Sacha Baron Cohen sarcastically thanks the ‘all-white Hollywood Foreign Press’

Sacha Baron Cohen‘s politically-charged sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm earned two awards on Sunday night during the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

And the comedian, 49, came out swinging as he sarcastically thanked the ‘all-white’ Hollywood Foreign Press Association during his initial acceptance speech, before ripping into his nemesis – and unsuspecting costar – Rudy Giuliani.

Later on in the show, Cohen joked that former president Donald Trump was ‘contesting’ his Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical win – referencing his failed bid to overturn Joe Biden’s recent win.

Winner! Sacha Baron Cohen’s politically-charged sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm earned two awards on Sunday night during the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards

Besides his Best Actor in a Comedy nod, Cohen’s highly anticipated Borat sequel also walked away with the Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical.

‘Thank you to the all-white Hollywood Foreign Press,’ began the English comedian, who was referencing to the recent uproar around the absence of black journalists in the HFPA. 

He then went on to thank his ‘co-star,’ with audiences at home automatically assuming he was referring to actress Maria Bakalova, who played Borat’s 15-year-old daughter in the film. 

But in actuality, Cohen was jokingly gushing over his ‘costar’ Rudy Giuliani, who he admitted ‘this film could not have been possible’ without.

Taking digs: And the comedian, 49, came out swinging as he sarcastically thanked the ‘all-white’ Hollywood Foreign Press Association during his initial acceptance speech, before ripping into his nemesis – and unsuspecting costar – Rudy Giuliani

Cringe: In the film Rudy  was seen leaning back after actress Maria Bakalova took his mic off and seemingly putting his hands down his pants 

‘Who could get more laughs out of one unzipping? Incredible,’ he continued, referencing to Giuliani’s infamous hand-in-pants moment during a hotel scene with Maria.

Rudy has since insisted that he performed the action in order to adjust his microphone and that it was void of inappropriate intent.

Sacha continued: ‘Our movie was just the beginning for him. Rudy went on to star in a string of comedy films, including Four Seasons Landscaping, Hair Dye Another Day and the courtroom drama A Very Public Fart.’

After ruthlessly laying into Giuliani, Sacha put his jokes to rest and went on to thank those who made the Borat sequel possible.

When returning to the screen to accept his Best Actor honor, Sacha made sure his political bases were covered, as he openly mocked Donald Trump’s outrage over the recent presidential election.

His side of the story: Late last year, a beleaguered Giuliani insisted he was tucking in his shirt in the movie scene and didn’t have his hand down his pants

‘Hold on, Donald Trump is contesting the result,’ began Cohen as he pretended to hold a phone to his ear. 

He was joined on screen by his wife of over 10 years, Isla Fisher, who could hardly contain her laughter. She was also seen leaning in to give him a kiss.

‘He’s claiming that a lot of dead people voted, which is a very rude thing to say about the HFPA,’ Sacha quipped.

In January, Cohen revealed the purpose of his Borat sequel was to convince viewers to vote against Trump in the presidential election and the infamous Giuliani honey trap scene that captured him with his hand down his pants makes him ‘happy’.

Cohen released the mockumentary comedy Borat Subsequent Moviefilm in October during the build up to the presidential election and it shows him crashing the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Fictional daughter: Actress Maria Bakalova, who played Borat’s daughter in the movie and who was able to honey trap Giuliani, pictured above 

He also filmed a fake interview with Trump’s lawyer Giuliani and rubbing shoulders with QAnon conspiracy theorists at anti-lockdown protests.

The movie tells the story of his character Borat Sagdiyev, a fictional Kazakhstani journalist, venturing to America to offer his daughter Tutar, played by Maria Bakalova, as a bride to Vice President Mike Pence.

‘I don’t want to egotistically imply that people would watch Borat and not vote for Trump, but that was the aim,’ Cohen said in a feature interview with Variety.

In one scandalous scene Borat’s daughter tries to interview Giuliani at a hotel suite for a documentary called Keeping America Alive, but he was clueless it fake, and once there he laid on the bed and put his hand down his pants.

‘I do feel happy that every time his name is mentioned as he tries to undermine the election, people are reminded that this is the guy with his hand down his underpants,’ Cohen said on the scene.

Antics: In the film Borat put on a Trump mask and crashed CPAC carrying his daughter over his shoulder shouting to speaker Vice President Mike Pence, ‘I have the woman for you!’

He claims that scene almost didn’t take place because Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City, refused to take a rapid COVID test, violating the strict safety protocols Baron Cohen and his producers set to shoot the film amid the pandemic.

