Sacha Baron Cohen praises Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic

Sacha Baron Cohen has done his first Australian TV interview since he and his wife, actress Isla Fisher, relocated Down Under with their family.

The 49-year-old British comedian appeared on ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday, and made a point of praising Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Borat star said that more and more Hollywood productions were choosing to film in Australia because it’s a safer country.

‘I have to ask you an Australian question seeing as you’re married to an Aussie,’ the interviewer began. 

‘Obviously, we’re doing great in Australia. There’s a lot of people coming to Australia filming. Any thoughts of doing any productions here? Making an Australian character? Or spending more time in Australia? I know there’s a rumour out there?’

Sacha then put on an Australian accent and said he had no plans to portray an Australian character just yet.

‘I mean, you can’t make an Aussie character. There’s no comedy, here, mate! I mean, this is a serious country right?’ he said.

‘I think there’s more and more filming coming here because it’s safe. You’re one of the few countries in the world that really, the politicians stepped aside, whatever you want to think about the politicians, and said, “Okay, let’s let the scientists run this show.”‘

He finished: ‘And it’s been amazingly effective. I really hope that it continues.’ 

Sacha and Isla, 44, recently relocated from LA to Sydney with their three children. 

The pair have taken the major and seemingly permanent step of enrolling their children at a school in Sydney, which happens to be the city where they first met back in 2002. 

Sacha and Isla, who tied the knot in 2010, share three children together.

Until recently, the notoriously private family were living in Los Angeles.

But after filming wrapped on Sacha’s latest mockumentary, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, it’s unclear if he has any more work in the pipeline in Los Angeles – particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Isla, who was raised in Perth from the age of six, has always dreamed of bringing up her children in Australia. 

She told Marie Claire in 2018: ‘I have this secret fantasy of slowing down, moving to Byron Bay, getting off the grid and sitting on the sand with a Vegemite sandwich.’

The Scooby-Doo star added that it ‘isn’t easy’ raising children in LA, saying: ‘There’s not really a culture of bringing your kids to dinner parties or to restaurants past 6pm.

‘I tend to entertain at home because I want to be with my family – it’s easier to put your kids to bed and have a wine with friends.’