Sasha Baron Cohen

This week's Mad Genius is General Aladeen himself. Sasha Baron Cohen is the English actor, comedian and screenwriter widely known for creating and portraying four fictional characters: Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard and Admiral General Aladeen. Baron Cohen was named Best Newcomer at the 1999 British Comedy Awards for The 11 O'Clock Show, and since then, his work has been further recognised with two BAFTA Awards for Da Ali G Show, several Emmy nominations, a nomination for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay, and a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his work in the feature film Borat. At the 2012 British Comedy Awards, he received the Outstanding Achievement Award, accepting the award while reprising his Ali G character. In 2013, he received the BAFTA Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy.

"Dictators are ludicrous characters, and, you know, in my career and in my life, I've always enjoyed sort of inhabiting these ludicrous, larger-than-life characters that somehow exist in the real world.

To single out a particular group and say we can't make a joke about them is almost a form of prejudice and it's kind of patronising.

I think if you come from a history of persecution you have to develop a sense of humour.

I think I think in the moment. So when I'm in character, I'm in character, and I'm obviously thinking about what's going on around me, but it's easier to do stuff when you're in character."