By Sohaib Shams
Sacha Baron Cohen has issued his first public apology to the people of Kazakhstan for his portrayal of the fictional journalist Borat Sagdiyev, acknowledging that the character “has got nothing to do with Kazakhstan.”
Character Origins and Evolution
The 55-year-old comedian explained during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that Borat was initially developed for the BBC as a character from Albania, later changed to Moldova, and finally assigned to Kazakhstan when the project moved to HBO. Cohen mimed randomly pointing at a map, saying he chose Kazakhstan because it was “a place that no one knows anything about.”
Apology at New York Event
Speaking at New York’s 92nd Street Y, Cohen directly addressed Kazakhs in the audience, asking them to “abort that mission” of taking offense. He stated he meant no harm, respected their people and culture, and urged them not to take the portrayal personally.
Kazakh Embassy Complaint
Cohen recalled receiving a complaint from the Kazakh embassy when he first performed the character, which he said was “quite rightly” critical. He admitted he cannot perform a Kazakh accent and acknowledged that Kazakhs “look nothing like Borat,” noting the country borders Mongolia.
Background and Current Work
The apology follows a 2020 public letter from Kazakh Americans who argued the 2006 film Borat and its 2020 sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm caused “irreparable harm to Kazakhstan’s national image.” Cohen is currently promoting another sequel, Ali G: Who Iz I?
