Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sacha Baron Cohen
Discover the career path of Sacha Baron Cohen, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen is an English actor and comedian renowned for his satirical characters like Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Aladeen. His work has garnered critical acclaim, including two BAFTA TV Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a SAG Award. He has also been nominated for three Academy Awards and six Primetime Emmy Awards, solidifying his status as a prominent figure in comedy and entertainment.
1996: Presented F2F for Granada Talk TV
In 1996, Baron Cohen began presenting the youth chat programme F2F for Granada Talk TV and appeared in an advertisement for McCain Microchips.
1996: Developed Borat Character
In 1996, the Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev was first developed for short skits on F2F on Granada Talk TV, presented by Baron Cohen. At this time, the character was known as Alexi Krickler.
1997: Borat on F2F
In 1997, Borat continued to appear on F2F on Granada Talk TV.
September 1998: First Aired on The 11 O'Clock Show
On September 1998, Ali G started appearing on the British television show The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4.
1998: Started in The 11 O'Clock Show
In 1998, Baron Cohen began his television career in the late-night series The 11 O'Clock Show.
2000: Starred as Ali G in Da Ali G Show
In 2000, Baron Cohen created and starred as Ali G in the satirical sketch comedy show Da Ali G Show.
2000: First feature film appearance
In 2000, Baron Cohen made his first feature film appearance in the British comedy The Jolly Boys' Last Stand. Also in 2000, he played Super Greg for Lee Jeans advertisements.
2000: Da Ali G Show began
In 2000, Da Ali G Show began. Also in 2000, Baron Cohen appeared as Ali G in Madonna's music video "Music".
November 2001: MTV Europe Music Awards
On November 8, 2001, Sacha Baron Cohen presented the MTV Europe Music Awards as Ali G in Frankfurt, Germany.
2002: Wrote, produced and starred in Ali G Indahouse
In 2002, Baron Cohen wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy film Ali G Indahouse.
2002: Ali G Indahouse film released
In 2002, the film Ali G Indahouse, starring Ali G, was released.
2003: Da Ali G Show exported to the United States
In 2003, Da Ali G Show was exported to the United States for HBO, with new episodes set there.
November 2005: MTV Europe Music Awards
On November 3, 2005, Sacha Baron Cohen presented the MTV Europe Music Awards as Borat in Lisbon, Portugal.
2005: Voiced King Julien XIII in Madagascar film series
In 2005, Baron Cohen began voicing King Julien XIII in the Madagascar film series.
November 2006: Rolling Stone interview
In November 2006, Rolling Stone published an interview with Sacha Baron Cohen, which the magazine labelled as "his only interview as himself".
December 2006: British Comedy Awards
In December 2006, Sacha Baron Cohen appeared out of character to accept an award at the British Comedy Awards, stating that Borat was unable to attend.
2006: MTV Movie Awards
At the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Borat introduced Gnarls Barkley's performance of "Crazy", making a comment about Jessica Simpson.
2006: UK premiere of Borat
At the 2006 UK premiere of Borat at Leicester Square, Sacha Baron Cohen arrived in a cart pulled by a mule and made controversial statements.
2006: Wrote and starred in Borat
In 2006, Baron Cohen wrote and starred in the movie Borat, for which he received a Golden Globe Award.
2006: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
In 2006, Sacha Baron Cohen appeared in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby as Jean Girard, the arch rival of Will Ferrell's character.
January 2007: Fresh Air interview
On January 4, 2007, Sacha Baron Cohen appeared in an interview out of character with Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air.
December 2007: Announced Retirement of Borat Character
On December 21, 2007, Baron Cohen announced he was retiring the character of Borat.
2007: Acted in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
In 2007, Baron Cohen acted in the drama film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
September 2008: Fashion show incident
On September 26, 2008, Sacha Baron Cohen, in-character as Brüno, walked onto the catwalk during the Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada fashion show in Milan, disrupting the show.
2008: Became member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
In 2008, Baron Cohen became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Actors Branch.
July 2009: Baron Cohen's appearance on "Late Show with David Letterman"
During a July 2009 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Sacha Baron Cohen made comments that led to Ayman Abu Aita including David Letterman in his lawsuit, based on Cohen's claims that Abu Aita was a "terrorist".
