Sacha Baron Cohen once made Jimmy Kimmel take off his pants on live TV — because Borat
Sacha Baron Cohen once again showed why he's the king of comedy and disguise! The actor surprised fans by bringing his iconic character, Borat Sagdiyev, to 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'—and things quickly spiraled into hilarious chaos. From roasting Jimmy Kimmel with his signature wit to somehow convincing him to take off his pants on live TV, Borat’s unexpected appearance was nothing short of unforgettable.
For context, Cohen introduced Borat, a clueless, bigoted journalist from Kazakhstan, in the 2006 film 'Borat,' as per NPR. The movie aimed to expose American prejudices, with unwitting participants revealing their true beliefs, and quickly became a global sensation, cementing Borat as a pop culture icon. However, Cohen believed the character's widespread recognition would make future public interactions impossible, but that did not stop him from appearing on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' as the beloved character in October 2020.
Cohen made the chaotic appearance to promote 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,' but as expected, the segment quickly descended into absurdity, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Armed with a magnifying glass to "spot the virus" and a frying pan to "knock it out," he declared, "He is a coward, the virus is a coward!" as he aggressively slammed the pan on various surfaces. Meanwhile, Kimmel repeatedly tried to explain that Borat's method was ineffective, to no avail, as per People. For context, the virus here refers to the Covid-19 pandemic.
After unsuccessfully attempting to get Kimmel to use a temperature-taking device in his rear, Borat escalated the prank. He introduced another device designed to remove Kimmel’s pants for a private area Covid-19 inspection. With expert precision, Borat managed to unzip Kimmel’s fly using the clamp, leaving the host in hysterics. To top it off, he then insisted Kimmel provide a "liquid release" in a cup, pushing the joke even further. Holding up two blurred-out canisters of white fluid, Borat claimed to have already collected samples from fellow late-night hosts Fallon and Conan O'Brien. "This one is from Fallon," Borat declared, raising one of the containers. I didn't do an interview with him; he just gave it to me," said Cohen's Borat.
After the commercial break, Borat’s teenage daughter, Tutar Sagdiyev (Maria Bakalova) also joined the segment and quickly caused more chaos by attempting to steal a portrait from the studio. However, her main focus remained on acquiring Kimmel’s pants. When hesitant Kimmel offered to give them to her after the show, Tutar erupted in frustration. With Borat pressuring him to comply, Kimmel finally removed his trousers and handed them over. The comedian, however, refused to part with his underwear. When Borat suggested Tutar wanted to be Kimmel’s wife, he politely declined, saying, "That's very nice; that's very flattering. I am already married though."
Cohen once again revived Borat and another iconic character, Ali G, during his visit to 'The Tonight Show,' in October 2024, to weigh in on the presidential race. As Borat, Cohen took a jab at Donald Trump’s controversial claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating pets, as per Variety. "Mr Trump You say in Ohio that people no eat the cats and the dogs. Which restaurant do they serve them at? Can I get a reservation, please?” Borat quipped. He then humorously referenced fast food, adding, “In my country we have KFC: Kazakh Fried Cat. It’s p***y licking good."