Sacha Baron Cohen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sacha Baron Cohen
Baron Cohen at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival
Born	Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (1971-10-13) 13 October 1971 (age 53) London, England
Alma mater	Christ's College, Cambridge
Occupation	Comedian actor
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Isla Fisher ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2024)​
Children	3
Relatives	Erran Baron Cohen (brother) Ash Baron-Cohen (cousin) Sir Simon Baron-Cohen (cousin) Dan Baron Cohen (cousin)

Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian and actor. He is famous for creating and playing funny, made-up characters. These include Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen.

In 2012, Baron Cohen won an Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards. He accepted it as his character Ali G. In 2013, he received the BAFTA Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy. The Times newspaper named him one of the 30 best living comedians in 2018.

Baron Cohen started his career in television. He won Best Newcomer at the 1999 British Comedy Awards for The 11 O'Clock Show. He then created and starred as Ali G in Da Ali G Show (2000–2004). This show earned him two BAFTA Awards. Later, his show Who Is America? (2018) got him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. In 2019, he played Eli Cohen in the TV show The Spy. He was nominated for another Golden Globe for this role.

He has also been in many funny movies. These include Ali G Indahouse (2002), Borat (2006), and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020). Other comedies are Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Brüno (2009), and The Dictator (2012). He has acted in serious films too. These include Sweeney Todd (2007) and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). He also voiced King Julien XIII in the Madagascar movies.

Baron Cohen has been nominated for two Academy Awards. He has also received six Golden Globe Award nominations, winning three times. Two wins were for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Borat and its sequel. He also won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy as a producer for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

Early life and education

Sacha Noam Baron Cohen was born in Hammersmith, London, on 13 October 1971. His parents were Jewish. His mother, Daniella Naomi, was a photographer born in Palestine (now Israel). His father, Gerald Jerry Baron Cohen, was a clothing store owner born in London. Sacha grew up Jewish in London and speaks Hebrew fluently. His grandfather added "Baron" to their family name.

He went to two independent schools in Hertfordshire. Then, he studied History at Christ's College, Cambridge. He graduated in 1993. At university, he wrote about Jewish activists in the American civil rights movement. He was also part of the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club.

Career beginnings

When he was young, Baron Cohen played the cello. He first appeared on TV in a show called Fanfare for Young Musicians. He admired comedians like Monty Python and Peter Cook. His biggest comedy hero was Peter Sellers, known for playing many different characters. Baron Cohen said Sellers greatly influenced his comedy ideas.

After university, Baron Cohen worked as a fashion model for a while. In the early 1990s, he hosted a local TV show in Windsor. In 1995, he sent a tape to Channel 4 for a new TV presenter role. On the tape, he played Kristo, a fictional Albanian reporter. This character later became Borat Sagdiyev. Baron Cohen hosted Pump TV from 1995 to 1996.

In 1996, he presented F2F, a youth chat show. He also had a small role in a TV ad. He studied clowning in Paris at the École Philippe Gaulier. His teacher, Philippe Gaulier, called him "a good clown, full of spirit." Baron Cohen's first movie role was in The Jolly Boys' Last Stand (2000).

Famous characters

Sacha Baron Cohen is best known for his unique characters. He often uses them to interview real people who don't know he's playing a role. This creates funny and sometimes thought-provoking situations.

Ali G

Baron Cohen as Ali G giving a speech at Harvard in 2004

Ali G is a made-up character who pretends to be a British hip-hop fan from Staines. He speaks in a special way, mixing English with other expressions. Ali G first appeared on The 11 O'Clock Show in 1998. He quickly became famous. In 1999, Baron Cohen won Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards for this role.

His own show, Da Ali G Show, started in 2000. It won a BAFTA for Best Comedy. Ali G also appeared in Madonna's "Music" video in 2000. He interviewed famous people like David Beckham for charity.

In 2002, Ali G starred in the movie Ali G Indahouse. In the film, he gets elected to the British Parliament. His TV show also went to the United States in 2003.

In 2012, Baron Cohen accepted an award as Ali G at the British Comedy Awards. He joked about growing up and moving out of his grandma's house.

Borat Sagdiyev

Baron Cohen as Borat in 2006

Borat Sagdiyev is a fictional journalist from Kazakhstan. He was first created for short sketches in 1996. Borat's humor comes from making fun of society. He does this by saying outrageous things and breaking social rules.

The movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan came out in 2006. It follows Borat as he travels across the US to make a documentary. He also tries to marry Pamela Anderson. The movie is a "mockumentary," meaning it looks like a documentary but is fake. It interviews Americans and makes fun of parts of American culture.

