Sacha Baron Cohen's controversial film Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is filled with shocking moments and appearances, but the most stunning cameo of all is America's Dad, Tom Hanks. The actor's brief appearance in the satire film's final moments elevates its hilarious twist ending, adding another rich layer to the Amazon Prime Original meta-comedy. Hanks's appearance in Borat 2 serves as a nod to his own role in the early stages of America's experience with COVID-19.

Directed by Jason Woliner, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm follows "number four Kazakh journalist" Borat Sagdiyev (played by Cohen) as he seeks redemption for the shame brought upon by his first trip to America in Borat. After 14 years of hard labor and torture, the curious reporter is released and sent by his government to the U.S. on a top-secret mission: bribe American V.P. Mike Pence in exchange for favor with President Donald J. Trump. When his daughter Tutar (played by Maria Bakalova) stows away to follow him, Borat decides to make Tutar over and deploy her as his presidential payoff, and the two set out on a behind-the-scenes tour of Trump Country.

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A few famous faces make it into the film, most notably Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani in Borat 2's most controversial scene, but the stunning climax is buoyed by another special guest: Tom Hanks. In the last act of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, after its infamous Rudy run-in, Borat returns home, expecting execution because he failed his mission; however, in a surprising turn of events, the disgraced reporter learns that his "mission" was just the cover story, and that COVID-19 is a Kazakhstan revenge bioweapon, with Borat unknowingly being super-spreader number one. In a series of flashbacks, the audience is treated to a visual retelling of Borat spreading the virus around the world on his way to the USA — including a stop in Australia, where he meets Hollywood's first case of a celebrity infection: Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson.

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson Give Coronavirus Update

For Americans, the early onset of the Coronavirus was a time of confusion and uncertainty, with government and health officials sending mixed messages almost daily. During those early days of the pandemic, when Americans were not taking it seriously, news arrived that Hanks and his wife Rita had tested positive for the coronavirus in Australia. Suddenly, one of the silver screen's most beloved stars was sick with a mysterious disease, prompting many more Americans to treat COVID-19 with extreme caution just in time for the whole country to lockdown.

In his flashback, Borat is shown hacking and spewing phlegm all over the star while he solicits an autograph. The moment in Borat 2 instantly transports viewers to the ides of March 2020, when news of Hanks's positive test results made the impending global pandemic feel very, dangerously, real. Adding humor to the scene to lighten the mood is the general demeanor of both seasoned actors — and the fact that the Australian background is an obvious green-screen situation, with the Sydney Opera House standing flatly behind the two as Borat wheezes and spittles all over the apprehensive Hanks. For an audience that has spent the majority of the year struggling to endure an incessant flow of trauma, the star's surprise appearance in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm evokes a belly laugh and a sigh. After all, if Tom Hanks is okay, maybe America will be too.

Next: Borat 2: What Is QAnon? The Conspiracy Theory Explained