He was voted Personality of the year at the TV Quick awards in London, England, UK. [4 September 2000] Studied History at Christ's College, Cambridge. Engaged to Australian actress Isla Fisher. In contrast to his characters, he is a soft-spoken, gentlemanly Cambridge man who considered pursuing a PhD before going into comedy. He plays three principal characters on "Da Ali G Show" (2003). The title character is Ali G, a lower-class white male who acts like a Jamaican Londoner and enrages his politically active and powerful guests with stupid questions. Another one is the Kazakhstani TV reporter Borat, who naïvely searches for porn and outlets for his scatological, accidental humor and anti-Semitism. The last one is the superficial Austrian fashion expert Brüno, who often talks up heartless fashionistas and makes macho men uncomfortable with his blatant homosexuality. Gave 2004 Harvard class day address in character as Ali G. Appears on talk shows in character; he has rarely appeared as his real self. Nevertheless, he did appear as himself on the Golden Globe Awards show in 2007, as well as on the NPR radio talk show "Fresh Air" with 'Terry Gross (II)'. He was also asked to appear in character (as Borat) at the Oscars, but refused and went as himself. His cousin, Simon Baron-Cohen, is a preeminent psychologist who became famous for his theory that autism is caused by an extreme male brain. Went to Haberdashers' Aske's School for Boys in Hertfordshire, the same school as broadcaster Alan Whicker, "Little Britain" (2003) star Matt Lucas, comedian David Baddiel, and former Formula 1 champion Damon Hill. For Borat, Sacha takes about 6 weeks to grow body, head, and facial hair. For Ali G., the facial hair takes about 4 weeks to grow. When preparing for Brüno, he shaves all of his hair (including body hair), and works out and cleans his body vigorously. During an "All Things Considered" interview in 2004, Baron Cohen told NPR's 'Robert Siegel II)' that he wrote his Cambridge thesis on Jewish involvement in the U.S. Civil Rights movement, focusing especially on the 1964 murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Brother of Erran Baron Cohen, a member of the British electronica world-music group Zöhar. Brüno the reporter, one of his most famous characters, once interviewed Gisele Bündchen. He considers Peter Sellers to be his greatest influence. In 2004 he appeared on the "Howard Stern Show" as himself and went into character on camera. His fiancée Isla Fisher is expecting their first child in 2007. He is good friends with professional wrestler John Cena. He has been a lifelong fan of professional wrestling.
