Very few actors possess the same kind of range as displayed by Sacha Baron Cohen. Whether it’s pulling off a comedy or playing the role of a spy whose life is in turmoil, Sacha Baron Cohen has been there and done it all. Apart from being known as a spectacular actor, Sacha Baron Cohen also often takes up the roles of a writer, director, and producer. Cohen’s ability across the various streams of filmmaking is unmatched, making him an overall powerhouse. His contributions eventually culminated in three Academy Award Nominations, two for writing and one for acting.
Having already achieved so much across the multiple disciplines of filmmaking, it seems like Sacha Baron Cohen is just getting started. Here are some of his best performances, ranked.
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8 Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Paramount Pictures
Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is mostly remembered for Johnny Depp’s stellar portrayal of Sweeney Todd. That being said, Sacha Baron Cohen managed to do a great job as Adolfo Pirelli, a faux Italian barber. Adding another tool to his arsenal, Cohen flexed his singing muscles and catapulted his small, yet significant role to another level.
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7 Bruno (2009)
Universal Pictures
Bruno, directed by Larry Charles, is a mockumentary, comedy film that stars Sacha Baron Cohen as a homosexual, fashion guru who vows to make it big in America. Bruno is a riot that ranges from absolute hilarity to disgust in a matter of seconds. The film features Cohen’s distinct stylistic social commentary that humorously summarizes the state of society. On many instances, the film was approached like a mockumentary, putting unknowing subjects in the same room as Bruno and then capturing the ensuing hilarity. From appearing on a Dallas TV morning show to a gay wrestling match before an actual crowd, Bruno is a cocktail of all emotions that border around comedy.
6 Les Misérables (2012)
After positively shocking the fans with his singing chops in Sweeney Todd, Sacha Baron Cohen took things up a notch with Les Miserables. In the musical, Baron Cohen, along with his on-screen wife, Helena Bonham Carter, play a greedy couple called the Thénardiers. The plotting couple go to extreme lengths to ensure Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), sticks around until her debt is paid. Despite having a heavyweight ensemble cast with the likes of Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, and Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen nails his portrayal of the eccentric Thénardier.
5 The Spy (2019)
Netflix
When The Spy was released, it propelled Sacha Baron Cohen to the echelons of great actors with emotional depth and gravitas. No longer considered a comic guy, making the most of farcical situations, Cohen displayed a side to him that many didn’t know existed. The Spy is the real-life story of Israel’s greatest spy, Eli Cohen, who went deep undercover for the Mossad in the ’60s. The show was met with critical acclaim and Cohen’s somber, yet calculative portrayal of Eli Cohen was the icing on the cake.
4 The Trial of The Chicago 7 (2020)
The Trial of The Chicago 7 is a 2020 film that’s directed by writer-turned-filmmaker Aaron Sorkin. The film revolves around The Chicago Seven, a group of anti-Vietnam War protestors who were charged with conspiracy for crossing state lines to incite a riot. The Trial of The Chicago 7 is a hard-hitting film, that deals with societal topics ranging from war to racism through the lens of satire and dark humor. The film stars many prominent actors such as Eddie Redmayne and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Sasha Baron Cohen does a brilliant job portraying Abbie Hoffman, the real-life founder of the Youth International Party.
3 Da Ali G Show (2000)
HBO
Considered by many to be Sacha Baron Cohen’s breakout show, Da Ali G Show revolves around Cohen embodying three different, eccentric characters. For his first character, Cohen plays the role of Ali G, an aggressively idiotic, self-proclaimed hip-hop journalist. The other two characters on the show are Borat, a reporter from Kazakhstan, and Bruno, a gay, Austrian fashion enthusiast. In the show, Cohen successfully creates a multiverse of comic madness with his three weirdly endearing personas.
2 Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
20th Century Fox
What started from the show, eventually led to an Academy Award nomination in 2007 and 2021. Borat is the tale of a lunatic on the loose in America. The film is a satirical take on the cultural regression of the Middle East, and its juxtaposing impact on the rest of the world.
1 The Dictator (2012)
Continuing his long love for farcical humor, Sasha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator is probably one of his most hilarious films. In the film, Cohen plays the role of Aladeen, a wholly idiotic, yet vindictive monarch, who goes to America for an event, but has an identity crisis when his uncle has him kidnapped. The Dictator at times can be a little too mindless and caricatured; but it makes up for it by having a soul in equal measures. If you’re in the mood for something light yet stupid, check it out.
