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Sacha Baron Cohen

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This article is about the British actor and comedian. For the American figure skater, see Sasha Cohen.
This British surname is barrelled, being made up of multiple names. It should be written as Baron Cohen, not Cohen.

Sacha Baron Cohen
Baron Cohen at 68th BFI London Film Festival, Royal Festival Hall, October 2024
Born
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen

(1971-10-13) 13 October 1971 (age 53)
Hammersmith, London, England
Alma materChrist's College, Cambridge
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actor
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active1995–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2010; div. 2023)​
Children3
Relatives

Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (/ˈsæʃə/ SA-shə; Hebrew: סָשָׁה נֹעַם בָּרוֹן כֹּהֵן; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen. At the 2012 British Comedy Awards, Baron Cohen received the Outstanding Achievement Award and accepted the award in-character as Ali G. In 2013, he received the BAFTA Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. In 2018, The Times named him among the 30 best living comedians.

Beginning his career in television, Baron Cohen was named Best Newcomer at the 1999 British Comedy Awards for The 11 O'Clock Show. He created and starred as his character Ali G in Da Ali G Show (2000–2004), receiving two BAFTA Awards. His next television project, Who Is America? (2018) for Showtime, saw him nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy. In 2019, he portrayed Eli Cohen in the limited series The Spy for OCS and Netflix, for which he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film.

Baron Cohen has produced and/or performed in comedic films, such as Ali G Indahouse (2002), Borat (2006) and its sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Brüno (2009), and The Dictator (2012). He has also appeared in dramatic films including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Hugo (2011), Les Misérables (2012), and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). In 2016, he starred in Grimsby and co-starred in Alice Through the Looking Glass. His voice acting roles include King Julien XIII in the Madagascar film series (2005–2012) and Uncle Ugo in Luca (2021).

Baron Cohen has two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, three Golden Globe Award nominations, resulting in two wins for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his work in the feature film Borat and its sequel. In 2021, he received Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his performance as Abbot "Abbie" Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7. He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Actors Branch since 2008.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Sacha Noam Baron Cohen[2] was born into a Jewish family[3] in the Hammersmith area of London on 13 October 1971.[4] His mother, photographer Daniella (née Weiser), was born in British Mandatory Palestine in 1939.[5][6] His father, editor-turned-clothing store owner Gerald "Jerry" Baron Cohen (1932–2016), was born into a Belarusian Ashkenazi Jewish family in London and grew up in the Welsh town of Pontypridd.[7][8][9][10][11] Baron Cohen's paternal grandfather, Morris Moses Cohen, added "Baron" to his surname.[10][12] His maternal grandmother, Liesel (née Levi), lived in Haifa and trained as a ballet dancer in Germany before fleeing the Nazis in 1936.[9][13][14][15] He has two older brothers: Erran, a composer with whom he often collaborates, and Amnon.[16] His cousins include autism researcher Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, playwright Dan Baron Cohen, and filmmaker Ash Baron-Cohen.[17]

Baron Cohen was first educated at the independent Catholic St Columba's College in St Albans, before moving on to attend the independent Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Elstree.[18] He then studied history with a focus on antisemitism at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1993 with upper-second-class honours.[19][20][11] As an undergraduate, he wrote his thesis on the role of Jewish activists in the American civil rights movement.[21] He was a member of the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club, where he performed in shows such as Fiddler on the Roof and Cyrano de Bergerac, as well as acted in shows with the Labour youth movement Habonim Dror.[22] He played the cello while growing up, and made his television debut as a cellist on Fanfare for Young Musicians.[11]

Career

[edit]

Early roles

[edit]

Baron Cohen grew up as a fan of Monty Python and Peter Cook, but his greatest comedic influence was Peter Sellers, whom he saw as "this incredibly realistic actor, who was also hilarious and who managed to bridge the gap between comedy and satire".[23][24] Known for portraying a wide range of comic characters using different accents and guises, Sellers was referred to by Baron Cohen as "the most seminal force in shaping [his] early ideas on comedy".[25] After leaving university, Baron Cohen worked for a time as a fashion model.[22] By the early 1990s, he was hosting a weekly programme on Windsor cable television's local broadcasts with Carol Kirkwood, who later became a BBC weather forecaster. In 1995, Channel 4 was planning a replacement for its series The Word, and disseminated an open call for new television presenters. Baron Cohen sent in a tape of himself, which caught the attention of a producer. Baron Cohen hosted Pump TV from 1995 to 1996.

