The 2002 film 'Catch Me If You Can' spins a stylish tale of Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio)—pilot, doctor, lawyer, and master check forger—dodging the FBI before eventually switching sides to help them out. While it’s based on a real man who had a flair for deception in the ’60s and ’70s, the truth isn’t quite as slick as Hollywood makes it out to be.
The movie draws from Abagnale’s 1980 memoir of the same name, so you'd expect a true story, at least in theory. But even before Hollywood added its signature sparkle, the original tale was already full of exaggerations; it turns out the real-life con wasn’t quite as glamorous as the version on screen.
Click through the gallery to uncover the charm, the cons, and the blurry line between fiction and reality.