“She’s an incredible actor,” Baron Cohen said during a recent video interview promoting “Borat 2.” “We interviewed 600 young women from all around the world and she’s hilarious. She is one of the most courageous actors in history. If she doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar then that’s a travesty.” Baron Cohen continued, “She’s hilarious and has the capacity to deliver a scene and make you cry. That’s what finally got her the part. When we did the breakup scene in the movie, I had to stop it because I felt myself getting quite emotional. She’s one of a kind. Imagine coming to America for the first time and you’re playing a role with real people in some terrifying situations. She got through it all. She’s a revelation.”
Bakalova stars in “Borat 2” as Tutar Sagdiyev, the 15-year-old daughter of Baron Cohen’s eponymous character. The actress has proven to be the breakout sensation of the comedy sequel, most notably for a controversial interview she did with Rudy Giuliani that ended with the two of them drinking in a hotel room and getting touchy with one another. Bakalova is a Bulgarian actress who has left many critics impressed with how she keeps up and surpasses at times Baron Cohen’s trademark improvisational comedy. In his review of “Borat 2,” IndieWire chief critic Eric Kohn called the sequel “a welcome showcase for Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova,” adding, “She scores some of the movie’s most outrageous moments, from a grotesque period gag at a debutante ball to a monologue about masturbation delivered to a terrified meeting of older women Republicans. Their shock is our subversive delight: the opportunity to see a restrictive world forced to confront its boundaries and unable to process their existence.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
