STATEMENT FROM SACHA BARON COHEN
ON BEHALF OF RECEIVING TWO GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS FOR
BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN; FILM NOMINATED FOR BEST COMEDY OR MUSICAL; BARON COHEN NOMINATED FOR BEST ACTOR
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
And I can’t wait for his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes.
How many of the actresses will he try to doggy-hump on his way to the podium? And how will Meryl and Dames Judi and Helen react when he does so?
Oh God, please don’t tell me he’ll be dressed as Borat for all the awards shows. I’ll start having Roberto Benigni flashbacks.
I think his best move would be to go as himself in a simple tux and accept with style and grace (and humor). That would really strike home what an amazing performance it was.
Of course, winning the Globe will have no bearing on receiving an Oscar nomination. So he should be doing that now on talk shows and the like.
Maybe he’ll show some class and accept the award as himself rather than as Borat. I hate to say this, but I think he’s a guaranteed GG winner and that places him firmly in that fifth Oscar spot (like David has been saying for months) especially with a potential Leo DiCaprio split vote.
David, you may be a Golden God! (I guess that’s better than being painted blue )
Gotta agree with the tux thing. But as we’re all aware, Borat does as Borat likes.
Mel Gibson is at the same conference
He did his acceptance speech at the British Comedy Awards as himself, not Borat. I guess that sets the precedent.
He just went to the British Comedy awards dressed as himself. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.
I think he deserves an Oscar. By parachuting into reality, sometimes behind enemy lines (rodeo), undercover, in perfectly-maintained character, he makes other “actory” performances feel safe, overly precious, and sort of fake.
In each set-up, he got one take. Which other actor could establish so much true suspense in the audience with no more than one take?
What performance is more convention-busting? More brave, more committed? More talked about? Raised more discussion about racism, anti-semitism?
While also making people laugh so long and so hard they were gasping for air.