You probably remember the beard. It was massive, blocky, and looked like it belonged on a statue rather than a human face. When people ask who plays the dictator, they are almost always looking for one name: Sacha Baron Cohen. He didn't just play a role in the 2012 film; he inhabited a walking, talking PR nightmare named Admiral General Aladeen. It was a weird time for movies.
Cohen is a shapeshifter. Honestly, that’s the only way to describe him. He doesn't just put on a costume. He creates a vacuum where reality used to be. Whether it is Borat, Bruno, or Aladeen, the guy has this terrifying ability to stay in character even when things are going south. In The Dictator, he took the tropes of North African and Middle Eastern despots—the gold-plated everything, the female bodyguards, the casual executions—and turned them into a high-budget slapstick comedy. It was provocative. Some might say it was too much.
Why Sacha Baron Cohen Was the Only Choice for Aladeen
Larry Charles, the director who worked with Cohen on Borat and Brüno, knew that the dictator needed someone who wasn't afraid of being punched in the face. Literally. While The Dictator was more scripted than Cohen’s previous "guerrilla" style mockumentaries, it still relied heavily on his talent for physical comedy and improv.
The character of Admiral General Aladeen was loosely inspired by figures like Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il. You can see it in the military regalia. You see it in the way he changes the dictionary so that "positive" and "negative" are both replaced with "Aladeen."
It’s dark humor.
Some critics, like Roger Ebert, noted that while the movie was hit-or-miss, Cohen’s commitment was absolute. He showed up to the 84th Academy Awards as Aladeen, carrying "ashes" of Kim Jong-il in an urn, which he then proceeded to spill all over Ryan Seacrest on live television. That wasn't a stunt double. That was Cohen, the man who plays the dictator, risking a lifetime ban from the Oscars for a gag.
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The Supporting Cast You Might Have Forgotten
While Cohen is the engine, he isn't alone. You’ve got Anna Faris playing Zoey, the polar opposite of Aladeen. She’s an activist with short hair and unshaven armpits who runs a collective grocery store. The chemistry is intentionally awkward. It’s a clash of civilizations in a New York health food aisle.
Then there is Ben Kingsley.
Sir Ben Kingsley, an Oscar winner, plays Tamir, Aladeen’s scheming uncle. It’s wild to see the man who played Gandhi plotting to sell out a fictional country’s oil rights for a billionaire's paycheck. Kingsley brings a level of "straight man" gravity that makes Cohen’s absurdity even louder. Jason Mantzoukas also shows up as "Nadal," the nuclear scientist Aladeen thought he had executed. Their dynamic is arguably the best part of the movie. They argue about the "pointiness" of nuclear missiles. It’s ridiculous. It's legendary.
The Controversy Behind the Comedy
We have to talk about the accent. And the setting.
The movie takes place in the fictional Republic of Wadiya. Since the film's release, there has been plenty of discussion about the ethics of the portrayal. Some argued it leaned too heavily on "brownface" tropes or played into lazy stereotypes about the Arab world. Others defended it as a satire of Western perceptions of the Middle East. It’s a complicated line to walk.
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Cohen has always been a lightning rod. When he plays the dictator, he isn't just making fun of a tyrant; he’s making fun of the world that lets tyrants exist. During the famous speech at the end of the film, Aladeen "praises" America by listing all the ways it is already like a dictatorship—mass surveillance, corporate control of the media, and a rigged economy.
It was a sharp turn. The audience was laughing at the funny man with the beard, and then suddenly, he was pointing the finger back at them.
What Happened to the Wadiya Brand?
Marketing for this movie was everywhere in 2012. There were fake websites for the Wadiya Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There were Twitter accounts. The commitment to the bit was insane. Cohen even did a "press conference" where he threatened the lives of journalists' families if they didn't give him a good review.
Obviously, it was a joke. But in the age of 24-hour news cycles, the lines got blurry. That is Cohen’s specialty. He makes you uncomfortable because you aren't quite sure where the actor ends and the monster begins.
Key Facts About the Production
- Scripting: Unlike Borat, this was almost entirely scripted, though Cohen frequently ad-libbed.
- Locations: They filmed in Seville, Spain, and New York City. The Plaza de España in Seville doubled as the exterior of Aladeen’s palace.
- Budget: The film cost about $65 million to make and brought in nearly $180 million worldwide. Not a massive blockbuster, but a solid hit.
Other Actors Who Have Played Famous Dictators
If you aren't thinking of Sacha Baron Cohen, you might be thinking of historical dramas. The "dictator" archetype is a staple of cinema.
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- Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator (1940): This is the blueprint. Chaplin played Adenoid Hynkel, a parody of Adolf Hitler, while Hitler was still in power. It was an incredibly brave move. The final speech in that film is still considered one of the greatest moments in movie history.
- Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006): This is the opposite of Cohen’s approach. Whitaker played Idi Amin with a terrifying, soulful intensity that won him an Academy Award. No jokes here. Just raw power and paranoia.
- Bruno Ganz in Downfall (2004): If you’ve seen the "Hitler Rant" memes on YouTube, you’ve seen this movie. Ganz’s portrayal of Hitler in his final days is hauntingly realistic.
Where Can You Watch it Now?
The Dictator cycles through various streaming platforms like Paramount+, Amazon Prime, and Netflix depending on your region. It has a cult following now. People still quote the "Aladeen" doctor scene where a patient is told he is "HIV Aladeen" and doesn't know whether to celebrate or cry.
Actionable Insights for Fans of Political Satire
If you’re interested in the craft behind who plays the dictator or how political satire works, there are a few things you should check out to get a deeper understanding of the genre.
First, go back and watch Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. Seeing how Chaplin used comedy to fight fascism in the 1940s provides vital context for what Sacha Baron Cohen did 70 years later. The parallels in physical comedy and the "moralizing speech" at the end are not accidental.
Second, look into the "making of" features for Cohen’s films. He rarely breaks character in interviews, but there are snippets where he discusses his philosophy on comedy. He believes that the best way to take down a powerful, scary figure is to make them look pathetic.
Finally, if you enjoy the biting political commentary of The Dictator, explore the work of Armando Iannucci. His film The Death of Stalin is a masterclass in how to find humor in the most terrifying moments of history. It deals with many of the same themes—paranoia, power vacuums, and the absurdity of authoritarianism—but with a much dryer, British wit.
Pay attention to how these actors use their voices. Cohen uses a high-pitched, almost whiny tone for Aladeen to make him seem pampered and childish. Forest Whitaker used a deep, booming rumble to make Idi Amin seem like a force of nature. The "voice" of a dictator is often the most important tool an actor has.