Who plays Borat's daughter? Maria Bakalova tipped for Oscars for Borat 2

26 October 2020, 14:51

Maria starred in Borat 2. Picture: Instagram

The actress who plays Borat's daughter has received critical acclaim for her role in Borat 2.

Borat 2 dropped on Amazon Prime last Friday (23 October), and sees Sacha Baron Cohen return to the iconic title role.

Also starring in the new film is newcomer Maria Bakalova, who has received critical acclaim for her role as his daughter Tutar.

Here's your need-to-know on her.

Who is Maria Bakalova? What's her age and background?

According to her IMDB, Maria, 24, was born in 1996 in Burgas, Bulgaria.

She studied at the National School of Arts in Burgas, majoring in acting for drama theater and a second major in flute.

In 2019, she graduated from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia.

Maria is an actress from Bulgaria. Picture: Instagram

Who did Maria Bakalova play in Borat?

Maria was cast as Borat's 15-year-old daughter in Borat 2, and has received huge acclaim for her acting prowess.

Sacha Baron Cohen himself has tipped his co-star for Oscars success, saying it will be a 'travesty' if she isn't nominated.

He said: "She is an incredible actor. We interviewed 600 women from all round the world and she is hilarious.

"She is one of the most courageous actors in history. If she doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar then that is a travesty."

He added: "She is one of a kind. Imagine coming to America for the first time — she had barely been out of Bulgaria — and suddenly she is playing a role in some terrifying situations and she got through it all.

"I don’t know how she did it."

Maria - who was also present at the interview on US TV - said: "Now you are making me cry."

Variety Magazine has put Maria in its top 10 Best Supporting Actress Oscars tips.

Maria played Borat's daughter Tutar in the film. Picture: Amazon Prime

What language does Maria Bakalova speak in Borat 2?

Despite their characters being from Kazakhstan, Tutar and Borat don't actually speak the native language in the film - and are actually speaking different languages to each other.

Maria speaks in Bulgarian, and Sacha Baron Cohen in Hebrew.