Share

Oscar bosses visit Sacha over stunt

Los Angeles - Sacha Baron Cohen's stunt of spilling ashes on Ryan Seacrest on the Oscar red carpet earned the comic a quick visit from Academy president Tom Sherak and Oscar show producer Brian Grazer, who went to Baron Cohen's dressing room to make sure he didn't have any more disruptions planned for Oscar night.

The stunt began when Baron Cohen appeared on the red carpet as the title character from his upcoming film The Dictator, an appearance that had been planned in advance and reluctantly approved by the Academy.

He did so carrying an urn that he said contained the ashes of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il - and during an interview with Seacrest, Baron Cohen upended the urn all over the front of Seacrest's shirt and jacket.

'He wasn't in character'

As soon as Baron Cohen pulled that stunt, Academy COO Ric Robertson and a security guard stepped in and hustled the actor away from Seacrest and off the carpet.

And when he got to the theatre dressing room that had been set aside for him to change from his Dictator outfit into a tux for the show, Baron Cohen was visited by Sherak and Grazer.

"My only concern, and Brian's only concern, was what would happen inside the theatre," Sherak told TheWrap on Monday.

"So Brian and I went down to talk to him - and when we got there, he was Sacha Baron Cohen. He wasn't in character. And he looked us in the eye and said, 'I've done this, and now I'm going to the Oscars.'

"We said 'thank you,' we left, and that's the way it was. We just had to hear it from him."

Ryan Seacrest

Baron Cohen, he said, had a seat inside the theatre, and did not make any further attempts to disrupt the show. He did not appear live on camera during the Oscar telecast, though he was featured in a film shot by Bennett Miller in which actors talked about their formative experiences at the movies.

And as for speculation that the Academy was somehow in on the whole stunt, Sherak is dismissive. "I'm telling you the truth, this is not a stunt that we were involved in at all," he said.

"We can have another conversation about how things happened and whether we overreacted - but trust me, it was not like we helped make this up."

Seacrest, who appeared notably unamused on camera, joked about the incident on his radio show on Monday morning. "I am just sure it was pancake mix," he said. "It was ironic. I had been avoiding carbs all week."

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE