MOVIE NEWS – Sacha Baron Cohen has revealed the reason why he will probably never bring back the controversial character of Borat…
Sacha Baron Cohen is an actor whose best roles are often controversial characters. One of the comedian’s most famous roles is Borat, but Cohen revealed that he will probably never play the character again. How why? Apparently, the actor felt threatened while filming the 2020 sequel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
Cohen shared the harrowing story (first reported by the Daily Mail) with the SmartLess podcast, detailing how he was forced to hide from a pro-gun mob. According to him, the group wanted to punish Borat for his latest antics in the movie, where he essentially mocks the crowd for his meta-commentary. In the podcast, Cohen explained why he will probably hang up the Borat Sagdiyev costume forever: “The last one became so extreme. After that gun rally, I was essentially on the run.”
In the Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (full title “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”), the title character, a pseudo-journalist, travels to America to propose his daughter to US Vice President Mike Pence. Borat’s pranks in the continuation of the mockumentary mainly took place during the COVID-19 epidemic and the 2020 presidential election.
In the scene in question, Borat sings at a pro-gun rally in Washington state. Ahead of the film’s 2020 release, a clip of a deleted scene in which the actor runs away from the crowd has gone viral, and now Cohen is offering even more context for 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 American elections 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 attractive
The Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was critically acclaimed upon its release. Many celebrated Cohen’s ability to raise the stakes compared to the previous instalment. The film received several nominations this awards season, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Maria Bakalova) at the Oscars. At the Golden Globe Awards that same year, the film won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Cohen won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
While Cohen has admitted that parts of his films are pre-written, what is real in the movie and what is not is still a mystery. The sequel is one of the best political films of the 21st century, but also a satire that few comedians dare to attempt. In any case, many will miss the character’s provocativeness with which he teased America’s sensibilities, while those he portrayed probably won’t.
Source: Daily Mail
