Sacha Baron Cohen Gets Golden Globe Nod For Role In Netflix Series On Israeli Spy Eli Cohen

UK actor Sacha Baron Cohen was nominated for a Golden Globe on Monday for his role as famous Israeli agent Eli Cohen in the Netflix miniseries “The Spy.”

The Golden Globe Awards recognize excellence in film and television through awards bestowed by 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association since January 1944. Golden Globe nominations were announced Monday on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Facebook page.

Cohen received a nomination for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made For Television.”

“The Spy” is a six-episode miniseries based on the true story of Eli Cohen, an Israeli selected by the Mossad to infiltrate the Syrian government in the 1960s as a fake persona — wealthy businessman Kamel Amin Thaabet — in order to provide Israel with vital intelligence. His true identity was late discovered and he was hanged in Damascus in May 1965.

The Spy was created by Gideon Raff, the Israeli film and television director, screenwriter and writer best known for his hit Israeli and American series Homeland and Prisoners of War.

“I am hugely proud of The Spy and thrilled that it has been seen and embraced by audiences around the globe. I share this recognition with Eli Cohen’s family and everyone who worked on The Spy,” Baron Cohen wrote on Twitter following the nomination.

The actor, known for his comedic roles, was touched to be recognized for his dramatic turn. “A heartfelt thank you to the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this honour. I have long wanted to move away from comedy and do something uncommercial, not reliant on jokes, that few people would see.”

Baron Cohen was nominated for a Golden Globe last year for best musical or comedy television actor for his performance in “Who is America,” a satirical show where the actor pranked politicians by posing as different characters including an Israeli counterterrorism expert.

The English actor won a Golden Globe in 2007 for Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his role as Borat, a Kazakh resident traveling to the US in the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan.

The 77th Annual Golden Globes Awards will air live in the US on Sunday, January 5, 2020.