I didn’t know she could get anymore badass... until I learnt that she herself was an active field agent and served for 25 years before retiring to become *CHIEF* of Disguise. Talk about life goals

[@ahhwe-any7434]

Soooo... She must be in disguise in the video, as well. 🤔 Interesting.

[@dapperhyena1301]

@Deeky 123 What democratically elected governments?

[@aisforanimate4703]

@Deeky 123 Not even touching on Africa and the Middle East

[@MOTHblank]

@Deeky 123 The way you put it, it's even more badass.

[@MOTHblank]

@Deeky 123 Please, do tell us what motivates the "empire".

[@caitlynmarie2677]

17:08 I just have to say, I always thought the Clark Kent glasses disguise was ridiculous until I realized how many people don’t recognize me without my glasses on. People that see me every day, and just taking my glasses off makes me a stranger to them. It really is kind of wild.

[@MacNerfer]

Just glasses seems a bit weak. But I remember one time I was eating lunch with some church friends when a young woman comes up and sits down with us. It seemed odd to me, but everybody else seemed to know her. After about 15 minutes of casual conversation I realized she was the daughter of a couple at the table, somebody I saw every Sunday, but here she didn't have any makeup on.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

@@MacNerfer Probably has to do with religion. To be in a church, listening to all the things that are obviously false and don't describe ANYTHING about the real world, to a large degree shuts off the reasoning aspect of your mind.

[@ericleal157]

@@uncletiggermclaren7592 calm down man, i'm not religious but it's ok to be, no one is going to die because they're going to church, let people do what they want with their lives.

[@Vi0let_1]

Ur pfp scared me💀💀💀

[@kerrin6633]

Yes, true. Same here actually!!

[@QYXP]

It's always the most normal looking people who are the most terrifying.

[@W4TSKY]

Slow Horses taught me spies don't look like James Bond, they mostly look like your alcoholic neighbor

[@InnocentC0]

@@W4TSKY Well, crap. I guess all of my neighbours are spies, then.

[@usagithebunny]

Ok so you can say 'My husband is playing Ben Affleck' but being able to say 'Ben Affleck is playing my husband'...that's a whole new level

[@ashleytupper6049]

And how casually she says it! Like no big deal, my husband and I are basically the real life "Mr & Mrs Smith"

[@adios5072]

Well I mean usagi you should know because your sailor moon

[@leilanibarajas2557]

that’s such a flex

[@charliecoolwater97]

Austin power also disguises to become guru pitka. 😜

[@jaredwaters4633]

Listen to the Podcast WIND OF CHANGE, She's in that. It's about the theory that the SCORPIONS hit Song WIND OF CHANGE was written by the CIA. It's pretty amazing.

[@bi_cycle]

"Ben Affleck is playing my husband..." That is so casually badass

[@synth_dahl4438]

I definitely didn't see it coming, lol

[@canal50tonsdepalidez]

Her husband is so good that HE could play Ben Affleck in disguise hahahaha

[@wordforger]

Office romances happen everywhere apparently, lol.

[@mynameandnumbers]

this entire thing is so casually badass

[@nickacelvn]

Ha ha 16, oct and I just wrote pretty much the same thing .... scrolling through the comments lol

[@naturalone6529]

She seems like the type of grandma that seems unassuming at first until she overhears how you've been bullied and then tells you how to totally obliterate them.

[@brianpait]

Mine. Love her dearly. Not bullying traditional, but those against or out to ruin my quality of life. Need to go visit her as soon as possible. ❤

[@kerrin6633]

I would feel so protected ❤. Would change my life a lot!

[@kick4243]

I can say as a nurse, we blend in. People often forget our names but will say "oh, the nurse yesterday" or "the dark-haired nurse". We blend in dramatically. In the last 8 years of my career, only about 5 patients have remembered me for an extended period of time, and it was because of either: a) having them as a patient for a deeply emotional experience, and b) if they were in the hospital for a long period of time and saw me frequently.

[@jackwarren1687]

I knew she was legit, but when it came to Argo and she said "affleck is playing my husband here" my jaw hit the floor

[@harmonydavis40]

The CIA runs the world basically just in everyday clothes. They're above Hollywood all day long.

[@veronicasaitta9688]

I was so sad to hear that because she lost her husband this January 😔😔

[@jackthorton10]

Protecting your national interests, one day at a time

[@Kibashixx39]

I knooooow like the biggest behind the scenes ever.

[@Eliminator6363]

As soon as she said that, outloud reactively I just said, "that's so f****** cool".

[@luluharshie3929]

I don't care about these movie scenes. Just let this lady tell spy stories for 16 hours! 😂😂

[@sandrapatterson2916]

Lulu Harshie I totally agree.

[@pandagal9805]

Ikr!

[@hannahrose2862]

There are a few interviews and things that she's done to that effect, like this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKDceJydmMh7gcU

[@TheLittleTamTam]

@@hannahrose2862 Thank you so much for that video! I wouldn't have found it on my own but I'm so glad you pointed it out, it was very interesting.