In 1996, Baron Cohen began presenting the youth chat programme F2F for Granada Talk TV and had a small role in an advertisement for McCain Microchips, as a chef in a commercial entitled "Ping Pong".[26] He took clown training in Paris, at the École Philippe Gaulier, studying under master-clown Philippe Gaulier. Of his former pupil, Gaulier says: "He was a good clown, full of spirit"[27] while Baron Cohen remarks of Gaulier, "Without him, I really do doubt whether I would have had any success in my field".[28] Baron Cohen made his first feature film appearance in the British comedy The Jolly Boys' Last Stand (2000). Also in 2000, he played the part of Super Greg for a series of TV advertisements for Lee Jeans; the advertisements never aired, but the website for Super Greg created an internet sensation.[29]

Characters

[edit]

Ali G

[edit]
Main article: Ali G
Baron Cohen giving a commencement speech as Ali G at Harvard in 2004

Baron Cohen appeared during two-minute sketches as his fashion reporter Brüno on the Paramount Comedy Channel during 1998. He shot to fame with his comic character Ali G, a fictional stereotype of a British suburban male "chav" who imitates urban black British hip hop culture and British Jamaican culture, as well as speaking in rude boy-style English with borrowed expressions from Jamaican Patois. Hailing from Staines (a suburban town in Surrey, to the west of London), Ali G started appearing on the British television show The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4, which first aired on 8 September 1998. A year after the première of the show, GQ named Baron Cohen comedian of the year.[30] He won Best Newcomer at the 1999 British Comedy Awards, and at the British Academy Television Awards he was nominated for Best British Entertainment Performance.[30]

Da Ali G Show began in 2000, and won the BAFTA for Best Comedy in the following year.[31] Also in 2000, Baron Cohen as Ali G appeared as the limousine driver in Madonna's 2000 video "Music", directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who was also responsible for directing the titles for Da Ali G Show. Baron Cohen is a supporter of the UK charity telethon Comic Relief, which is broadcast on the BBC, and as Ali G interviewed David Beckham and wife Victoria in 2001.[32]

In a 2001 Channel 4 poll Ali G was ranked eighth on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters.[33][34] In 2002, Ali G was the central character in the feature film Ali G Indahouse, in which he is elected to the British Parliament and foils a plot to bulldoze a community centre in his home town, Staines.[35] His television show was exported to the United States in 2003, with new episodes set there, for HBO.

At the 2012 British Comedy Awards, 13 years after winning Best Newcomer at the 1999 Comedy Awards, Baron Cohen accepted the Outstanding Achievement Award from Sir Ben Kingsley in the guise of Ali G, and stated: "I is grown up now. I ain't living in my nan's house any more. I is living in her garage."[36] In 2013, he received the BAFTA Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy.[37]

Ali G's interviews with notable figures (especially politicians) gained notoriety partly because the subjects were not aware that Ali G, rather than being a real interviewer, was a comedic character. According to Rolling Stone magazine, Baron Cohen would always enter the interview area dressed as Ali G, carrying equipment while acting like an inconspicuous crew member. The crew would be accompanied by a man in a suit and tie, leading the subject to believe that this was the person who would interview them. Baron Cohen, as Ali G, would sit down to ask the interviewee some preliminary questions to give them the impression that this was a test run before the well-dressed man conducted the real interview; this continued until a few moments before the cameras started filming, revealing the suited man as the director and Ali G as the interviewer, granting Baron Cohen the element of surprise as the interviewee would be less likely to opt out of the interview so close to its start.[38]

