- In her first one-on-one interview, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" star
Maria Bakalova explains how she landed the role. - Speaking to The New York Times, Bakalova said she sent in an audition tape and was contacted to audition in London.
- "I was sure it was going to be a human trafficking situation," she quipped.
- The Bulgarian actress also said she's does not feel bad about duping Rudy Giuliani in the movie.
- "
Movies like this are showing people's true colors," she said.
After "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm " was released to much craze, scandal and even fanfare, one star has been mostly silent about her participation in the latest Sacha Baron Cohen sensation: his co-star Maria Bakalova.
The 24-year-old Bulgarian actress, who plays Borat's daughter Tutar in the mockumentary that details Americans' ignorance and prejudices, was plucked from obscurity to work alongside Baron Cohen in his unique brand of comedy. And in many instances, outshines the veteran comic in the movie.
Bakalova revealed to The New York Times in her first one-on-one interview since "
"I was like, that's not possible," Bakalova told Dave Itzkoff. "We are Bulgarians. Nobody can actually see us in lead roles."
But she sent in an audition tape anyway and was selected to go audition for a screen test in London.
Since no one knew Baron Cohen was working on a sequel to his 2006 film (especially after he had claimed he was retiring the character) and due to the film's secrecy, Bakalova admitted she was concerned if the project was even real.
"I was sure it was going to be a human trafficking situation," she quipped.
But when she finally met Baron Cohen, she was surprised (and relieved) that it was a legitimate movie.
After three days of screen tests, she got the role and rehearsed alongside Baron Cohen. The filmmaker told Bakalova that her character might be "even crazier" than her father Borat and that through this journey Tutar "should learn how to be a normal human."
To make her character realistic to its many unsuspecting co-stars, Bakalova admitted she had to go to great lengths (so to speak). In fact, she grew out her real body hair for the role.
And one of the biggest challenges, she recalled, was not laughing during scenes with Baron Cohen. Bakalova said she quelled any giggles using a trick Baron Cohen taught her, put pressure on her fingers by crossing them.
The moment in the movie where Bakalova really shines is when Tutar, who eventually becomes a journalist just like her father, interviews Trump personal lawyer and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.
At the end of the interview, Giuliani is seen inappropriately touching her and at one moment it looks like he has his hands in his pants. Giuliani said previously that he was just tucking his shirt in his pants.Bakalova, who knew of Giuliani before meeting him, said she prepared for the high-stakes sit down by going through a lot of possible scenarios with Baron Cohen.
"How should I act, this way or this way? What should I do? What is smarter? But in all of the scenarios, I was confident that Sacha will save me and he will save the scene, so it's not going to be a disaster," Bakalova said. "He's my guardian angel."
Baron Cohen was in a secret hiding place in the closet during the scene and came out when he felt things had gone too far.
"I saw everything that you saw," Bakalova said when asked what exactly Giuliani was doing in the room with her. "We want everybody to see the movie and judge for themselves."
When asked if she felt bad for what she and Baron Cohen did to Giuliani, Bakalova said she did not.
"Movies like this are showing people's true colors," she added. "It's going to show Rudy's real character. You're responsible for your own decisions. So, no, I don't feel bad."
"Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" is available now on Amazon Prime Video.