[@sadamiamani]

Top secret

[@VassalRavenKills]

My grandpa told me he was a spy, not that I believe him, but the funny thing he said was that one of the most difficult things about being a spy is having 2 real jobs at the same time

[@GuyrillaBraun]

I love that you can tell she takes great pride in everything she has done and accomplished, but also you can tell having to watch some of these clips just kills her inside.

[@Splackavellie85]

This woman perfectly illustrates that actual badasses don't need to brag about how badass they are. They just exude it.

[@dusanrenat5567]

Actually, the more badass you want to be, the less you need to look like one. Because nobody can even suspect.

[@Splackavellie85]

@@dusanrenat5567 Yeah.. Not the point.

[@uuuultra]

Everybody already knows this

[@robishere7339]

Don't fool yourself; she's bragging. She wouldn't be on KZbin otherwise.

[@alynbecker2876]

Rob Ishere What's so bad about being proud of your skills?

[@DodaGarcia]

"Ben Affleck has played my husband in the movie Argo" HOW BADASS IS JUST BEING ABLE TO SAY THAT???? I love this lady omg

[@putriikrima5094]

YASSSSSS

[@malaysiamcbride578]

Right!?

[@SabineHolterman]

Doda Garcia No wonder she smiled a little when Argo came on!

[@annacrowder3229]

Doda Garcia the smile on her face when the clip started

[@thomassullivan2491]

NapoEz3 Save a few thousand, more like

[@somerandomhumanbeingonthei1924]

She just told us that they had a professional seductress spy that did some “amazing things,” her words, during the Cold War- This is the best bit of information I think I’ve ever received

[@user-mx5cy6fc4w]

Yep. ...and tells about it being a "Russian thing". All in one interview. ''Very clever'

[@michaelchesnut865]

Holy crap, she just casually said that they literally tried deforming people's palates to change their voices. She is frightening, to say the least.

[@JonTanOsb]

They probably used dental plates, like the kind they use with dentures, with attachments to change the shape of the palate. Jon in rural BC, Canada

[@QueenofSilence101]

I'm pretty sure they did that with wearable items similar to dentures and retainers. That would definitely be the easiest and safest way of going about it.

[@amyleefan85]

First I was like: "If I saw her walking down the street, I'd never think she was the CIA chief of Disguise." Then I recognized that I am dumb.

[@angellandaverde8862]

amyleefan85 😂makes sense

[@Kissfan96dr]

or perhaps she's just good at her job. :)

[@afreen5058]

Omg this made me laugh so hard haha

[@UrBaNMCPaladinZ]

@@Kissfan96dr orili

[@ljt47exploring64]

she's not going to be wearing a badge saying I'm cia

[@AvaRosss]

Too bad they didn't show her the most flawless and highly effective disguise - the Hannah Montana disguise

[@mojojojo1428]

🤣🤣🤣

[@carlitosmoreau5209]

Lmaoooo

[@micahjohansson7573]

Wait. Hannah Montana is fake?

[@hollyperrin7353]

Ikr? It's right up there with Clark Kent! Who knew?

[@mynamehasnovowelsfr4890]

😆😆

[@JasperAngelorom]

Love how she just casually mentions her husband ran one of the most elaborate and amazing extrications ever attempted in the history of the US

[@mudman619]

"we can arrange . . . anything." she says then adds a quick little grin & glint in her eyes. . . haha

[@ciaheadoffice5506]

"Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young."

[@kalen5853]

time stamp?

[@faithbaker4811]

@@kalen5853 I think that's just a quote that applies to this woman

[@rafinha7081]

Crazy sentence. Can't think of anything. Military??? Gym? Olympics?

[@samanthacampos849]

@@rafinha7081 Hunger Games

[@randensim3295]

Rafinha It just means that if the person managed to survive in a profession people usually die early, they must really be good at their job.

[@skepticalfox27]

Lady sounds like she could dispose of a whole family of annoying neighbors and frame their golden retriever

[@geraldadorna5655]

Ha ha ha ha

[@wetlettuce4768]

shoot someone in the back of the head twice and have it be deemed a suicide.

[@myceliumman7554]

LMAO

[@pinkandbright1234]

😂😂😂 poor Golden Retriever

[@magnoliabranca5149]

Moderate commentator I NEED TO HIRE HER

[@derekhiemforth]

The key to Superman's disguise isn't really the glasses. It's that Clark doesn't *_behave_* anything like Superman. Combine that with people seeing what they expect to see, and it works. Even if someone did momentarily realize Clark and Superman looked similar, they'd immediately dismiss it as an obviously ludicrous idea.

[@G1NZOU]

I totally agree with the "distracting back and forth" bit at 2:14. Last few times people have tried committing banknote fraud with me they usually try asking me questions just as I'm counting the money or pulling out their change, luckily I notice what they're doing. But distraction is a big part of avoiding people noticing what you're doing or preventing them looking too closely at your documents.

