Sacha Baron Cohen, a renowned British actor and comedian, was born in Hammersmith, London, to a family with a rich cultural heritage. His father, Gerald Baron Cohen, was born in England and raised in Wales, and was of Eastern European Jewish descent, while his mother, Daniella (Weiser),was born in Israel to German Jewish parents. Baron Cohen was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Hertfordshire, a private school, and later read History at Christ's College, Cambridge.
During his time at university, Baron Cohen developed an interest in performing, forming a breakdancing group as a teenager and acting in amateur plays with a Jewish youth group. He was an active member of the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club, taking part in productions such as "Cyrano de Bergerac" and "Fiddler on the Roof".
After leaving university, Baron Cohen briefly worked as a model before moving on to host a satellite TV station. His big break came in 1995 when Channel 4 put out an open call for new presenters, and Baron Cohen sent in a tape featuring himself in character as an Albania TV reporter, an early prototype for Borat. He was hired and went on to work on various "youth TV" projects before appearing in "The 11 O'Clock Show" in 1998, which became a cult hit thanks to his character, Ali G.
Ali G proved so popular that a spin-off show "Da Ali G Show" and film "Ali G Indahouse" were produced. Baron Cohen's success in Britain soon led to opportunities in the United States, where he appeared in a stateside version of "Da Ali G Show". He then went on to work in feature films, providing the voice of Julien in "Madagascar" and appearing alongside Will Ferrell in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby".
Baron Cohen's breakthrough film was "Borat" in 2006, for which he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for a writing Oscar. He has since appeared in a range of films, including "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", "Hugo", and "The Brothers Grimsby", as well as starring in the title roles of "Brüno", "The Dictator", and "The Brothers Grimsby".
