In this detailed breakdown of his career, actor Sacha Baron Cohen reveals the intricate methods, philosophies, and real-world risks behind his most iconic characters. He explains how his training in "Bouffon," a form of medieval satire, shaped the confrontational comedy of Ali G. Cohen delves into his process of complete immersion, detailing how early experiences with Borat forced him to stay in character for days at a time, a technique he later taught his co-star for Borat 2. He recounts numerous life-threatening situations, including being stormed by an armed crowd at a gun rally and narrowly escaping a riot at a UFC event while filming Bruno. Beyond his improvisational work, Cohen discusses his approach to scripted roles, such as playing Abbie Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Eli Cohen in The Spy, and his collaborations with legendary directors like Martin Scorsese and Alfonso Cuarón, whom he works with to learn and refine his craft.
Sacha Baron Cohen on the Method and Mayhem Behind His Characters
0:00:30 The Roots of Ali G: Sacha Baron Cohen explains that his character Ali G is not a traditional clown but is based on "Bouffon," a medieval form of satire taught by his clown teacher, Philippe Gaulier. The goal of Bouffon is to mimic and undermine those in power.
0:02:02 The Art of Undercover Performance: Cohen describes the intense process of being undercover, constantly reading his subjects' body language for suspicion. He recounts a tense early interview with Donald Trump, who was immediately disappointed and reluctant upon meeting Ali G.
0:05:05 The Origin and Dangers of Borat: He shares a story from his early days as Borat where he was seated next to the actual Moldovan ambassador at a dinner. To save his cover, Cohen accused the ambassador of being a spy and managed to get him thrown out.
0:06:19 Committing to the Character: After an interview subject noticed his modern underpants, Cohen realized he had to maintain his characters' authenticity down to the smallest detail. This led to him staying in character for hours or even days, as seen in a three-day scene for Borat 2.
0:07:28 Using Fear as a Tool: Cohen explains that he taught Maria Bakalova, his co-star in Borat 2, to channel her genuine fear and adrenaline into her performance, making her character feel vibrant and alive on screen.
0:09:12 A Near-Fatal Gun Rally: While disguised at a gun rally during the filming of Borat 2, Cohen performed a provocative song that led to the crowd storming the stage. He had to escape in an ambulance as armed men tried to pull him out.
0:11:03 Finding Humanity in Misinformation: Cohen reflects on staying with two conspiracy theorists for Borat 2. Despite believing Hillary Clinton drank the blood of children, they were kind and urged Borat to love his daughter, leading Cohen to conclude that good people can be led astray by misinformation.
0:12:31 The "Pointy" Missile and Elon Musk: An improvised scene in The Dictator, where his character insists a nuclear missile must be more "pointy" to be scary, reportedly inspired Elon Musk to make a SpaceX rocket more pointed.
0:15:00 The Improvised Kiss in "Talladega Nights": Cohen based his French F1 driver character on his clown teacher. The famous kiss scene with Will Ferrell was an improvised idea that shocked the 1,000 NASCAR fan extras, who began booing.
0:17:14 Escaping a Riot in "Bruno": While filming a scene where he and his assistant kiss in a UFC fighting cage in Arkansas, the crowd grew hostile. A trained fighter jumped the cage to attack him, forcing Cohen and his crew to escape through a pre-built trapdoor.
0:19:15 The Challenge of a Scripted Role: For Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7, Cohen had to abandon improvisation. To give the director options, he would perform the same monologue three different ways in one continuous take.
0:22:23 Creating King Julien for "Madagascar": After his initial voice idea was rejected, Cohen based the voice of King Julien on a relative. He successfully argued for the character to be an idiot, which led to the creation of Maurice, his intelligent sidekick.
0:24:45 Learning from Martin Scorsese in "Hugo": Cohen reveals he actively developed his character for Hugo, suggesting a backstory involving a WWI injury and a romance. He praises Scorsese for his willingness to incorporate spontaneous, improvised ideas into the film, even if it meant reshooting.
0:26:29 Directing Silently on "Les Misérables": Having joined the production late and blown out his voice during rehearsals for "Master of the House," Cohen had to communicate his comedic blocking to his co-stars by writing everything down, saving his voice exclusively for the live singing takes.