The Sacha Baron Cohen timeline
Trace the career of the comedic chameleon from Ali G to Borat to Brüno
1993: Graduates from Cambridge University where he studied history and acted in Footlights, and where his cousin, Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, is a world renowned academic.
1998: After five years of bit-parts and modelling and working for a Jewish youth group Habonim Dror (he is a devout Jew still), Baron Cohen is broke and about to give up on career as a comic actor, and then... the genre-defining Ali G appears on British television on cult late-night topical satirical hit The Eleven O'Clock Show. The following he year wins British Comedy Award for Best Male Newcomer.
2000: Causes scandal by smoking a "joint" with a Tory MP on his own spin-off Da Ali G Show and appears in Madonna clip for Music, assuring her that although her "babylons" look less big than on telly he "still definitely would".
2001: Da Ali G Show wins Best Comedy BAFTA. Overexposed in the UK, Ali G moves to US with HBO.
2002: Release of Ali G Indahouse movie, which reaches #1 at the UK box office.
2004: "Big shout out to de Harvard massiv!" Ali G delivers Harvard commencement address. Sacha Baron Cohen becomes engaged to "me Julie", Aussie actress Isla Fischer.
2005: Appears in season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm as a guide to heaven.
2006: Stars in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby opposite Will Ferrell, winning MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Ferrell). Achieves global fame in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Movie release prompts two lawsuits brought by outraged Romanian villagers and red-faced American college students – both dismissed. The government of Kazakhstan considers legal action, to which Borat responds: "I'd like to state I have no connection with Mr. Cohen and fully support my government's decision to sue this Jew."
2007: Wins Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical. Appears in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with Johnny Depp. Daughter Olive is born.
2008: New character Brüno crashes a catwalk at Milan Fashion Week, causing the show to stop while security escorts him out.
2009: Comes to Sydney to promote Brüno movie.
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