[@kfcshots]

sometimes i forget being a spy is an actual job that real life people have

[@chelsey8737]

Ikr. She is the real life Natasha Romanoff

[@uraverageskeleton6480]

Russian spy

[@jaluv42]

Right??

[@Ashlitched]

same

[@NeonHigh2012]

She's actually a 20 hear old blonde. Fantastic disguise madame!

[@VinaX2R]

"Ben Affleck played my husband Tony Mendez" - that was quite unexpected

[@emmaxiang7431]

do u know why it says karen mendez was his wife online?

[@tails512]

Karen was his first wife. After she died he married Jonna Goeser, who appears in this video.

[@Efreeti]

Tony died in January. Rest in peace. :(

[@moosedraw3731]

Guten oath aye 😂😂😂

[@tiadaid]

@@emmaxiang7431 Karen was Mendez's first wife. She died of cancer early in the 1980s.

[@Junebug09172]

Despite all those spy action films I always thought that actual spy activity took a lot of time, and that included the disguising process: always just imagined a lot of time taken to fake a person. It was actually really interesting to learn that spies often did put on quick disguises to evade surveillance like in the movies.

[@Random-sk6hm]

Fr I always thought that part was made up

[@caitlynmarie2677]

I’m glad she found Matthew Rhys’ performance(s) in “The Americans” as impressive as I did. When i first began watching it, he tricked me a few times, I did not realize it was him in a disguise for almost an entire episode once. Keri Russell is phenomenal , as well, but Matthew Rhys blew me away.

[@marzipanmouse]

seriously. I was like, "wow, that guy looks like my therapist."

[@AnubhavTalukdar]

One of the most underrated series of all time!

[@benclawson821]

This woman is more interesting then the films and shows about spies.

[@GenevieveC]

I can’t legally like this because it’s at 222

[@khatunamezvrishvili6211]

@@GenevieveC well you can now

[@j.elizabeth4621]

First couple seasons of the Americans is good though!

[@iwakuraSanta]

no sheis acunt

[@1flashlite1]

than

[@jahnyxo]

Jonna: "We would never let that peice of a disguise fly away, that's evidence." Criminals: Write that down, write that down!

[@fatimaakamrann]

CHARLES THE FRENCH REFERENCE

[@Serena-ch8xl]

😂 😂 😂

[@phoebeclark4718]

I thought it was a SpongeBob reference (“The Camping Episode”)

[@faizahmad8738]

😂

[@potatopotatopotato1248]

haha. you'd think that goes without saying. but then again most criminals aren't the brightest of people

[@linmiller8147]

She was one of the three contestants on Anthony Anderson's version of To Tell the Truth, as they told her story. I don't remember how many of the panel chose her but later in the SAME show, she showed up in a disguise and NO ONE knew it was the same woman. She's GOOD.

[@Azrael2812]

It's nice to hear that the CIA has a few institutions that they won't use as a cover for ethical reasons, assuming this is really true. While I could probably think of a different/longer list of institutions that could/should be protected, I do like that they have the integrity of at least some if them in mind.

[@copyright8291]

Of course the CIA has spies in those professions as well, why would you believe what she says?

[@tatianalyulkin410]

Too tired and love Aunt Jonna way to much to rain on your/her parade.

[@tattycakes2k2]

Doctors Without Borders (medicine sans frontiers) should also be on that list. Would be a very convenient disguise to sneak into a variety of countries, but they should be untouchable

[@BE-ew2pt]

Imagine if at the end of the video she had wiped away her makeup and taken off a wig and she was like 28 and Korean

[@dwyco]

especially if north korean :D

[@ulrichkalber9039]

that would be rather extreme. she is just your Father in law.

[@RedGallardo]

Miracles attract people. Being boring is the key to invisibility.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

LOL that would be awesome

[@TomClarke1995]

Mallory SF Wouldn’t you say though there’s a case to be made for adopting aspects of a persona that are more out there and unique? If you’re sussing out a spy, you might only expect to look at the most boring types who have high or convenient access to sensitive areas or material. The crazy red hair disguise is a good example of that.

[@burgerpowder8]

"nobody left our labs looking better, they leave our labs looking different" me when i do my makeup

[@PerfectAlibi1]

Is that also your goal? Or are you trying to look better? XD

[@KathyHoismygovtnm]

Well, you can't get any better than perfect ;)

[@carlosnajera65]

lmao!!!

[@JoseHernandez-sg5lv]

😆😆

[@austinmolitor7283]

@@KathyHoismygovtnm SIMP (even though ur probably female)

[@AzathothLives]

I love the reasoning behind the banned covers. Its not because it wouldn't be effective, but because it would potentially endanger the civilians in those professions.

