Maria Bakalova Becomes Bulgaria’s First Golden Globe Nominee

Maria Bakalova. Photo: Felicity Kay (Public Eye Communications).

The nomination makes Bakalova the first Bulgarian actress recognised on such a level in the film industry. She has been nominated alongside Kate Hudson (Music), Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit), Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot), and Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma).

The film, co-written by Sacha Baron Cohen and directed by Jason Woliner, follows the clumsy Kazakhstani journalist, Borat Sagdiyev, 14 years after the first one.

Bakalova stars as his daughter, Tutar, who, having been raised in a cage, is to be offered as a bride to (now former) US Vice President Mike Pence by Borat himself.

This sends them on a journey through the US. Her role caused controversy as the movie featured a staged interview by her character with Republican politician and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, which drew accusations of sexual misconduct on his part.

Bakalova's success came out of the blue both on local and international level. Just before starring in Borat 2, she also had a small role in Kristina Grozeva and Ivan Valchanov's dramedy The Father, which is Bulgaria's current Oscar nomination entry and previously won the Grand Prix Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary.

Bakalova was born in 1996 in the seaside town of Burgas. She graduated from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia in 2019 and is currently based in the US.

The 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards will take place on February 28.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, also known as Borat 2, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.