Borat Sagdiyev

[edit]
Main article: Borat Sagdiyev
Baron Cohen as Borat in 2006

The Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev was first developed for short skits on F2F on Granada Television in the UK that Baron Cohen presented in 1996–1997, with the character at this time being known as Alexi Krickler.[39] The character remained dormant while Baron Cohen concentrated on his Ali G persona, but with the subsequent success of Ali G, Baron Cohen revisited his Borat character. The character was featured in segments of Da Ali G Show.[40] Borat's sense of humour derives from his mocking of society through outrageous sociocultural viewpoints, his deadpan violation of social taboos and use of vulgar language and behaviour.[41][42]

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, a feature film with Borat Sagdiyev at the centre, was screened at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and released in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2006, in the United States on 3 November 2006 and Australia 23 November 2006. The film follows Sagdiyev as he and his colleague Azamat Bagatov travel the US to produce a documentary about life in the country, as all the while Sagdiyev attempts to enter into marriage with celebrity Pamela Anderson. The film is a mockumentary which includes interviews with various Americans that poke fun at American culture, as well as sexism, racism, homophobia, antisemitism and jingoism. It debuted at the No. 1 spot in the US, taking in an estimated $26.4 million in just 837 theatres averaging $31,600 per theatre.[43]

Baron Cohen won the 2007 Golden Globe for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy, his sixth such award. Although Borat was up for "Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy", the film lost to Dreamgirls. On 23 January 2007, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He shared his nomination with the film's co-writers, Ant Hines, Peter Baynham, Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips.

Aside from the comic elements of his characters, Baron Cohen's performances are interpreted by some as reflecting uncomfortable truths about his audience. He juxtaposes his own Jewish heritage with the anti-Semitism of his character Borat.[44]

In 2007, Baron Cohen published a travel guide as Borat, with dual titles: Borat: Touristic Guidings To Minor Nation of U.S. and A. and Borat: Touristic Guidings To Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.[45] On 21 December 2007, Baron Cohen announced he was retiring the character of Borat.[46] After the release of Borat, Baron Cohen said he would retire Borat and Ali G because the public had become too familiar with the characters.[47] After the release of Brüno, he said he would retire that character.[48]

The character was brought back on a 2018 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and appears in the 2020 sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, for which he won another Golden Globe Award, as well as the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors where he did a standup routine as Borat for the induction of U2.[49]

Brüno Gehard

[edit]
Main article: Brüno Gehard

Another alter ego Sacha Baron Cohen performed as is "Brüno", a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion show presenter who often lures his unwitting subjects into making provocative statements and engaging in embarrassing behaviour, as well as leading them to contradict themselves, often in the same interview. Brüno's main comedic satire pertains to the vacuity and inanity of the fashion and clubbing world. Brüno asks the subjects to answer "yes or no" questions with either "Vassup" (What's up) or "Ich don't think so" (I don't think so); these are occasionally substituted with "Ach, ja!" (Ah yes!) or "Nicht, nicht" ("Nicht" means "no" or "not" in German). In one segment on Da Ali G Show, he encouraged his guest to answer questions with either "Keep them in the ghetto" or "Train to Auschwitz".

In May 2009, at the MTV Movie Awards, Baron Cohen appeared as Brüno wearing a white angel costume, a white jockstrap, white go-go boots, and white wings; and did an aerial stunt where he dropped from a height (using wires) onto Eminem. Baron Cohen landed with his face on Eminem's crotch and with his crotch in Eminem's face, prompting Eminem to exit the venue with fellow rappers D12. Eminem later admitted to staging the stunt with Baron Cohen.[50]

After an intense bidding war that included such Hollywood powerhouses as DreamWorks, Sony, and 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures won and paid a reported $42.5 million for the film rights to a collection of interviews Baron Cohen performed as the character Brüno.[51] To create these interviews a number of shill companies and websites were created to draw potential interviewees by creating an illusion of legitimacy.[52] The film was released in July 2009.

