As if 2020 wasn't crazy enough, a brand new Borat appears in theatres everywhere. Now everyone knows Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat, but who's his 'daughter'?
With the release of Borat 2, Maria Bakalova's name has been on most news stories and most people's lips. However, fans know little about her aside from the character she plays in the film. She is a beautiful and talented actress who will surprise viewers and fans alike, especially when people see how versatile she actually is.
Don't be mistaken, she's no A list star but after this performance and the amount of attention she's been getting, that may be on the cards for this young actress. Ultimately, she may just rise from the shadows thanks to Borat 2 and will hopefully appear in some fantastic films in the future. Nevertheless, it's time to learn more about Maria Baklova.
She's From Bulgaria
Baklova was born in Burgas, Bulgaria which is the second-largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria. It seems like she has lived there most of her life which is why most American viewers may not be familiar with her name or her previous work since it has only really been in Bulgarian productions.
It seems like she still lives there and has been in a variety of Bulgarian films since she began acting. Although she did have to travel to London to audition for the role of Tutar Sagdiyev, Borat's hilarious daughter.
She Only Graduated A Year Ago
Interestingly, Maria Baklova only actually graduated in 2019 after studying at the National School of Arts in her Burgas and later at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia. This makes her an extremely new and lucky actress on the scene whilst also making it all the more impressive that she landed such a big role after just coming out of education.
That isn't to say she isn't talented as Baklova has wanted to be an actress for a long time and has certainly put the effort in to become the actress she is beginning to become.
She's Appeared In Less Than A Dozen Films
Only graduating a year ago, Baklova appearing in only 8 films and 5 tv shows, including shows like Jimmy Kimmel and Good Morning America, thanks to the release of Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm.
What makes this so interesting is that she hasn't really starred in any well-known films, preferring to film Bulgarian movies instead which are still worth a watch, especially Transgression (2018). She seems like the kind of actress to stick to her home town and get Bulgaria's film industry on the map. She's certainly making headway.
She's Already Won An Award
Despite her appearances being a little small, she still managed to prove her skills and win an award for Best Female Role at the Toronto Film Festival for her role in the 2018 film Transgression. This just goes to show that you don't have to be a well-known actor to be talented!
Another interesting fact is that in the first Borat film Baron Cohen won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy so we may just see Baklova in the running for best-supporting actor!
She's Only Been Acting For 5 Years
It probably doesn't come as a surprise to learn that Baklova has only really been acting for 5 years, especially with the lack of films she's starred in. Nevertheless, her first appearance was in a TV show called Tipichno in which she played a girl called Maria in 2015.
Although she's only been acting for 5 years she is getting a lot of experience under her belt and is continuing to increase in popularity, it seems like it's only up from here.
She's Signed To An Agency
As it is with most actors and talented people, Maria Baklova is signed to an agency to help her land roles like Tutar Sagdiyev. She is clearly working hard to establish herself and get her name out there and seems to be sticking with her Bulgarian roots by being signed to an agency called AS Art which is located in Bulgaria.
According to the agency’s website, they are heavily focused on working to bring independent projects to life which may suggest that Baklova isn't intending to put herself into more American or British films, rather focusing her skills on fantastic Bulgarian films instead.
She's Very Private
Perhaps a little due to her love for filming independent films, Maria Baklova is an extremely private person. She rarely posts on social media and keeps her personal life to herself, with little known about her past, aside from training and films shes starred in.
Her Instagram profile is one of the only ways to see her for who she really is and even so, it isn't as personal as some other celebrities.
She's In Her Early 20s
Maria Baklova was born on June 4th, 1996 which makes her 24 years old, and while she certainly looks her age in the film, she was clearly not a childhood star and instead chose to follow through the educational route into stardom.
Being only 24 and already in such a huge film is a wonderful achievement and one that will certainly propel her career to bigger and better things. It is also such a huge step for a young eastern European actor since they aren't always represented as well as they could be.
She's Musically Talented
Interestingly, it isn't just acting talent that Baklova possesses. She developed a passion for singing and playing the flute around the age of six and pursued it right into her studies at the National School of Arts in Burgas, where she majored in acting for drama theater and a second major in flute.
She is more than just a double threat now since she can act and sing! Not only is she beautiful but she is talented in more ways than one.
She's Well Known For A Controversial Scene
Since the release of Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, one scene has stuck out and will probably stick with Baklova's career for decades to come. The scene in question is one with Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. The scene in question shows Giuliani meeting with Bakalova who is disguised as a journalist. He was caught by the cameras in a rather compromising position, sparking controversy over the integrity of the scene and just what Giuliani was doing.
Giuliani denies any wrongdoing and claims that it was fabricated but it doesn't stop this scene from being an extremely controversial one.