‘There was this debate of what do we do? Do we go ahead with this scene? What happens if he has coronavirus? We concluded that it was worth the risk,’ the comedian revealed.

Footage of the scene immediately went viral and Giuliani insisted he was tucking his shirt in – but the Borat cast disagree. He believed he was going to be genuinely interviewed and had no idea it was a set-up.

‘The movie is out, and everybody can see it the way they want to see it,’ Bakalova, who had pretended to try to interview him in the scene, said.

‘I felt like he would not do that with a man, and I should be seen as a woman and not as a sexual object,’ she added.

Joker: Cohen later joked that former president Donald Trump was ‘contesting’ his win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical. Pictured with wife Isla Fisher

Much of the film sought to expose the shortfalls of Trump’s administration and the then-president’s bigotry.

This year’s Golden Globes ceremony, which usually takes place in early January, were pushed back to February 28 as Hollywood continues to adjust to the coronavirus pandemic and new safety guidelines.

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey return to host for the fourth time. The comedy duo did the honors in 2013, 2014 and 2015. 

It is the first ever awards show to be broadcast from two separate coasts. 

Fey, 50, is broadcasting from atop New York City’s Rockefeller Center in the Rainbow Room and Poehler, 49, in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the ceremony is usually held annually.

Guess who’s back? Besides his Best Actor in a Comedy nod, Cohen’s highly anticipated Borat sequel also walked away with the Golden Globe for Best Comedy or Musical

Nominees will be tuning into the ceremony remotely but presenters have been asked to appear in person.

The impressive list of presenters this year includes; Awkwafina, Cynthia Erivo, Annie Mumolo, Joaquin Phoenix, Kristen Wiig and Renee Zellweger, Kevin Bacon, Sterling K. Brown, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Margot Robbie, Tiffany Haddish, Anthony Anderson, Kate Hudson and Kenan Thompson.

Satchel and Jackson Lee, children of three-time Golden Globe nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and producer/philanthropist Tonya Lewis Lee, are serving as the 2021 Golden Globe Ambassadors.

Jane Fonda, 83, is receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award, an accolade for film. The acting icon has previously won Golden Globes for her roles in Klute, Julia and Coming Home.

Norman Lear will be honored with the Carol Burnett Award, a counterpart to the DeMille Award that focuses on life achievement in television. The writer, director and producer is a six-time Golden Globe winner.

Thankful: ‘Thank you to the all-white Hollywood Foreign Press,’ began the English comedian, who was referencing to the recent uproar around the absence of black journalist in the HFPA

Nominations were announced on February 3 with streaming giant Netflix receiving 42 nominations across film and television.

David Fincher’s Mank lead with six nominations across film, while The Crown also topped the TV categories with the same number of nominations.

Netflix smash-hit Emily in Paris found itself as one of the more controversially nominated shows, landing a nomination for best TV series, musical or comedy. The show’s star, Lily Collins, also got a nod for best actress.

Much of the uproar surrounding the nomination stems from the snubbing of Michaela Coel, whose HBO drama I May Destroy You failed to land any nominations.

Deborah Copaken, one of the writers of Emily in Paris, even spoke out to criticize the Hollywood Foreign Press for shunning Coel.

In good company: He was joined on screen by his wife of over 10 years, Isla Fisher, who could hardly contain her laughter

Copaken tweeted that it was ‘just wrong’, and later expanded on her thoughts in an op-ed for the Guardian.

‘Am I excited that Emily in Paris was nominated? Yes. Of course. I’ve never been remotely close to seeing a Golden Globe statue up close, let alone being nominated for one,’ she wrote.

‘But that excitement is now unfortunately tempered by my rage over Coel’s snub. That I May Destroy You did not get one Golden Globe nod is not only wrong, it’s what is wrong with everything.

‘We need art that reflects all of our colors, not just some. But we also need to give awards to shows (and music and films and plays and musicals) that deserve them, no matter the color of the skin of their creators,’ she went on to write.

Last year’s 77th Golden Globes, hosted by Ricky Gervais, averaged 19.2 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched network telecasts of 2020.

