14 DAY TRIAL // Sacha Baron Cohen is a man few people know, since he’s mostly famous for his outrageous and, according to many, incredibly offensive alter-egos, the likes of Ali G, Borat and, most recently, Bruno. The Daily Mail, though, got to sit down with Cohen himself and make him open up about what it’s like to part with his characters, and whether being someone else has any effect on his personal life.
The British star is, unlike what fans and critics might think of him, a very shy and private person, the publication says. Whereas Bruno, the Austrian fashionista he brings to life in his latest mockumentary, has no problem with baring most of, if not all, his skin in front of the cameras or with talking about the most private aspects of his (fictitious) life, Cohen finds it hard to have attention drawn to him. This is perhaps why he lingers in character for much longer than he should, admitting he has difficulties in saying goodbye.
“When I create a character like Borat or Bruno, I learn to love them. I stay in them for a really long time, and in some ways I do become them.” Cohen shares. However, it’s precisely the popularity of his work that’s making it impossible for him to continue living in his alter-egos.
“It’s wonderful that the films are successful, but every new person who sees the movie is one less person I can be Borat or Bruno with again, so finishing a movie means having to say goodbye. Admitting that you’re never going to play the character again is like saying goodbye to a loved one. And that’s hard.” the comedian explains for the Mail.
Acting was not his or his family’s first choice, Cohen continues. He went to school to become a lawyer and was about to go down that route when he decided he would rather make people laugh than spend time locked in the library, studying for a PhD. By the time he made this decision, he had already perfected a method by which he could invent for himself another person that would get him inside places without paying. He then realized he could turn this into something else, something bigger that would make people laugh.
Ironically enough, the Mail adds, he couldn’t find more contrasting personalities if he tried. “What’s odd is that when Baron Cohen himself finally emerges from behind all this camp buffoonery, he comes across as a quiet, thoughtful man, with handsome features and a beautifully modulated actor’s voice. But he virtually has to be dragged back into his normal personality.” the publication writes. Nevertheless, Cohen knows perfectly well what he’s doing with each of his characters and, from what he’s saying, time is drawing near for Bruno to die, the Mail concludes by saying.