[@AzathothLives]

@@jnln552 Nothing about that seems obvious, and in fact it more likely seems like you are pulling that out of nowhere. Of course, on the other hand I also am not naive. Like any rule, I'm certain they've broken this one when the situation called for it. But you know the saying, at least there was an attempt.

[@serendipity4346]

9:35 "He's playing my husband, Tony Mendez" My mind literally explode.

[@brotherbruti]

Did she literally just casually say, with a smile, that one of her agents failed his mission, so he had to kill himself with a pill?

[@maulanamusa8856]

Just like she said. Nothing u can do if u get caught, ur just done. Deal with it yourself

[@yaimavol]

Man I would never get into the spook business. You have no idea who is really giving the orders, and just like in that Ryan Reynolds/Denzel movie they are agents chased through the whole film and at the end discover their enemies are also working for the CIA. They run three different levels of every operation. The low level ground crew that are "doing their duty" for country, their handlers that think they know what they are really involved in, then above them are the real handlers that know what the hidden agenda is for that mission.

[@Naugur]

I got the impression that she was talking about a source, not an agent. Could be wrong.

[@Minsang1st]

yaimavol lol hitmans bodyguard

[@happynewfears1805]

@@yaimavol "You have no idea who is really giving the orders" Isn't that the whole point of the CIA? Being secretive? So that whoever they're tracking down don't find out can't track them back?

[@David-hx6hw]

When you realize she's just telling us the declassified stuff......

[@kaylaherrera4274]

That’s good though right? So the “enemy” or other foreign powers can’t find actual government information?

[@nnnnnn496]

Don't think so. If it was we would never hear of it.

[@azaka3720]

its basic knowledge u can get on the internet

[@ellsob]

diana styles this is the internet

[@azaka3720]

@@ellsob exactly. my point is these stuff are everywhere and nothing "confidential"

[@Miumiu0404]

I love how she just casually talked about the lethal pill 😂

[@TheMarionick]

I never thought I'd hear an actual CIA person compliment Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of all things on a disguise.

[@erodoehT1013]

This old lady is so good she’s fooling everyone to thinking she’s an old lady but in actuality it’s Tupac Shakur.

[@christopherandreasandreas961]

Im dead bruhh

[@nottinghill7314]

no he’s right there in the video wearing a mask

[@GGAky]

Hail Mary - Tupac

[@cometsun]

“here you have ben affleck playing my husband” is an absolute power sentence and i want to be her

[@alexia3552]

MOOD

[@ChristiKim]

@9:30 !

[@user-rz7hb1eh3x]

I’m glad someone appreciated that comment as much as I did

[@AberdeenECC1983]

they met during an operation in Bangkok, epic.

[@craftylesly7689]

bro what a queen

[@katealeksen4168]

Alias was a great series I was lucky enough to watch and of course Blacklist literally plagiarized it on Netflix but my point is Sidney really knew how to get by and it's awesome to see an authority of the field validating the techniques of that character, love it!

[@mariamaldonado9268]

Yeees. I watched that series when I was a kid and I loved it.

[@tattycakes2k2]

I’m not sure if she addressed the fact that the reason she dyed her hair red was to match the passport that she borrowed, she was imitating her partners sister I think?

[@Dimapravo]

Absolutely amazing job done by Ms. Mendez. She deconstruct all clips in so professional and calm manner that it is just amazing to watch.

[@jjzurcaled215]

When you’re chief of disguise at CIA and your Husband is the best Exfil at CIA. what a total flex.

[@lovehumanityearthlove280]

How does she ever know who her husband is or looks like?! She looks so chilly, probably PTSD?

[@cyanedavis]

That's what im saying

[@xinyichen8144]

This woman is super dope. “They said he was dead before he even hit the floor” ZERO flinch.

[@marilyncookgyfd5332]

she's so unthreatening at first but by the end of this i feel like she could definitely have me killed and frame my cat for the murder.

[@jeant6502]

What's more flex is saying they're your parents. cool af.

[@spidersanghvi]

"we do not recommend stealing". We just don't recommend it. You can do it though.

[@avamasquerade]

Imagine the fool that gets caught and blows their cover *for shoplifting* though...

[@Zveruidfly]

Of course you can. So?

[@RyTrapp0]

@@avamasquerade Well one would hope that they could escape mall security if they're a damned undercover spy...

[@anaeliseianna2069]

Well I mean she's teaching you how to disguise yourself so you can get away with crime so it shouldn't be that surprising... Lol😂

[@aoli8142]

When you're doing things that are illegal in a foreign country, shoplifting is probably the least of your concerns.

[@chickennoodlesoup6524]

I could probably watch 2 hours of this. She must have some really cool stories to share

[@alexmcd378]

There's something to the glasses thing, but not an actual disguise. I changed my name to ditch the awful name I was given, and friends were struggling to emerge to use the new name. But when I started wearing glasses all the time instead of just to drive, their accuracy went way up. It flipped something over in the brain

[@kermiggy]

This woman's whole aura is like casually badass, I love it

[@beberivera7011]

hardcore

[@DesertFernweh]

I was thinking the same thing. If this women start s KZbin channel it would kill pewdiepie in a week.