Baron Cohen won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Borat in 2007. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for the movie's script. In 2007, Baron Cohen published a travel guide as Borat. He said he would retire the character because people knew him too well. However, Borat returned in 2020 for the sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Baron Cohen won another Golden Globe for this film.

Brüno Gehard

Brüno is another character played by Sacha Baron Cohen. He is a very stylish, openly gay fashion show presenter from Austria. Brüno's comedy makes fun of the fashion and clubbing world. He often asks people to answer questions with funny phrases like "Vassup" or "Ich don't think so."

A movie about Brüno, called Brüno, was released in 2009. Baron Cohen created fake companies and websites to trick people into interviews for the film.

Admiral General Aladeen

In 2012, Baron Cohen starred in the film The Dictator. He played Admiral General Aladeen, a dictator from a made-up country called Wadiya. The movie makes fun of real-life dictators.

Baron Cohen famously appeared as Admiral General Aladeen at the 84th Academy Awards in 2012. He carried an urn he claimed held the ashes of a real dictator. He "accidentally" spilled the "ashes" (which were flour) on TV host Ryan Seacrest.

Who Is America?

In 2018, Baron Cohen created the TV show Who Is America? For this show, he played several new characters. One was Erran Morad, an Israeli anti-terrorism expert. As Morad, he interviewed many public figures. Some of them later said they felt tricked by Baron Cohen.

In one famous part of the show, Morad talked about a program called "Kinderguardians." He suggested arming children as young as three with guns. He interviewed politicians who seemed to support this idea. Baron Cohen has said that Who Is America? will not have a second season. This is because people now know his tricks, making it harder to surprise guests.

Other acting roles

Baron Cohen has appeared in many other films and TV shows. He was a guest star in Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also voiced King Julien in the Madagascar movie series. He played Jean Girard in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006).

He acted alongside Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd (2007). He was also in Martin Scorsese's film Hugo (2011). In 2012, he played Thénardier in the movie version of Les Misérables.

Baron Cohen has hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards twice, once as Ali G and once as Borat. He also appeared as a BBC News reporter in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).

In 2016, he starred in Grimsby and co-starred in Alice Through the Looking Glass. In 2020, he played political activist Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7. This film received very good reviews.

Activism and charity

Sacha Baron Cohen is also known for his charity work and speaking out on important issues. He has given money to many causes and children's charities. These include helping people in Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia.

He is a founder of Stop Hate For Profit. This group criticizes social media companies. Baron Cohen has spoken publicly against racism, antisemitism, and online hate speech.

In 2015, he and his wife, Isla Fisher, donated £335,000 (about $500,000) to Save the Children. This money helped vaccinate children in northern Syria against measles. They also gave the same amount to the International Rescue Committee to help Syrian refugees. Baron Cohen has also supported children and families during a hunger crisis in Somalia. He helped fund a maternity hospital in Yemen.

In 2019, the Anti-Defamation League gave him an award for fighting against prejudice. In his speech, Baron Cohen strongly criticized internet companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter. He called them "the biggest propaganda machine in history."

In 2020, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher helped send medical protective gear to healthcare workers in the UK. In 2023, he spoke at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington. In October 2024, he donated $500,000 to help people affected by a crisis in Sudan.

Personal life

Sacha Baron Cohen met Australian actress Isla Fisher in 2001. They got engaged in 2004 and married in a Jewish ceremony in 2010. They have two daughters and one son. They used to live in London and Los Angeles but now live in Sydney, Australia. In April 2024, they announced they had filed for divorce.

Baron Cohen has said he is proud of his Jewish identity. He tries to keep kosher and attends synagogue a couple of times a year. He is fluent in Hebrew. He spent a year in Israel as a volunteer on a kibbutz.

Film and TV appearances

Sacha Baron Cohen has been in many films and television shows. Here are some of his notable roles:

Film

Television

Awards and recognition

Sacha Baron Cohen has won many awards for his comedy and acting.

• In 2001, he won two BAFTA Awards for Da Ali G Show.
• In 2007, he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in Borat.
• In 2019, he received the Anti-Defamation League's International Leadership Award for his work against prejudice.
• In 2021, he won two more Golden Globe Awards for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Best Actor and Best Motion Picture.
• He also won a Writers Guild of America Award for the script of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
• In 2021, he won a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the cast of The Trial of the Chicago 7. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his role in that film.
• In 2021, he received the MTV Movie & TV Awards Comedic Genius Award.

Images for kids

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  Sacha Baron Cohen at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival

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  Baron Cohen giving a commencement speech as Ali G at Harvard in 2004

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  Baron Cohen as Borat in 2006