What is Sacha Baron Cohen's Net Worth and Salary?
Sacha Baron Cohen is an English actor, writer, and comedian who has a net worth of $80 million. Prior to their divorce in late 2023, Sacha Baron Cohen and his longtime wife Isla Fisher had a combined net worth of $160 million.
Sacha is most widely known for portraying the humorous fictional characters Ali G, Brüno Gehard, and Borat Sagdiyev. His breakthrough came with "Da Ali G Show" (2000-2004), which showcased his improvisational skills and fearless approach to comedy. He later brought his characters to the big screen with films like "Borat" (2006), "Brüno" (2009), and "The Dictator" (2012), earning critical acclaim and box office success.
In recent years, Baron Cohen has taken on more dramatic roles, such as his portrayal of Abbie Hoffman in "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (2020), for which he received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. He has also been involved in producing and writing, creating shows like "Who Is America?" (2018), which continued to showcase his talent for political satire. During his career, he has received dozens of awards for his comedy work, including several MTV Movie awards and a Golden Globe. Sacha has been nominated for several Emmys as well as an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Early Life
Sacha Baron Cohen was born Sacha Noam Baron Cohen on November 13, 1971, in London, England. His mother, Daniella, was a photographer, and his father, Gerald, owned a clothing store. Daniella was born in Israel, and Gerald (who passed away in 2016) was born in London. Sacha grew up in a Jewish household with older brothers Erran and Amnon, and he attended The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School and studied history at Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating with upper-second-class honours in 1993. He began acting while he was a student at Cambridge University, appearing in stage productions of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Cyrano de Bergerac" with the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club; he also performed in plays at the Habonim Dror Jewish theatre. After leaving Cambridge, Baron Cohen worked as a fashion model until he was offered a job hosting a weekly show with future BBC weathercaster Carol Kirkwood. He then moved on to Channel 4's "Pump TV" (1995 to 1996) and Granada Talk TV's "F2F" (1996). Sacha also trained to become a clown at the École Philippe Gaulier in Paris.
Career
Baron Cohen began appearing on Channel 4's "The 11 O'Clock Show" in 1998, gaining attention for his character Ali G. His work on "The 11 O'Clock Show" led to a Best Newcomer award at the British Comedy Award in 1999 and "GQ" magazine named Sacha the comedian of the year. In 2000, he appeared in his first movie, "The Jolly Boys' Last Stand," and "Da Ali G Show" premiered. Borat and Brüno regularly appeared on the show, becoming fan favorites, and viewers loved Borat's "serious" interviews with celebrities, including Ralph Nader, Gore Vidal, Donald Trump, and Newt Gingrich. "Da Ali G Show" spawned three films: 2002's "Ali G Indahouse," 2006's "Borat," and 2009's "Brüno." "Borat" won several awards and grossed $262 million worldwide. Sacha reprised the role of Ali G in Madonna's 2006 video for "Music."
Baron Cohen has appeared in several movies, including "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (2006), "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007), "The Dictator" (2012), and "Les Misérables" (2012). He voiced King Julien XIII in the "Madagascar" franchise and had a cameo in "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," reuniting with "Talladega Nights" co-star Will Ferrell. Sacha played the lead in the 2019 Netflix series "The Spy," and he has appeared in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2005) and "Eastbound and Down" (2013). In 2010, it was announced that he would play Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody," but Sacha and Queen's surviving members couldn't agree on what type of movie it should be, so he left the project in 2013. His replacement, Rami Malek, won an Oscar for the role in 2019.
Sacha has been compared to character improvisationalists like Groucho Marx, Charlie Chaplin, Larry David, Ricky Gervais and Chris Lilley.
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
Lawsuits
In 2006, Baron Cohen was sued by 2 University of South Carolina students who appeared in "Borat." The men, who made offensive racist remarks in the film, claimed that they were drunk when they signed the release forms and that they were told that "Borat" wouldn't be shown in the U.S. Sacha was also sued by an etiquette tutor who appeared in the film, but both lawsuits ended up being dismissed. In 2009, he was sued by a charity worker who appeared in "Brüno," alleging that she was disabled as a result of Baron Cohen attacking her while filming at a charity bingo tournament for seniors. Since the incident was on film, it was easy to prove that the allegations were false, so the case was dismissed. The following year, a Palestinian grocer sued Baron Cohen for defamation, saying that "Brüno" had falsely portrayed him as a terrorist; the case was settled out of court in 2012. In 2018, he was sued by Roy Moore for $95 million after the Alabama politician took part in a mock interview on "Who Is America?," Sacha's Showtime series. In the interview, Baron Cohen posed as an anti-terrorism expert with a "pedophile detector" that beeped when it was near Moore, who had been accused of sexual assault and child molestation while (unsuccessfully) running for a Senate seat in 2017.
Personal Life
Sacha married actress Isla Fisher on March 15, 2010, in Paris, after a six-year engagement. Isla converted to Judaism before the wedding, and the couple had an intimate Jewish ceremony with just six guests. Unfortunately, in April 2024 Sacha and Isla revealed that they filed for divorce several months earlier in late 2023.
Baron Cohen and Fisher are passionate about charity, and in December 2015, they donated £335,000 ($500,000) to both Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee.
Awards and Honors
Sacha has won several awards for his TV and film work, including 2 BAFTA Awards for "Da Ali G Show" and MTV Movie Awards for Best Comedic Performance for "Borat" and Best Kiss for "Talladega Nights" (shared with Will Ferrell). "Borat" also earned Baron Cohen a Golden Globe, a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, a San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award, and a Toronto Film Critics Association Award as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Evening Standard British Film Awards has awarded him the Peter Sellers Award for Comedy twice: in 2007 for "Borat" and in 2010 for "Brüno." The Anti-Defamation League honored Sacha with an International Leadership Award in 2019 for his commitment to exposing racism and bigotry through satire.
Real Estate
In 2005, Sacha paid $2.45 million for a 2,800-square-foot home in the Hollywood Hills. In 2011, they listed the house for rent at $10,995 per month, then put it on the market for $2.595 million in 2013. It was sold to a Seattle-based church for $2.5 million in 2016. In 2010, Baron Cohen and Fisher bought an estate in Beverly Hills for $14 million.