[@glucksmomente9585]

Sums up perfectly what I lack words for...

[@kermiggy]

@@Ziyavalo Me too honestly

[@Dylan-ni9my]

Chloé Chartrand “aura” 💀💀💀💀💀

[@jimmybabababababa3536]

They should have shown her agent P and Perry the platypus, if that ain’t CIA level I don’t know what is

[@Firepuma_142]

lmao 😂

[@couragew6260]

In that case, Perry takes his job very seriously. He’s suppose to be a mindless platypus that doesn’t do much when in reality he has an entire planned schedule of things to do

[@MultiNutterbutter]

lmao bro real talk, when Perry puts on his disguise I never notice until Doofenshmirt figures it out.

[@erzherzogalbrecht8504]

That ain't CIA level, thats OWCA level

[@user-bo7ob1ek2x]

The only bad thing is that they always notice that he's gone though

[@allisonday893]

One of the most interesting and compelling things I have stumbled across on KZbin. What an amazing lady. Thank you for posting this

[@lauraguebert2122]

I gotta say how much I love how this video is cut. The way the editors made the movies clips respond to Jonna's commentary is hilarious and incredible.

[@RealStealthyNinja]

She's what real spies look like. Ordinary every day forgettable people.

[@justbreathe549]

If they didn't look like that they wouldn't be effective I guess.

[@alzarian3702]

And a Trump lookalike.

[@idkdude1118]

@@alzarian3702 don't do her like that

[@TheEmmakathryn]

Are you telling me Archer is a lie

[@moguldamongrel3054]

Explains alot. Pretty sure i saw several in cali at the library casually strewn about reading newspapers but paying attention.

[@dominicweber]

The contrast between her looking like an adorable grandmother and then her telling a story of the suicide of an agent that was about to be tortured without even a flinch is just so shocking. She's probably more lethal than all the characters she reviewed in these clips.

[@peezyy]

yo timestamp?

[@particularlytrue]

@@peezyy starts at 15:10 . Wait for it...

[@peezyy]

@@particularlytrue wow, thanks fam

[@particularlytrue]

@@peezyy pleasure

[@samuellourenco1050]

She is a lizard. CIA is for cold psychopathic people.

[@booperdooper9762]

This was such an intriguing video. I'm very content with her input.

[@ultimatebishoujo29]

I know what you mean

[@Flying_Scotsman101]

The key is to have a very plain, simple form, one of which can be easily forgotten and malleable to change into another form/disguise with minor effort/time

[@jdropje8]

She's so pleasantly nonjudgemental about the sillier clips.

[@leovk5779]

@ThatOneAsianBroChick : I'm a bit disappointed though that she did not dive deeper into superman/ Clark Kent. Cause althought it is obviously silly, there is also good points to it. Clark Kent has an entirely different personnality (or at least he plays it very well): not very sure of himself, difficulty to assert himself and be taken seriously, shy, etc. So in addition to the glasses (ans journalist suit of course), this change of personnality is interesting; at the very least, he would make a decent spy if he had a real disguise. But I do agree that it is not enough for a long terme disguise, and that no one ever recognises him (especially close friends) is very silly.

[@bs13690]

I found her to be plenty judgmental about all of them.

[@someonedifferent198]

@@bs13690 Did she judge then, yes absolutely, that was that objective off the video. But what I think the people above where getting at was that she was not mean spirited or belittling about it.

[@zosmavideos4891]

@@leovk5779 I'd understand if it was written in Lois' character to be facially blind (has difficulties recognizing people by their face) but all of his friends and family to be that or just plain stupid is a bit much

[@UncleBurbon]

They showed her my name is Jeff for the meme

[@vinrave]

She’s a perfect example of you don’t need to yell or point a weapon to threaten a person. She looks like a normal grandmother but I would definitely not mess with her.

[@jmwangi24]

So true. She reminds me of a Scandal episode where the super-spy character Huck had a reunion with such regular-looking people who were his former colleagues; including a grandmother, not unlike this one, who ran a B&B but was also an expert arsonist...lol!

[@andreilyas1426]

I would

[@hayleebennett6596]

@@andreilyas1426 alright edge lord that would require to come out of your parents house lol

[@Luminousreign]

I would be more afraid of the power she could weild against you when she was in her position of power, now she is just a grandma who knows spycraft. This lady was a powerhouse within the machine, she wasn't someone the CIA set loose on the world. She is Q not James Bond.

[@Luminousreign]

@Mostly Peaceful lol if she was face to face with someone she had reason to kill and a gun she wouldn't think twice. Don't get me wrong if she wanted to run around the hood she would be hard but she is just a sneaky granny at this point.