Admiral General Aladeen

[edit]
Further information: The Dictator (2012 film)

Baron Cohen's 2012 film, The Dictator, was described by its press as "the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed".[53] Baron Cohen played Admiral General Aladeen, a dictator from a fictional country called the Republic of Wadiya.[54][55] Borat and Brüno film director Larry Charles directed the film.[56] The main target of the film's satire was Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was still alive when the film was written.[57] The producers of the film were concerned it would anger Gaddafi, possibly even resulting in a terrorist attack, so they released deliberate misinformation saying that the film was loosely based on a romance novel written by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.[57]

On 26 February 2012, Baron Cohen claimed he was banned from attending the 84th Academy Awards in his role as Admiral General Aladeen but the rumour was denied by the Academy, saying "we haven't banned him, he is lying" but made it clear that "Cohen is not welcome to use the red carpet as a platform for a promotional stunt".[58] Baron Cohen eventually appeared at the awards' red carpet with a pair of uniformed female bodyguards, holding an urn which he claimed was filled with the ashes of Kim Jong-il. The "ashes", which Baron Cohen admitted to Howard Stern on the Tuesday, 8 May 2012 episode of The Howard Stern Show was flour, were "accidentally" spilt onto Ryan Seacrest.

Who Is America?

[edit]
Further information: Who Is America?

Baron Cohen portrays various characters in Who Is America?, including Erran Morad, an Israeli anti-terrorism expert. The character is referred to as a colonel (and later captain, general, major, sergeant, brigadier, sergeant corporal and lieutenant) in the Israeli military and a former agent of Mossad (or "not in the Mossad," as he often interjects). Before Who Is America? aired on Showtime, some conservative public figures made statements saying that Baron Cohen had deceived them while in character.[59][60][61] Hours before the premiere, Showtime uploaded the "Kinderguardians" segment on their YouTube channel, in which Morad explains to Philip Van Cleave, the president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, of the proposal of a new program where children ages 3 to 16 are armed with guns. He also interviews other conservatives, such as Dana Rohrabacher, Joe Wilson, and Joe Walsh, who are openly supportive. Only Matt Gaetz expresses skepticism of Morad's proposal and declines to be in his video.

In the second episode, Morad teaches Jason Spencer, a Republican state representative from Georgia, how to detect and repel terrorists by taking pictures up a woman's burqa with a selfie stick, walking backwards while baring his buttocks, and yelling racial epithets. After the airing of the episode, Spencer initially refused to step down, stating that he was exploited by the producers. In May 2018, Spencer lost his primary to a political novice, Steven Sainz,[62] but was expected to serve the rest of his term until November.[63] He eventually did step down on 31 July 2018, leaving the seat vacant.[64]

Baron Cohen has denied Who is America? will return for a second season, noting the publicity surrounding the show and his interviews would make it harder for him to dupe guests.[65]

In 2018, The Times named him among the 30 best living comedians.[66]

Other work

[edit]

Baron Cohen guest-starred in the fifth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, with Dustin Hoffman, as a guide to Heaven. He also provided the voice of the ring-tailed lemur king, King Julien, in DreamWorks Animation's film series, Madagascar, and appeared as Will Ferrell's arch rival, the French Formula One speed demon Jean Girard, in the hit Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006).[67] He also appeared alongside Johnny Depp in the film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) as Signor Adolfo Pirelli, co-starred in Martin Scorsese's adventure film Hugo (2011), and portrayed Thénardier in the 2012 film version of the musical Les Misérables.[68][69][70] He appeared as a BBC News Anchor in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).[71]

Baron Cohen has twice presented the MTV Europe Music Awards, first as Ali G on 8 November 2001, in Frankfurt, Germany, and then as Borat on 3 November 2005 in Lisbon, Portugal. Baron Cohen appeared out of character to accept an award at the British Comedy Awards in December 2006. He said at the time that Borat could not make it to the awards as "he's guest of honour at the Holocaust denial conference in Tehran",[72] referring to the International Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust.

