After bagging two Golden Globes accolades, British actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen called out the "all-white" Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), and he also thanked Rudy Giuliani, who made a reluctant appearance in the Borat Subsequent Flim. HFPA is the voting body behind the annual awards show and it has come under severe criticism this year for the lack of representation within its board and in terms of nominations as well. Golden Globes 2021: Minari Wins Best Foreign Language Film Award After Being Deemed Ineligible for Best Picture Nod.
Cohen's mention of Rudy Giuliani was in reference to his cringe-worthy interview with Cohen's co-star Maria Bakalova that also capped off a wild 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm'. 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' bagged Golden Globe 2021 award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Cohen also won the Golden Globe in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Aside:Golden Globes 2021: Nomadland Wins Best Motion Picture – Drama.
"Thank you to the all-white Hollywood Foreign Press. I have gotta say this movie couldn't have been possible without my co-star, a fresh, new talent who came from nowhere and turned out to be a comedy genius," Variety quoted Cohen as saying. "I am talking, of course, about Rudy Giuliani. I mean, who can get more laughs out of one unzipping? Incredible.
Our movie was just the beginning for him, Rudy went on to star in a string of comedy films. Hits like 'Four Seasons Landscaping,' 'Hair Dye Another Day' and the courtroom drama A Very Public Fart," he added. Cohen's win came 15 years after winning the same accolade for the 2006 mockumentary 'Borat', and as a result, the British actor is now the first person in the history of Golden Globes to win two awards for the same film character, Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev.
In his speech for the best actor win, Cohen poked fun at former US President Donald Trump's refusal to accept the presidential election results.
"Hold on, Donald Trump is contesting the result. He's claiming that a lot of dead people voted, which is a very rude thing to say about the HFPA," said Cohen. The 78th Golden Globe Awards took place nearly two months later than normal, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema and television.
Sacha Baron Cohen's Acceptance Speech:
Congratulations to @SachaBaronCohen for winning Best Actor in a Motion Picture at the #GoldenGlobes!pic.twitter.com/fzbnKc7sOS
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) March 1, 2021
This was the first bi-coastal ceremony, with Tina Fey co-hosting from the Rainbow Room in New York City, and Amy Poehler co-hosting from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The nominees for Golden Globes were announced on February 3 and Jane Fonda and Norman Lear were announced as the recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award, respectively.