[@stelladonaconfredobutler9459]

Again, Jonna Mendez is a star. She makes it all believable with wonderful dry, flat humor

[@she3po945]

This was legit so much fun to watch! Can’t wait to watch more of her videos!!

[@purell6969]

Her and her husband might just be the most dangerous couple alive.

[@LeslieLanagan]

Unfortunately, Tony died last January. I didn't even know him, but he was one of my favorite authors and it devastated me, anyway.

[@Lawliet734]

@Tarkle "Her [She] and her husband..."

[@leobevan]

@@Lawliet734 her husband was called Tony and died in January.

[@treepeenbawlz1934]

English died too

[@para-yw9dn]

@@LeslieLanagan :(

[@LP-xw7ix]

sorry but "CIA Chief of disguise" is officially the coolest job description I've ever heard in my life

[@jazzypari]

I can't think of anything more interesting 😭

[@TheStackeddeck77]

My US history professor was a field agent for the CIA. I cant remember what he said they are called but they dont call themselves agents. He had a few interesting stories to tell. We didnt get many details but he did a lot of sitting alone listing to devices he and others planted.

[@bobdole4916]

@@Zelmel Like their name implies, intelligence gathering is central to their agency.

[@ravenbird3357]

absolutely

[@TheNikohSan]

@Bryan Smith explain

[@stephenwest6738]

Theres another one of these with an FBI behaviorist that was able to identify a false persona because he carried flowers stems up, which is apparently a eastern European cultural thing. I loved that so much because it gave some real credence to something i would have pegged as just being Hollywood. The other part that was fascinating is that they told him thats how they knew and it helped bring down the front.

[@jaywalker.]

I could watch her explain things for hours. Legend.

[@ChenoWolf]

I love that she understands that just because something isn't accurate to real life doesn't mean it's bad or not entertaining.

[@louisduong2090]

your comment is so underrated!

[@Philjj61]

I so agree, and it's how you can have fun in life in general, almost have to at times. Real life is a personal, relative term anyway.

[@God-wv4bf]

If only you knew the darkness this lady has contributed too.

[@asafupps]

“Ben Aflek is playing my husband Tony Mendez-“ is the most metal thing I have ever heard

[@judithofficial982]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3yWkn6EgK-aobs

[@isabelhoch3713]

you mean meta?

[@user-rn3yr7lc8l]

@@judithofficial982 excuse me but what does that have to do with anything going on here?

[@MicheleDelGiudice-mykys]

@@user-rn3yr7lc8l it's a bot, don't interact with it.

[@user-en7dx1qp3k]

@@isabelhoch3713 I think they're saying "metal" as a synonym for "badass"

[@huggledemon32]

I love that the more “serious” or supposedly “realistic” drama shows didn’t really get it “right” but the spookier ones DID! 🤷‍♀️🤣🥰

[@tajtaj187]

Cool lady! Exciting life she must have had, and ofc it’s not like the movies. Takes experience, 100% commitment and confidence, few have it and they do not let people know they do have that. You can tell she is a true expert in her job, trained a bunch of people and maybe even was an amazing field agent. Very cool lady indeed. I also do the same, critical of movies like “that implausible, that’s not possible” 😂 not very fun for others but I also love a good spy movie and comedy’s, spy hard and fletch are soooo good

[@aaronliu9945]

"Ben Affleck is playing my husband, Tony Mendez" What a life this woman has had. She also has a book and she's done a Reddit AMA that I'm definitely about to go read

[@ArtoriusBravo]

Would you mind sharing that ama link? Sounds like a good read.

[@davidbouchard8963]

omg thank you for this!

[@octupleye3489]

@Website guy They probably deserved it

[@jonathanbien3685]

@Website guy deserved it = not innocent #MindBlown

[@godlygamer911]

@Website guy casualties of war, think about the even more innocents she has probably saved that will never know it

[@mauroghen9157]

its nice to notice how shes really trying to choose her words at times to avoid talking about probably still classified info

[@DukeApples]

She also does not speak in definitives, talking about things that may have happened.

[@rimckd825]

You would love Amaryllis Fox's book about the CIA.

[@jsophiapriatna4194]

The part about the "special school for women spies-trainee" tho

[@ahhwe-any7434]

Her face freezes remind me of my guinea pigs.

[@mobabyhomeslice]

The rule of not disguising yourself as clergy, media, or Peace Corps is a very smart one. Of course, not many foreign enemies believe that. I have some missionary friends who have been accused of being spies.

[@jadegreen3567]

whatever the CIA says they "don't do"...its the opposite.

[@dsmith3687]

I would love to hear her thoughts on Burn Notice. One of my favorite shows, and always wondered how much of it is actually plausible.

