He’s At It Again
He may not have landed the Freddie Mercury biopic that he wanted, but Sacha Baron Cohen has still been turning heads as of late with his series Who is America? While many find his satire and political commentary to be relevant, impactful and funny as can be, some haven’t enjoyed the experience. Mainly, Roy Moore. Out of all of the “guests” who fell for Cohen’s act, the failed candidate seems to have taken it the most personally, since he’s now suing the comedian for a ludicrous amount. While watching him find a way to call Moore a paedophile on television is certainly out there, it’s by far not the cringiest accomplishment of Cohen’s career.
#5: Modern Art
“Who Is America?†(2018)
Back again with his latest series, as we’re introduced to yet another of his characters; Rick Sherman, an ex-con with a passion for creating art…out of his own bodily waste. Here, he meets an art consultant to pitch his new works to, even bringing samples and horrifying tales. The segment is already hard to watch before Rick is hit with inspiration and comes back with a new piece. But the true cringe-inducing moment is when he manages to convince said consultant to supply him with a strand of her pubic hair to add to his collection. The lengths people will go to for art, eh?
#4: The Elephant
“Grimsby†(2016)
Sacha doesn’t have to be meddling in mockumentaries to create outrageous moments, and this scene for “Grimsby†is one you won’t forget in a hurry. Baron Cohen plays Nobby Butcher, the football hooligan older brother to Mark Strong’s MI6 agent, Sebastian. Here, the pair are trying to outrun some gunmen, so Nobby finds an unconventional hiding place. But, although the bad guys lose their trail, the brothers have another big problem on their hands. It’s graphic, relentless and Mark Strong must be wondering if Hollywood’s all it’s cracked up to be.
#3: Awards Show Shocker
“Britannia Awards†(2013)
As we’ve seen, Baron Cohen has history with award show stunts, and this is an acceptance speech unlike any other. On stage to receive the 2013 Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy, the presentation supposedly involves an 87-year old actor who starred with Chaplin as a kid. But the special guest is soon at the centre of apparent tragedy, when Sacha slips, and kills her. The whole thing’s a prank, of course, but he had us going for a second there.
#2: Interviewing a ‘Terrorist’
“Brüno†(2009)
Sacha’s made a career out of pushing the boundaries for comedy, but this “Brüno†interview seemed to seriously overstep the mark. The scene sees Brüno talk with a supposed member of a dangerous terrorist group, but the man had no such links. With Sacha maintaining the facade for the promo trail as well, the outraged interviewee reportedly received death threats, and eventually filed a lawsuit against Baron Cohen for defamation of character. A settlement was agreed in 2012.
#1: Naked Hotel Wrestling
“Borat†(2006)
It’s probably Sacha’s most memorable scene, and easily his most outrageous. And nothing shows the all-out insanity of Borat better than this moment. Enraged when his producer pleasures himself over pictures of Pamela Anderson, the crazed Kazakh launches a no-holds-barred, naked attack. And the full-on fight can’t be contained to just one hotel room, as the action moves from the corridors to the foyer, and to a conference room packed with bewildered onlookers. Little did they know they were watching classic comedy in the making.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Funniest Awards Show Speeches Ever.
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