In September 2010, representatives for Baron Cohen confirmed that he was set to play Freddie Mercury in the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic about the rock singer.[73][74] He dropped out of the project in July 2013, citing "creative differences" between him and the surviving members of Queen.[75] Queen guitarist Brian May later said that even though the band and Baron Cohen were on good terms, they felt that his presence would be "distracting". The role was later played by Rami Malek.[76] Baron Cohen shot a spread with model Alessandra Ambrosio for Marie Claire magazine to promote the film Brüno.[77] In 2010, Baron Cohen guest-starred in The Simpsons episode, "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed", as Jakob, a quick-tempered Israeli tour guide.

In 2012, Baron Cohen and his production company Four By Two Films signed a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures,[78] and the deal was renewed in 2014 for three years and a two-film commitment.[79] In Baron Cohen's Grimsby (2016; The Brothers Grimsby in the US), he plays the football hooligan brother of a British MI6 spy. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was a failure at the box office.[80]

Baron Cohen portrayed political activist/anarchist Abbie Hoffman in the drama The Trial of the Chicago 7, with Aaron Sorkin writing and directing. The film was released in September 2020 to positive reviews.[81] He is set to star opposite Keke Palmer in the David O. Russell film Super Toys.[82]

In the media

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Public persona and activism

[edit]

For much of the early part of his career, Baron Cohen avoided doing interviews out of character. However, in 2004, he did the talk show circuit appearing as himself on Late Show with David Letterman, The Opie and Anthony Show, The Howard Stern Show,[83] and others to promote the forthcoming season of his show on HBO. He was also interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered[84] and did an interview with Rolling Stone, published in November 2006, that the magazine labelled as "his only interview as himself".[14] He also appeared in an interview out of character with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air on 4 January 2007.[85]

Borat director Larry Charles explains that Baron Cohen generally appears in character partly to "protect his weakness", by focusing public interest on his characters rather than himself.[86] His other reason, Newsweek claims, is that Baron Cohen is fiercely private: "...according to the UK press, his publicists denied that he attended a party for the London premiere of Borat and that a party even occurred".[86]

Baron Cohen was featured in the Time 100 list for 2007.[87]

Sports Illustrated's 6 November 2006 issue contains a column called "Skater vs. Instigator", which illustrates various amusing "parallels" between Baron Cohen and figure skater Sasha Cohen, ranging from their mutually held personal significance of the number 4[88] to their shared romantic interests in redheads.

On 28 December 2015, Baron Cohen and his wife, Australian actress Isla Fisher, donated £335,000 ($500,000) to Save the Children as part of a programme to vaccinate children in northern Syria against measles; they donated the same amount to the International Rescue Committee, also aimed at helping Syrian refugees.[89] Baron Cohen has also donated to support children and families in Somalia during a severe hunger crisis, and funded the building of a maternity hospital in Hodeidah, Yemen.[90][91][92]

In 2019, Baron Cohen was awarded the Anti-Defamation League's International Leadership Award for opposing bigotry and prejudice. In accepting the award, Baron Cohen gave an impassioned speech directing criticism at internet companies, singling out Facebook, Google, YouTube and Twitter as part of "the biggest propaganda machine in history" and claiming that their rules on hate speech meant "they would have let Hitler buy ads".[93][94]

In 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher partnered with Marc Benioff to send a planeload of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to National Health Service workers in the UK.[95][96]

In June 2020, Baron Cohen crashed the right-wing "March for Our Rights 3" protest in Olympia, Washington, a counter-protest to the March for Our Lives demonstration as a result of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Disguised under heavy make-up, Baron Cohen sang a song telling listeners to attack liberals, CNN, the World Health Organization, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates and "mask-wearers". The crowd, which initially sang along, realized they were being pranked when counter-protestors recognized Baron Cohen and began laughing. Baron Cohen's security stopped the organizers from taking him off stage and turning off the power, and Baron Cohen was forced to flee in a private ambulance from the crowd.[97][98] The incident was later revealed to have been organized as part of filming for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, with Baron Cohen in-character as Borat in disguise.[99]

Baron Cohen is a founding member of Stop Hate For Profit.[100][101][102]

In August 2023, Baron Cohen spoke alongside Martin Luther King III and Rev. Al Sharpton at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington.[103][102]

