Sacha Baron Cohen Reveals Near-Death Moment While Filming ‘Borat’: “The Joke Suddenly Did Not Seem Very Funny”

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Sacha Baron Cohen shared a scary story about filming his 2006 movie Borat during a Reddit Q&A session while promoting his film The Brothers Grimsby. He explained that a particular scene nearly ended in disaster.

Cohen said he generally only participates in scenes he finds incredibly funny. However, he confessed he doesn’t always consider the potential consequences beforehand.

He explained that he struggles with forethought, often failing to consider how he’ll feel when actually performing ideas he develops with colleagues in the writers room. He doesn’t fully think through the consequences of his actions.

Cohen recounted a particularly memorable and unpleasant experience involving a nude wrestling scene he’d pitched. He explained that the idea had seemed hilarious during a writers’ room discussion, but became deeply unsettling when it was time to film. He was faced with a naked producer who weighed 260 pounds and, according to Cohen, hadn’t practiced good hygiene in decades, which completely ruined the joke for him.

Cohen recounted a particularly difficult moment while filming Borat. He described a nude fight scene where he ended up with a 250-pound man’s buttocks pressed against his face, making it difficult to breathe.

During filming, Sacha Baron Cohen nearly passed out due to lack of air. He’d previously arranged a signal with the director – three taps on the mattress – to indicate he was in trouble. “If you watch the Borat movie, you’ll see me hit the mattress three times,” Cohen explained, “but the director kept filming. That left me with a terrible choice: either risk dying or breathe in the awful air from my co-star’s area. I actually decided I was willing to die in that moment.” Fortunately, his co-star shifted, allowing him to complete the scene.

Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is a funny, fake documentary directed by Larry Charles. Sacha Baron Cohen plays Borat, a made-up journalist from Kazakhstan who travels around the United States. A lot of the movie wasn’t planned ahead of time, and features real Americans reacting to Borat as if he were a real foreigner. The film was made with support from both the U.S. and the U.K., and it’s one of several movies based on characters Cohen created for his show, Da Ali G Show.

Borat, released by 20th Century Fox in November 2006, was a global success, earning $262 million. Sacha Baron Cohen won a Golden Globe for his performance, and the film was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Borat received nominations for prestigious awards, including the Academy Award and Writers Guild of America Award, for its screenplay. Despite causing controversy before it came out and receiving criticism from some people involved, the film is now widely considered one of the best comedies of the 2000s and beyond.

The film received widespread praise from critics. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe declared it both wonderfully silly and the year’s funniest movie. Michael Medved gave it a strong 3.5 out of 4 stars, noting its ability to be both hilarious and uncomfortable. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone enthusiastically recommended it as outrageously fun, while The Atlantic called it potentially the funniest film in ten years.

As a film critic, I have to say this one really holds up. It’s consistently appeared on ‘best of’ lists – The Guardian named it one of the top films of the 2000s, and later, they placed it at number 23 on their list of the greatest films of the 21st century. What’s even more telling? Apparently, even James Cameron himself is a fan!

This story highlights just how far Sacha Baron Cohen would go to create comedy. His dedication to his craft, even when it meant putting himself in danger, explains why some of his film scenes are so shocking and unforgettable.

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2025-12-22 11:45