Sacha Baron Cohen is an actor whose best roles often involve controversial characters. One of the comedian’s most famous roles is Borat, but Cohen has revealed that he will likely never play the character again. Why? It appears the actor felt threatened during the production of the 2020 sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
Cohen shared a harrowing story with the SmartLess podcast (first reported by The Daily Mail), detailing how he was forced to hide from a pro-gun mob. He suggests the group was looking to punish him for Borat’s antics in the latest film, where he essentially mocks the crowd for his meta-commentary. Cohen explained on the podcast why he’s likely hanging up the Borat Sagdiyev suit forever: “The last one became so extreme. After that gun rally, I was essentially on the run.”
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The Borat and Hugo star spoke to MovieWeb as his acclaimed new miniseries Disclaimer began streaming on Apple TV+.
In Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, also referred to as Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, the titular fake journalist travels to America to offer his daughter’s hand in marriage to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Borat’s shenanigans in the mockumentary sequel primarily occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 presidential election.
The specific scene in question involves Borat singing at a pro-gun rally in Washington state. A clip from a deleted scene featuring the actor fleeing from the mob went viral ahead of the film’s release in 2020, and now Cohen is offering even more context about the event.
“I had a militia kind of following me. I was going from safe house to safe house for about four days.
It became so crazy that you realize there’s a certain amount of skill and preparation, but also you’re going to be lucky. And at some point, your luck runs out.”
The controversial actor also admits that the film was motivated by the U.S. election that year: “I think the danger element meant I just didn’t want to do it again. I felt I had to do it for that election. I had to do it. I was terrified about what was going to happen.”
The Mystery of Borat is Undeniably Appealing
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was acclaimed upon release, with many celebrating Cohen’s ability to raise the stakes from the previous entry. The film received multiple nominations during awards season, including nods for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Maria Bakalova) at the Academy Awards. At the Golden Globe Awards that same year, the film won the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy award, and Cohen took the Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy award.
While Cohen has admitted some parts of his films are scripted, it’s still a mystery what is real in the film and what is not. Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm not only stands as one of the best movies about politics in the 21st century, but it’s also satire that only a few comedians would dare to attempt. In any case, many will miss the character’s incendiary ability to poke at America’s sensibilities, while those he made fun of probably will not.