In October 2023, Baron Cohen was among the members of the Writers Guild of America that called out its guild leaders for not speaking in support of Israel at the height of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.[104]

In November 2023, Baron Cohen was among more than a dozen TikTok creators and celebrities who confronted TikTok executives, alleging TikTok is "creating the biggest antisemitic movement since the Nazis" and that the service could "flip a switch" to silence such videos.[105] In response, the company reportedly pushed back and stated that while the platform regularly moderates antisemitic, anti-Arab racist, and Islamophobic content, it does not moderate nor amplify the spread of content that expresses criticism of what users describe as Israeli settler colonialism, apartheid or the ethnic cleansing and claims of genocide of Palestinians that is growing during the 2023-2024 Israel–Hamas war.[106][107][108]

In October 2024, Baron Cohen donated $500,000 to Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee to help support their work tackling a displacement crisis and famine in Sudan, and called for more aid to support the cause.[90][91][92]

Controversies, criticism and lawsuits

[edit]

Baron Cohen has been criticized for the racist or prejudiced comments his characters have made. HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer replied to the criticism and said, "Through his alter-egos, [Baron Cohen] delivers an obvious satire that exposes people's ignorance and prejudice in much the same way All in the Family did years ago."[109] Regarding his portrayal as the anti-Semitic Borat, Baron Cohen says the segments are a "dramatic demonstration of how racism feeds on dumb conformity, as much as rabid bigotry" rather than a display of racism by Baron Cohen himself.[110] He said, "Borat essentially works as a tool. By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudice."[14] Addressing the same topic in an NPR interview with Robert Siegel, he said, "People really let down their guard with [Borat] because they're in a room with somebody who seems to have these outrageous opinions. They sometimes feel much more relaxed about letting their own outrageous, politically incorrect, prejudiced opinions come out."[84] The grandson of a Holocaust survivor, Baron Cohen said he also wishes in particular to expose the role of indifference in the Holocaust: "When I was in university, there was this major historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw, who said, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.' I know it's not very funny being a comedian talking about the Holocaust, but it's an interesting idea that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite. They just had to be apathetic."[14] Regarding the enthusiastic response to his song "In My Country There Is Problem" (also known as "Throw the Jew Down the Well"), he said, "Did it reveal that [the cheering audience] were anti-Semitic? Perhaps. But maybe it just revealed that they were indifferent to anti-Semitism."[14]

In an interview with former Tory MP politician Neil Hamilton in 2000, Ali G offered Hamilton what was allegedly cannabis, which Hamilton accepted and smoked, creating some minor controversy in the British media.[111]

The government of Kazakhstan threatened Baron Cohen with legal action following the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony in Lisbon, and the authority in charge of the country's country-code top-level domain name removed the website that he had created for his character Borat (previously: http://www.borat.kz) for alleged violation of the law—specifically, registering for the domain under a false name. The New York Times, among others, has reported that Baron Cohen (in character as Borat) replied: "I'd like to state that I have no connection with Mr. Cohen and fully support my government decision to sue this Jew".[112] He was, however, defended by Dariga Nazarbayeva, a politician and the daughter of Kazakhstan's then-President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who stated, "We should not be afraid of humour and we shouldn't try to control everything...".[113] The deputy foreign minister of Kazakhstan later invited Baron Cohen to visit the country, stating that he could learn that "women drive cars, wine is made of grapes, and Jews are free to go to synagogues".[114] After the success of the Borat film, the Kazakh government, including the president, altered their stance on Baron Cohen's parody, tacitly recognising the valuable press coverage the controversy created for their country.[115]

At the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Borat introduced Gnarls Barkley's performance of "Crazy",[116] where he made a comment about Jessica Simpson, saying that he liked her mouth and that he could see it clearly through her denim pants.[117]

At the 2006 UK premiere of Borat, he arrived in Leicester Square in a cart pulled by a mule and a number of "Kazakh women," announcing: "Good evening, gentleman and prostitutes. After this, I stay in a hotel in Kings Cross. We will all drink, wrestle with no clothes on and shoot dogs from the window".[118]