[@francescaiannuzzi9577]

Imagine being her grandchild, Just imagine all those badass stories

[@wasilaify]

Over freshly baked cookies by grandma

[@xxwoah.its.kasandraxx2088]

Imagine sneaking out😭

[@therandomchicken6517]

Xx woah.its.kasandra Xx bruh you wouldn’t even get out of your room before she knows

[@GP-ci8qt]

Non disclosure agreements bro. She's legally obligated not to share

[@jbetfifty5904]

@@xxwoah.its.kasandraxx2088 you go to your dealer. They rip off a mask and boom. Grandma

[@usdepartmentoftreasuryinte6052]

They need to fire whoever keeps putting stupid clips after every sentence she says

[@your_dad_on_vacation]

I know right? They did that with the hacker guy too So f**king annoying

[@ashtonmiller1186]

@@your_dad_on_vacation ugh yea like cmon shes so amazingly sophisticated and they ruined it with their unfunny humour

[@ik6non712]

i read that as setting the guy on fire

[@usdepartmentoftreasuryinte6052]

@@ik6non712 that works too

[@idkanameforthis]

SEND ME HATE ON MY VIDEOSSS..

[@ytfreak55]

The admiration that I feel for this woman is astounding.

[@lynnielie8312]

She’s the coolest literally. I love her she seems so sweet and fun to talk to

[@katecoman521]

She just casually mentions an agent killing themselves in order to prevent an interrogation. Just like it’s as interesting as the weather.

[@tinaloye2014]

Right?!? That was frightening

[@Caffeinatedown]

She’s seen a few things most of us couldn’t even imagine. I feel like this lady looks like a mom who makes the best lasagna and yet is a totally brutal master of spy design.

[@MasumiSeike]

@@tinaloye2014 was it really? I mean we see these things all the time in movies and read it in books. We see so much what happen in the world right now with torture and war.. does it really surprise you that someone can talk about htat without flinching?

[@tinaloye2014]

MasumiSeike yes. It does. Just because you see it and hear about it doesn't mean that violence and death is ever easier to find out about

[@Avengedtenfold]

I mean if you follow the subtext it's not that shocking to me. In some of the places a spy might be captured it's all but assured they will be tortured and thanks to the nature of the business still might not get out alive with a confession; Choosing death over that seems like a personal but logical decision, if an inhuman one.

[@yannick9208]

What about the most accurate spy movie of all time: *Spy Kids*

[@cyroshard1909]

Too accurate. She might spill something confidential.

[@lillianpilon8003]

Mmmmmhmmm

[@udita920]

Hahah... U guys r so funny

[@nehanatarajan]

That was a leaked mission

[@glowinthedarkspider3118]

Too confidential, if people find out about the truth behind it, the world of espionage will never recover

[@belhougoldenwind]

I love how the three best disguises according to a literal former CIA agent are in The Americans, Alias and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

[@crhu319]

And the quick changes are best carried out by knockout gorgeous starlets (Jennifer Garner, Meagan Fox). Which makes sense as outfit quick change is an advanced girl technology. Well beyond male comprehension.

[@voyaristika5673]

How interesting. I knew nothing of how disguises are used or that there was a person in charge of it. Very enlightening video. Thanks!

[@laurenjcoates]

"in this clip ben affleck is playing my husband" what a flex

[@britt1953]

Yooo that’s exactly what I just commented lol

[@lauramannoni9814]

Ben afflex

[@danf8172]

Lmao ikr way to flex on all of us

[@jtoatm5923]

Lauren yeah it’s crazy. Really sad he died a few months before this video was uploaded 😦

[@malakmohsin5603]

Right

[@ville7213]

"We don't have stores of maintenance uniforms or military uniforms, but we can arrange... anything." This woman scares me.

[@monmayor1467]

The one with the L-Pill pen, i have read (or watched) a story about the spy who took a sip on his pen when he was about to write his confession (maybe it was the story she was telling)...he was taken to hospital and every nurse and doctor who got into the room and inhaled whats coming out in his mouth died. I believe it was about 6 doctors that died not including the 2 men that took him there and nurses.

[@mindtheprivacy]

That pause, tho...

[@couchcaptain9379]

@@monmayor1467 Considering that she said he was dead before he hit the floor I would say this is not the same story. Frankly, yours sounds absolutely ludicrous.

[@monmayor1467]

@cak01vej i'm not really sure about the authenticity of the story i read. I can't find it on google

[@siennathompson6136]

What is the substance put in the pen? Must be hella potent and faster acting then cyanide.

[@KarenCurr]

What an informative and entertaining video to watch! Thank you!

[@namitales]

I just love listening to her talk. So engaged, bless her. Why did I JUST find this?

[@ppoppoiop6336]

Plot twist: she's actually a 25 y/o black man.

[@Zainab-wb4zi]

White chickss whooo

[@Un1234l]

Hey, it's 2019.

[@TheeLuLuGirl]

Yooo she can actually be wearing a disguise while doing these videos to conceal her idenity

[@plot6520]

I want to see that... It would be super funny

[@AmeraRecords]

ppoppoiop 🤣🤣🤣

[@trude8073]

I vote for having this lady do a 8 hour podcast just talking about "the funny stories". Please, pretty please!

