Sacha Baron Cohen Names the Best Actors in the World & One Scene That Nearly Broke Him

We spoke to chameleonic icon Sacha Baron Cohen on the day his new miniseries Disclaimer began streaming on Apple TV+. Working off the acclaimed novel by Renée Knight, Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón wrote and directed the entire small-screen adaptation, which offers a wild array of twists and turns thanks to a dense story about modern journalism and broken families. Cate Blanchett leads the A-list cast, and Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7) plays her troubled husband. Film buffs already know of Blanchett’s extreme talents as an actress, and Baron revealed to us how his extensive experience through those acclaimed mockumentary films paid off in spades to help keep up with performing alongside her:

“She’s such an incredible actor. I mean, she’s one of the legendary actors of screen and stage there. For me, it was easier, actually, because a lot of the reality stuff that I’ve done, you know,
Borat
, those kinds of movies,
I’m working with real people. So I’m used to the best actors in the world
— in other words, real people. So when you’ve got one of the best actors in the world in front of you, it makes my job easier and raises my game, hopefully.”

I’m Crying in It, I’m Screaming, and I’m Insulting, and I’m Drunk

Told in seven chapters, Disclaimer is based on the novel of the same name by Renée Knight. Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett) built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main character in a story that exposes her darkest secrets. As Catherine races to uncover the writer’s true identity, she is forced to confront her past before it destroys both her own life and her relationships with her husband Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen) and their son Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee).

Release Date

October 10, 2024

Seasons

1

Writers

Streaming Service(s)

Directors

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Since Cohen has been in both comedic and dramatic projects of great acclaim, he was able to compare his process in approaching characters for either genre: “It’s pretty similar, really, because it’s the same approach to character, which is, ‘Number 1: What are the lines? What is that character saying?’ And, you know, can that character be the only person on Earth who can say that line?” When playing Robert in Disclaimer, Cohen was steadfast in his approach.

“So with Alfonso, there was a lot of back and forth over the character of Robert.
I didn’t believe some of it. I didn’t believe why that guy would go on that journey
. He said, ‘This is the journey he’s going on.’ So I said, ‘Okay, then we have to incorporate these subtle phrases in, that give tiny, almost subliminal cues to the viewer about this guy’s character, so you don’t go past them.'”

“So there’s a little phrase that I pushed to get in,” added Cohen, “which was, ‘Always happy to be your plus one,’ when he comes back from this award ceremony with his wife. And he’s there, he’s this fantastic, supportive husband… But really, there’s a tiny bit of insecurity and possibly a tiny bit of jealousy.”

Related: These Are the Best Films Shot by Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki

Disclaimer also sees Cuarón reunite with his Oscar-winning Gravity and Children of Men cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, so be prepared for some groundbreaking camerawork in Cohen’s new miniseries. “There’s one scene that we shot as a 15-minute take, which is the scene where I confront [Blanchett’s character], and that was really, really tough because, you know, I’m crying in it, I’m screaming, and I’m insulting, and I’m drunk. And we went again and again and again,” Cohen told us.

You can see the gripping results of all that work in Disclaimer, which is now streaming on Apple TV+. You can watch it through the link below:

Watch Disclaimer