Two of the three University of South Carolina students who appear in Borat sued the filmmakers, alleging that they were duped into signing release forms while drunk, and that false promises were made that the footage was for a documentary that would never be screened in the US. On 11 December 2006, a Los Angeles judge denied the pair a restraining order to remove them from the film. The lawsuit was dismissed in February 2007.[119][120]

On 26 September 2008, Baron Cohen walked onto the runway during the Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada fashion show in Milan. In-character as Brüno, he was wearing a costume made of velcro. He appeared on the stage with a blanket and items of clothing stuck to his velcro suit. Lights were turned off while security intervened and escorted him off the stage, and the fashion show resumed normally shortly thereafter. Baron Cohen and his team had allegedly accessed the fashion show using fake IDs.[121]

On 22 May 2009, a charity worker at a seniors' bingo game sued Baron Cohen, claiming an incident shot for Brüno at a charity bingo tournament left her disabled.[122] However, the worker later retracted her statement, saying the "actor never struck her", but that he "beat her down emotionally to the point she's now confined to a wheelchair".[123] The scene did not make the final cut for the film. The case was dismissed in late November 2009 on Anti-SLAPP grounds, with all lawyer's fees to be paid by the charity worker. The dismissal was appealed and upheld on 12 September 2011.[124][125]

On 30 April 2010, Palestinian Christian grocer Ayman Abu Aita, of the West Bank and former member of Fatah, filed a lawsuit against Baron Cohen, alleging that he had been defamed by false accusations that he was a terrorist in the movie Bruno. Aita included David Letterman in the suit based on comments made during a 7 July 2009 appearance by Baron Cohen on the Late Show with David Letterman.[126] Unlike the other lawsuits, Aita did not sign a release form, and his case centred around whether Baron Cohen's portrayal of Aita was false, not whether he was defrauded.[127] In September 2012, the defamation claim was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, and the court case was dismissed.[128][129][130]

In 2018, former Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama sued Baron Cohen for $95 million relating to a mock interview in Who is America? and allegations of paedophilia.[131][132] On 13 July 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed the lawsuit after finding that Moore had signed a consent agreement barring his claims.[133] Moore has filed notice of his intent to appeal the decision.[134] On 8 July 2022, Baron Cohen defeated the lawsuit.[135]

Personal life

[edit]

Baron Cohen first met Australian actress Isla Fisher at a party in Sydney in 2001, and they became engaged in 2004.[136] She later converted to Judaism,[137] and they were married in a Jewish ceremony on 15 March 2010 in Milan and Paris.[138][139][140] They have two daughters (born 2007[141] and 2010)[142] and a son (born 2015).[143][144] They previously divided their time between the Marylebone district of London and the Laurel Canyon neighbourhood of Los Angeles,[145][146] before settling in Sydney.[147][148] On 5 April 2024, they jointly revealed that they had filed for divorce at the end of 2023.[149]

