Frank Abagnale, Jr. may not be a household name, but the movie Catch Me If You Can made him famous for cashing bad checks. $2,500,000 worth of bad checks in 26 countries, to be exact. Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of the legendary impersonator whose real life story lies just beneath the masks he wore. In Frank’s own words to reporters:
“It begins with my parents’ divorce and its dramatic effect on me. I ran away and suddenly found myself a teenager alone in the world. I had to grow up very quickly and become very creative in order to survive. But what started out as survival became more and more of a game. I was an opportunist, so when I saw an opening I asked myself, ‘Could I get away with that?’ Then there was the satisfaction of actually getting away with it.”