Another crucial step that went into making sure that the "Argo" film-within-a-film seemed legitimate was getting the backing of a major Hollywood producer. Mendez went to Lester Siegel, played by Alan Arkin. Like many people that Mendez brought his idea to, Siegel thought that pretending to make a film was a terrible idea, but still went along with it. Arkin's performance as the foul-mouthed producer was widely praised, and even landed him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Arkin's character might be great, but he also doesn't actually exist. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Arkin explained that Siegel was actually a composite character. When creating the character, Arkin stated that he used Jack Warner, one of the co-founders of Warner Bros. (the studio that actually distributed the film), as a basis.
"He's someone who is very comfortable in his own skin," Arkin said to THR, "someone who knew the ins and outs of the business, backwards and forwards."
