Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and producer, known for his creation and portrayal of fictional satirical characters, including Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Aladeen. Baron Cohen adopts a variety of accents and guises for his characters. He interacts with unsuspecting subjects who do not realise they have been set up.
Baron Cohen has produced or performed in comedic films such as Ali G Indahouse (2002), Borat (2006) and its sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020), Brüno (2009), The Dictator (2012), and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006). He voiced King Julien XIII in the Madagascar film series (2005–2012). Baron Cohen has appeared in dramatic films including Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Martin Scorsese's Hugo (2011), Tom Hooper's Les Misérables (2012), and Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). He made a cameo as a BBC News Anchor in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013). In 2016, Baron Cohen appeared in the comedy film Grimsby and co-starred in the fantasy sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass. He created and starred in Who Is America? (2018) for Showtime, his first television project since Da Ali G Show (2000–2004), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy. In 2019, Baron Cohen 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 was named Best Newcomer at the 1999 British Comedy Awards for The 11 O'Clock Show, and received two BAFTA Awards for Da Ali G Show. He has Emmy nominations, 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, Baron Cohen 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.
In 2013, Baron Cohen received the BAFTA Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. In 2018, The Times named Baron Cohen among the 30 best living comedians. He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Actors Branch since 2008.
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. After the release of Brüno, he said he would retire that character. At the 2012 British Comedy Awards, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award, accepting the award while reprising his Ali G character.
Last Updated: June 9, 2021
