Sacha Baron Cohen To Play Abbie Hoffman
The road to becoming a well-respected actor can be a long and difficult one. Many actors, now considered veteran thespians, began their careers in off-Broadway shows and small independent productions, and many had to spend years taking roles in commercials and soap operas before finding legitimacy. However, others--Sacha Baron Cohen, for instance--take the easier route: film a series of semi-offensive pranks until Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg start casting you in things.
Times Online is reporting that Cohen, the comedian responsible for Borat impressions, will follow-up his part in Sweeney Todd with a role as political activist Abbie Hoffman in Spielberg's The Trial of the Chicago Seven.
Honestly, I think he'll be a good fit for the part, and probably has the acting ability to pull it off. I'm just unreasonably annoyed that Spielberg is suddenly replacing his established mainstays with hip, up-and-coming actors of today (like adding Shia LaBeouf to Indiana Jones). Did someone get him a subscription to People or what?
No more jokes as Borat turns war protester [Times Online]