Baron Cohen has said of his Jewish identity, "I wouldn't say I am a religious Jew. I am proud of my Jewish identity and there are certain things I do and customs I keep."[13] He tries to keep kosher,[13] attends synagogue about twice a year,[13] and is fluent in Hebrew.[150][151] He first acted in theatrical productions with the Labour youth movement Habonim Dror.[152][153] He spent a year in Israel as a kibbutz volunteer at Rosh HaNikra and Beit HaEmek as part of the Shnat Habonim Dror, also taking part in the programme Machon L'Madrichei Chutz La'Aretz for Jewish youth movement leaders. In 2023, he was one of the actors to sign an open letter to President Biden calling for the release of all hostages taken by Hamas.[154][155][156]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Punch Unnamed character Short film
2000 The Jolly Boys' Last Stand Vinnie
2002 Ali G Indahouse Ali G / Borat Sagdiyev Also writer and executive producer
2003 Spyz Ali G / James Bond Short film; Also writer and executive producer
2005 Madagascar King Julien XIII Voice
2006 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Jean Girard MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Will Ferrell)
Borat Borat Sagdiyev Also writer and producer
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Actor of the Year
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Performer
Nominated—Empire Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Irish Film & Television Awards – Best International Actor
Nominated—London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actor of the Year
Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor
2007 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Signor Adolfo Pirelli Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble
2008 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa King Julien XIII Voice
2009 Brüno Brüno Gehard Also writer and producer
Evening Standard British Film Awards: Peter Sellers award for Best Comedy
Nominated—Teen Choice Award Choice Summer Movie Actor
2010 Dinner for Schmucks — Executive producer
2011 Hugo Inspector Gustav Dasté
2012 The Dictator Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen Also writer and producer
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted King Julien XIII Voice
Les Misérables M. Thénardier National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble
Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2013 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues BBC News Reporter Cameo
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Fight
2016 Grimsby Kyle Allen "Nobby" Butcher Also writer and producer
Alice Through the Looking Glass Time
2020 The Trial of the Chicago 7 Abbie Hoffman Also associate producer
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated—MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Performance in a Movie
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Borat Sagdiyev Also writer and producer
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
2021 Luca Uncle Ugo Voice[157]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1988 EastEnders School Student Episode 316
1995 Jack and Jeremy's Police 4 Execution victim Television film
Pump TV Himself (presenter)
1996–1997 F2F
1998 Comedy Nation Various roles 9 episodes
Live from the Lighthouse Ali G Television special
1998–1999 The 11 O'Clock Show 45 episodes; also writer
2000–2004 Da Ali G Show Ali G / Borat Sagdiyev / Brüno Gehard 18 episodes; also creator, writer and executive producer
2004 Borat's Television Programme Borat Sagdiyev / Brüno Gehard 2 episodes; also creator[158]
2005 Curb Your Enthusiasm Larry's guide Episode: "The End"
2006 Night of Too Many Stars Borat Sagdiyev Television special
2010 The Simpsons Jakob (voice)[159] Episode: "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed"
2013 Eastbound and Down Ronnie Thelman Episode: "Chapter 29"
2015 Highston — Executive producer
2018 The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling Himself Television documentary
Seth Rogen's Hilarity for Charity Television special
Who Is America? Various characters 7 episodes; also creator, writer, director, and executive producer[160]
2019 The Spy Eli Cohen 6 episodes; also executive producer
2024 Disclaimer Robert Ravenscroft Main role; miniseries[161]
2025 Ironheart Mystery Man[162] / Mephisto[163] Post-production

Music videos

[edit]
Year Title Role Artist
2000 "Music"[164][165][166] Ali G Madonna

Accolades

[edit]
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2000 British Academy Television Awards Best Entertainment Performance The 11 O'Clock Show Nominated [167]
2001 Best Comedy Performance Da Ali G Show Won [168]
Best Comedy (Programme or Series) Won
2003 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Programming Nominated [169]
Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Alternative) Nominated
2005 Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series Nominated
Outstanding Variety Series Nominated
2006 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Borat Won [170]
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated
Academy Awards Nominated [171]
2007 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Acting Ensemble Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Nominated
2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Les Misérables Nominated
2018 Golden Globe Award Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Who Is America? Nominated [170]
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directing – Variety Series Nominated
2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series Nominated [172]
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series Nominated
Anti Defamation League International Leadership Award Honoree [173]
2020 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film The Spy Nominated [174]
2021 Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Won [175]
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Won
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The Trial of the Chicago 7 Nominated [170]
Capri Hollywood International Film Festival Best Supporting Actor Won [176]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Adapted Screenplay Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Won
Producers Guild of America Awards Best Theatrical Motion Picture Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture The Trial of the Chicago 7 Won [177]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated
Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Nominated [178]
Best Adapted Screenplay Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Nominated
MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Performance in a Movie The Trial of the Chicago 7 Nominated [179]
Comedic Genius Award Won [180]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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[edit]
Media offices
Preceded by MTV Europe Music Awards host
2001 (as Ali G)
2005 (as Borat) 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sacha_Baron_Cohen&oldid=1255307783"