Sacha Baron Cohen's Biography
Early Life and Education
Sacha Baron Cohen was born on 13 October 1971 and grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb, in north west London.
Sacha Baron Cohen, like fellow comedian Matt Lucas, went to Haberdashers' Aske's school and then studied history at Christ's College, Cambridge.
After University, Sacha Baron Cohen helped set up a comedy club on the London circuit and also performed stand-up.
Television Career
One of Baron Cohen's earliest TV appearances was performing shorts on Paramount TV in the UK, where he displayed nerves of steel as he, with a straight-face, approached important fashion designers asking strange questions as Bruno, a camp TV reporter from Austria.
However, his major breakthrough came with the Ali G character, which flourished on Channel Four's The 11 O'Clock Show, which also featured Ricky Gervais.
The popularity of Ali G led to not only his own spin-off show, Da Ali G Show, but also to the character Ali G delivering The Alternative Christmas Message on Channel Four in 1999.
In 2019, he starred as Eli Cohen in the television drama series The Spy.
Film Career
Like Sacha Baron Cohen's other famous character Borat, the TV reporter from Kazakhstan, Ali G had huge success in the USA.
Unlike Borat, however, the film Ali G Indahouse was released in the UK in 2002, but not in the States.
On the other hand, Borat: Cultural Learning of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan was a major box office success in the USA, even taking the number one spot for a while.
Such was Sacha Baron Cohen's success that he was featured in the Time 100 in 2007.
In July 2008 it was reported that Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell would star in a comedy version of Sherlock Holmes. The two had co-starred in the 2006 film Talladega Nights.
Sacha Baron Cohen had previously starred in Sweeney Todd.
In July 2009, Sacha Baron Cohen's new film Bruno, revolving around one of his comedy personae, the Austrian fashionista Bruno went on general release.
On 13 December 2012, Sacha Baron Cohen won the outstanding achievement award at the British Comedy Awards. Thirteen years beforehand, he had won the best newcomer award at the event.
In 2016, he wrote, produced and starred in the film Grimsby. In 2024, a dispute arose with his co-star Rebel Wilson.
In 2020, along with Mark Rylance, Frank Langella, Eddie Redmayne, and Michael Keaton, Sacha Baron Cohen starred in Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Personal Life
In October 2007, Sacha Baron Cohen and his then fiancée, the actress Isla Fisher, had a baby girl. They married in 2010 and, as at 2016, had two girls and one boy.
In August 2023, Variety reported that Baron Cohen was bringing back Ali G for a stand-up comedy tour.
In 2024 Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher announced they were getting divorced.
News
On 27 December 2015, Save the Children announced:
"Today Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher have made a $1 million donation split equally between Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee to support victims of the conflict in Syria."
Back to Top
