Sacha Baron Cohen

Born: December 1971
Where: Staines, London, UK

The Cambridge history graduate is now enjoying an international career thanks to his satirical comedy creations Ali G and Borat.

The spoof white, Jewish wannabe rapper and the anti-Semitic Kazakhstan TV reporter both made the switch from the small to the big screen.

However, Cohen's creations have left him open to accusations of gratuitous offence - Ali G was criticised as modern "Black & White Minstrel Show" while the Kazakhstan government made an official complaint about the character.

The second of three sons, Cohen's Welsh father Gerald runs a successful clothing shop in Piccadilly, London, while his mother is Israeli.

After a private education at Haberdashers' Aske's School in Elstree (also the alma mater of comedians David Baddiel and Matt Lucas) he attended Christ's College, Cambridge, to read history.

He dabbled on the fringes of the Footlights drama society and was also involved in the Zionist youth movement Habonim.

(he was also an outstanding ga-ga-ball player (a dodgeball-style game), winning the Habonim UK ga-ga championship on several occasions).

In 1994, he answered Channel 4's call for presenters with tape of himself in the character of Kristo, a fictional television reporter from Albania (who later became Borat, from Kazakhstan).

In the mean time, he worked for a Swindon-based television company while waiting for his first break.

Ali G's first appearance was as a roving interviewer on Channel 4's 11 O'Clock Show (which also launched the career of Ricky Gervais).

He argued against the welfare state with Labour veteran Tony Benn and also asked aspiring Tory politician Jacob Rees-Mogg whether he'd like to sleep with his sister.

The character's appearances swelled to a welter of TV shows, a Christmas special (which led to Baron Cohen's appearance in the Madonna video Music) and a feature film - Ali G Indahouse.

Other characters also made an appearance, including Bruno, the gay Austrian fashionista, and the first outing for Borat.

In 2005, he played the lemur King Julian in the children's animation film Madagascar and has also presented the MTV Europe Music Awards twice.

Out of character, he is engaged to Australian actress Isla Fisher and they both live in Los Angeles.

Recent work includes the role of a gay French Formula 1 driver in the Will Ferrell comedy Talladega Nights.

The release of the feature film Borat caused controversy with its homophobia, anti-semitism and misogyny all delivered in the guise of the rhino-skinned TV presenter.