[@medeaworbs6970]

I don't think she'd be allowed to talk about those in detail

[@trude8073]

@@medeaworbs6970 I´m late to my own thread. Sorry. But yes - probably. She could make them up, I'll still be happy!

[@joshthefantasydude9254]

727 likes... A palindrome.

[@kaytitompkins1546]

She actually did tell one of her stories on the podcast ISpy!

[@trude8073]

Ramzes Motoa oh my, you are a fluffy happy unicorn aren't you😂

[@wannamonslo9626]

I read a novel once entitled “The Last Patriot” in which an officer acted on the premise that the uniform makes the best disguise because it is never out of place.

[@keywestfan2503]

The thing with Superman is that Clark is hiding in plain sight. It’s really not a disguise. It works in the sense that no one would expect essentially a god to ever impersonate a mere mortal human. No one sees Superman when they look at Clark because it just doesn’t register that someone as powerful as Superman would ever impersonate a bumbling buffoon like Clark

[@mythical_pizza]

Stating that a movie scene could have been used "as a training film" for the CIA is probably the highest compliment a director could get for accuracy. Sure, anyone can say that, but granted that Jonna makes it well known how much of an expert she is, even jokingly, that's high praise.

[@calderonjd30]

Yes...but didn't she also say never to draw that much attention to your self in a disguise 🤔... The disguise in that movie was way to flashy

[@yasumitodaka1013]

@@calderonjd30 Sometimes it's about reverse psychology. Sometimes it's about the indifference of people towards such outfits.

[@pokaay3163]

@@calderonjd30 ever heard of the phrase “hidden in plain sight?” When someone is being searched, people might remember the flashy redhead, but they won’t suspect her on account of how *different* she seemed. she was no longer some regular joe, which is what people would have asked for when referencing her original profile. A disguise like hers wouldn’t have even entered most people’s radars for someone to suspect, simply because she was so believably irrelevant to the case.

[@uwish5356]

@@pokaay3163 nice take

[@TynamM]

@@pokaay3163 Yeah. In some circumstances 'flashy redhead' is great - as long as that's the ONLY thing people are going to remember about you.

[@hiran8627]

The way she says "Ben Affleck plays my husband" actually means, "Ben Affleck should be proud, not the other way around"; and I agree.

[@marianakiselova6913]

No doubt about that

[@lill5447]

Thanks a lot lady. Argo is literally what I do for a living and my country. I'm a Canadian who works on filming locations

[@kellistorie7917]

I heard you on the Ted Talk Radio Hour earlier this evening. Very interesting interview. Glad to have you pop up in my YT feed. I'm not a big spy-movie fan, but, I appreciate the art of costuming and disguise.

[@19billdong96]

Me: that clip is purely outlandish Hollywood bullsh*t *Her: spot on, training material*

[@bluelogik7300]

makes sense though, it's probably what makes it a good disguise

[@devilmaycare42]

Ok so you can say 'My husband is playing Ben Affleck' but being able to say 'Ben Affleck is playing my husband'...that's a whole new level

[@iamseamonkey6688]

it really shows how good they are at their job if people don't believe it's even real

[@dragoncoffee2949]

You nobody, her high ranking CIA ...

[@tomk3732]

It was maybe spot on for CIA but not for some real spy agencies like KGB - main idea of a spy is to be a blend in person not an outlandish red girl that *everyone* notices and will not forget for weeks. You do not want to be to "hot" or very ugly. You want to be the definition of "average". Notice that computer hackers don't need great looks/ flashy clothing to socially engineer targets.

[@doombine2012]

"We can arrange.. anything." Such a confidence. I love her talking.

[@Knifegash]

@Misanthropic Trilobite She was given a task and she performed. When you are in the upper echelon of society and your job has global ramifications, either you're the one to get it done or you will fail and be replaced and your country will revile your name.

[@Itz_Worm]

@Misanthropic Trilobite The way her face and voice changes when she mentions those three are off limits makes me think that: A) There used to be an unwritten rule of not using those 3, and B) She was around to see the Old Guard be replaced with new blood who no longer followed those policies.

[@timschommer8548]

@Misanthropic Trilobite You are talking as if the world is simplistic and black and white when there are thousands of shades in between. Maybe save the hate until you've walked a few miles in their shoes and had to make the kinds of decisions that they have. Yes, it is quite likely that many of the decisions made by government agencies like these are decisions that most people, including myself, would find reprehensible, but there are strong reasons for making them and I don't consider myself god enough to condemn someone I don't know, without knowing what decisions they have made and why they made them. No one forced you to come here, so if your only reason for coming was to hate, then don't.

[@bestkill6888]

@Misanthropic Trilobite You really are a clown.

[@pamallen2498]

You are great! I truly enjoyed everything you talked about.

[@GrannySweets]

These are my Most Favorite to watch online, thank you!