Everything we know about Maria Bakalova, the 'Borat 2' star who duped Rudy Giuliani

Jason GuerrasioFeb 24, 2021, 14:23 IST

Maria Bakalova and Sacha Baron Cohen in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm."Amazon Studios

Maria Bakalova is a 24-year-old Bulgarian actress who is the talk of Hollywood thanks to her performance in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm."
In the "Borat" sequel she plays Tutar, the daughter of Borat (played by Sacha Baron Cohen).
She was chosen for the role after Cohen and his team auditioned 600 actresses.
Most notably, Bakalova duped former New York City mayor turned Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani in the movie, leading to a controversial moment when Giuliani put his hands inside his pants while in a hotel room with Bakalova.

14 years after the first "Borat" movie hit screens and became a cultural phenomenon, Sacha Baron Cohen has delivered a sequel, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" (available now on Amazon Prime).

Cohen stars alongside unknown 24-year-old actress Maria Bakalova.

Playing the role of Tutar, Borat's 15-year-old daughter, Bakalova rides shotgun as Cohen once more travels the US as his Borat character and interacts with real people, oftentimes showing our nation's dark racial divide. But in a surprising twist, Tutar becomes the lifeblood of the movie as gradually the focus becomes less about Borat's antics and more about Tutar's evolution as an independent woman that, in typical Cohen comedy fashion, includes hilarious scenarios.

By the end of the movie we see that Bakalova has a talent for deception that can rival even Cohen as she comes face-to-face with Rudy Giuliani, which escalates into an inappropriate encounter that has since gone viral.

Here we introduce you to Bakalova, a Bulgarian actress who has been given the career break of a lifetime.

Maria Bakalova is a 24-year-old Bulgarian actress.

She was born on June 4, 1996, in Burgas, Bulgaria. She studied drama at the National School of Arts in Burgas, followed by the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia. She graduated in 2019.

Her first acting credit was the Bulgarian web series "Tipichno," and she then followed that with a role in the hit comedy movie, "Xlla."

In 2018, she scored the lead role in the Bulgarian drama "Transgression," which found praise at film festivals.

She's actually already been in a movie this year. The Bulgarian comedy, "Last Call."

But it's the role as Borat's 15-year-old daughter Tutar in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" that has brought her fame in the US.

Maria Bakalova in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Amazon Studios

In a film that was assumed to be just another comedy where we watch Sacha Baron Cohen do his Borat schtick, the casting of Bakalova elevates the movie.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Amazon Studios

Bakalova got the role after surviving numerous auditions in which Cohen and his team considered 600 other actresses.

"We started with self-tape," Bakalova said. "It was an open call. I sent another one, and then I went to London, England, a few times and we even started with [acting across from] real people in the first audition. It was crazy."

Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova being interviewed on "Good Morning America." ABC News

[Source: "Good Morning America"]

"We started with self-tape," Bakalova said. "It was an open call. I sent another one, and then I went to London, England, a few times and we even started with [acting across from] real people in the first audition. It was crazy."

[Source: Good Morning America]

Bakalova certainly holds her own opposite Cohen throughout the movie, including when they go to purchase a cage for her, and when the two attend a debutante ball.

Maria Bakalova and Sacha Baron Cohen in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Amazon Studios

But Bakalova's most memorable moment in the movie is when she pretends to be a journalist and interviews Rudy Giuliani during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maria Bakalova and Rudy Giuliani in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Amazon Studios

In the scene, Bakalova is seen in a bedroom with Giuliani where he touches the small of her back as she's taking off his mic and he's later seen putting his hands in his pants next to her while he's laying on a bed.

Rudy Giuliani. Jim Watson/Getty Images

[Source: Insider]

In the scene, Bakalova is seen in a bedroom with Giuliani where he touches the small of her back as she's taking off his mic and he's later seen putting his hands in his pants next to her while he's laying on a bed.

[Source: Insider]

The moment has not just gone viral but Cohen believes solidifies Bakalova for an Academy Award nomination.

Maria Bakalova and Sacha Baron Cohen in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Amazon Studios

[Source: "Good Morning America"]

[Source: Good Morning America]

As we wait to see if Bakalova's Oscar hopes come to fruition, we are being entertained by the deleted scenes surfacing since the movie came out. Like this one of Bakalova, posing again as a journalist, as she tours the White House and meets Donald Trump Jr.

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Everything we know about Maria Bakalova, the 'Borat 2' star who duped Rudy Giuliani

Maria Bakalova is a 24-year-old Bulgarian actress.

She was born on June 4, 1996, in Burgas, Bulgaria. She studied drama at the National School of Arts in Burgas, followed by the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia. She graduated in 2019.

Her first acting credit was the Bulgarian web series "Tipichno," and she then followed that with a role in the hit comedy movie, "Xlla."

In 2018, she scored the lead role in the Bulgarian drama "Transgression," which found praise at film festivals.

She's actually already been in a movie this year. The Bulgarian comedy, "Last Call."

But it's the role as Borat's 15-year-old daughter Tutar in "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" that has brought her fame in the US.

In a film that was assumed to be just another comedy where we watch Sacha Baron Cohen do his Borat schtick, the casting of Bakalova elevates the movie.

Bakalova got the role after surviving numerous auditions in which Cohen and his team considered 600 other actresses.

"We started with self-tape," Bakalova said. "It was an open call. I sent another one, and then I went to London, England, a few times and we even started with [acting across from] real people in the first audition. It was crazy."

Bakalova certainly holds her own opposite Cohen throughout the movie, including when they go to purchase a cage for her, and when the two attend a debutante ball.

But Bakalova's most memorable moment in the movie is when she pretends to be a journalist and interviews Rudy Giuliani during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the scene, Bakalova is seen in a bedroom with Giuliani where he touches the small of her back as she's taking off his mic and he's later seen putting his hands in his pants next to her while he's laying on a bed.

The moment has not just gone viral but Cohen believes solidifies Bakalova for an Academy Award nomination.

As we wait to see if Bakalova's Oscar hopes come to fruition, we are being entertained by the deleted scenes surfacing since the movie came out. Like this one of Bakalova, posing again as a journalist, as she tours the White House and meets Donald Trump Jr.