Sacha Baron Cohen to play an Israeli spy in new Netflix series
Sacha Baron Cohen made a name for himself in crude comedies like Borat and the Dictator and has since found a more serious side to his art.
By AMY SPIROUpdated: JULY 31, 2018 14:52Sacha Baron Cohen.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Famed Israeli spy Eli Cohen will be played in a new series by a famous face – with the same last name: Sacha Baron Cohen Baron Cohen will be playing the spy in a new Netflix miniseries written and directed by Gideon Raff.Cohen is one of the most celebrated spies in Israeli history. Born in Egypt, he moved to Israel in the 1950s and was recruited by the Mossad shortly after. After building a cover story as a Syrian living in Argentina, he moved to Damascus and quickly gained the trust of senior Syrian officials. He was able to relay crucial military information to Israel during the four years he was stationed there. But in 1965 his dual identity was uncovered and he was arrested, tried, convicted and hanged in a public square in Damascus.Raff, a Jerusalem native, is the creator of the Israeli series Prisoners of War, which was the basis for the Showtime hit Homeland. He also wrote and directed The Red Sea Diving Resort, a film starring Chris Evans (Captain America) about the airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. It is slated for release later this year.Raff inked the deal with Netflix last year to create the miniseries, which is expected to play out over six episodes.Baron Cohen’s participation in the project was announced on Wednesday.Baron Cohen, a British Jew, will be taking on this serious role after a career mostly in the comedy world.He became famous for Da Ali G Show before writing, producing and starring in the satirical films Borat, Bruno and The Dictator.