Sealed with a kiss: As they celebrated his big win, a proud Isla leaned in to give the screen star an affectionate kiss on the lips

GOLDEN GLOBES 2021: THE WINNERS

 MOVIES 

Best Motion Picture, Drama

The Father

Mank

Nomadland – WINNER

Promising Young Woman

The Trial of the Chicago 7

On the road again: Nomadland won the top honor in film Best Motion Picture, Drama

 

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – WINNER

Hamilton

Music

Palm Springs

The Prom

 

Best Director

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

David Fincher – Mank

Regina King – One Night in Miami

Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland – WINNER

Trailblazing: Chloe Zhao became just the second woman to win for directing in 78 years

 

Best Screenplay

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Jack Fincher – Mank

Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller – The Father

Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7 – WINNER

Chloé Zhao – Nomadland

Best Foreign Language Picture

Another Round

La Llorona

The Life Ahead

Minari – WINNER

Two of Us

 

Best Animated Picture

The Croods: A New Age

Onward

Over the Moon

Soul – WINNER

Wolfwalkers

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Andra Day – The United States vs Billie Holiday – WINNER

Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman

Frances McDormand – Nomadland

Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman

Big moment: Andra Day was the surprise winner in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama category

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – WINNER

Anthony Hopkins – The Father

Gary Oldman – Mank

Tahar Rahim – The Mauritanian

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Maria Bakalova – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Kate Hudson – Music

Michelle Pfeiffer – French Exit

Rosamund Pike – I Care a Lot – WINNER

Anya Taylor-Joy – Emma

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

Sacha Baron Cohen – Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – WINNER

James Corden – The Prom

Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton

Dev Patel – The Personal History of David Copperfield

Andy Samberg – Palm Springs

Winner! Sacha Baron Cohen’s politically-charged sequel Borat Subsequent Moviefilm earned two awards

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Glenn Close – Hilbilly Elegy

Jodie Foster – The Mauritanian – WINNER

Olivia Colman – The Father

Amanda Seyfried – Mank

Helena Zengel – News of the World

 

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Sacha Baron Cohen – The Trial of the Chicago 7

Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah – WINNER

Jared Leto – The Little Things

Bill Murray – On the Rocks

Leslie Odom Jr – One Night in Miami

 

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture

The Midnight Sky

Tenet

News of the World

Mank

Soul – WINNER

 

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture

Judas and the Black Messiah

The Life Ahead – WINNER

One Night in Miami

The Trial of the Chicago 7

The United States vs Billie Holiday

TELEVISION 

Best Television Series, Drama

The Crown – WINNER

Lovecraft Country

The Mandalorian

Ozark

Ratched

Triumphant: The Crown nearly swept all of the dramatic television categories including Best Television Series, Drama as creator Peter Morgan accepted the award

 

Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical

Emily in Paris

The Flight Attendant

The Great

Schitt’s Creek – WINNER

Ted Lasso

 

Best Limited Series, Anthology or TV Movie

Normal People

The Queen’s Gambit – WINNER

Small Axe

The Undoing

Unorthodox

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Drama

Olivia Colman – The Crown

Jodie Comer – Killing Eve

Emma Corrin – The Crown – WINNER

Laura Linney – Ozark

Sarah Paulson – Ratched

Crowning achievement: Emma Corrin beat out her The Crown co-star Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth II) in the Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Drama category 

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series, Drama

Jason Bateman – Ozark

Josh O’Connor – The Crown – WINNER

Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul

Al Pacino – Hunters

Matthew Rhys– Perry Mason

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical

Lily Collins – Emily in Paris

Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant

Elle Fanning – The Great

Jane Levy – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Catherine O’Hara – Schitt’s Creek – WINNER

Legend: Catherine O’Hara earned the win in the Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical for her role in Schitt’s Creek

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV series, Comedy or Musical

Don Cheadle – Black Monday

Nicholas Hoult – The Great

Eugene Levy – Schitt’s Creek

Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso – WINNER

Ramy Youssef – Ramy

 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology or TV Movie

Cate Blanchett – Mrs America

Daisy Edgar-Jones – Normal People

Shira Haas – Unorthodox

Nicole Kidman – The Undoing

Anya Taylor-Joy – The Queen’s Gambit – WINNER

Checkmate: It was also a big night for Anya Taylor-Joy as she won Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology or TV Movie for The Queen’s Gambit

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology or TV Movie

Bryan Cranston – Your Honour

Jeff Daniels – The Comey Rule

Hugh Grant – The Undoing

Ethan Hawke – The Good Lord Bird

Mark Ruffalo – I Know This Much Is True – WINNER

 

Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series

Gillian Anderson – The Crown – WINNER

Helena Bonham Carter – The Crown

Julia Garner – Ozark

Annie Murphy – Schitt’s Creek

Cynthia Nixon – Ratched

 

Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series

John Boyega – Small Axe, “Red, White and Blue” – WINNER

Daniel Levy – Schitt’s Creek

Brendan Gleeson – The Comey Rule

Jim Parsons – Hollywood

Donald Sutherland – The Undoing

No axe to grind: The second award of the night went to John Boyega in the Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series category for his role in Small Axe “Red, White and Blue”

 

Advertisement