2009: Wrote, produced and starred in Brüno
In 2009, Baron Cohen wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy film Brüno.
September 2010: Set to play Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody
In September 2010, it was confirmed that Sacha Baron Cohen was set to play Freddie Mercury in the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic.
February 2012: Banned from the 84th Academy Awards
In February 2012, Sacha Baron Cohen, in character as Admiral General Aladeen, claimed he was banned from attending the 84th Academy Awards. The Academy denied banning him but clarified he was not welcome to use the red carpet for a promotional stunt.
2012: Wrote, produced and starred in The Dictator and acted in Les Misérables
In 2012, Baron Cohen wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy film The Dictator and acted in the drama film Les Misérables.
2012: Madagascar film series ended
In 2012, Baron Cohen's work with the Madagascar film series concluded.
2012: First-look deal with Paramount Pictures
In 2012, Sacha Baron Cohen and his production company, Four By Two Films, signed a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures.
2012: Les Misérables
In 2012, Sacha Baron Cohen portrayed Thénardier in the film version of the musical Les Misérables.
July 2013: Drops out of Bohemian Rhapsody
In July 2013, Sacha Baron Cohen dropped out of the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic due to creative differences with the surviving members of Queen.
2013: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
In 2013, Sacha Baron Cohen appeared as a BBC News Anchor in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.
2014: Deal with Paramount Pictures renewed
In 2014, the first-look deal between Sacha Baron Cohen's production company and Paramount Pictures was renewed for three years.
December 2015: Donation to Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee
On December 28, 2015, Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher donated £335,000 to Save the Children and the same amount to the International Rescue Committee to help Syrian refugees.
2016: Wrote, produced and starred in Grimsby
In 2016, Baron Cohen wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy film Grimsby.
2016: Grimsby film released
In 2016, Sacha Baron Cohen's film Grimsby (The Brothers Grimsby in the US) was released, receiving mixed reviews and failing at the box office.
2018: Created and starred in Who Is America?
In 2018, Baron Cohen created and starred in the Showtime satirical mockumentary series Who Is America?, earning a Golden Globe nomination.
2018: Borat Returns
In 2018, the character Borat was brought back on an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
2019: Portrayed Eli Cohen in The Spy
In 2019, Baron Cohen portrayed Eli Cohen in the Netflix limited series The Spy, receiving a Golden Globe nomination.
June 2020: Baron Cohen crashes right-wing protest
In June 2020, Sacha Baron Cohen, disguised under heavy make-up, crashed the "March for Our Rights 3" protest in Olympia, Washington. He sang a song attacking liberals and various entities, later revealed to be part of filming for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. He was eventually forced to flee in a private ambulance.
September 2020: The Trial of the Chicago 7 released
In September 2020, The Trial of the Chicago 7, in which Sacha Baron Cohen portrayed Abbie Hoffman, was released to positive reviews.
2020: Starred in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and The Trial of the Chicago 7
In 2020, Baron Cohen starred in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, earning a Golden Globe nomination, and he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Trial of the Chicago 7.
2020: Donation of PPE to NHS workers
In 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher partnered with Marc Benioff to send a planeload of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to National Health Service workers in the UK.
2020: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm released
In 2020, the sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm was released, for which he won another Golden Globe Award.
2021: Voiced Uncle Ugo in Luca
In 2021, Baron Cohen voiced Uncle Ugo in the film Luca.
2023: Open letter to President Biden
In 2023, Sacha Baron Cohen was one of the actors to sign an open letter to President Biden calling for the release of all hostages taken by Hamas.
October 2024: Donation to Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee
In October 2024, Sacha Baron Cohen donated $500,000 to Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee to support their work tackling a displacement crisis and famine in Sudan.
November 2024: Disclaimer miniseries release
The Apple TV+ miniseries Disclaimer, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, ran from October to November 2024.
July 2025: Ironheart appearance
In July 2025, Sacha Baron Cohen made a guest appearance in the Disney+ miniseries Ironheart, where he portrayed Mephisto.
2025: Starred as Mephisto in Ironheart
In 2025, Baron Cohen starred as Mephisto in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with the miniseries Ironheart.
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