Sacha Baron Cohen has shared the details of two occasions in his career where he felt his life was in danger while under attack from angry crowds.
In an article for Time magazine, the comedian and actor revealed that he was "fortunate to make it out in one piece" while filming at a pro-gun rally in Washington state, where he performed as a right-wing singer.
"When organisers finally stormed the stage, I rushed to a nearby get-away vehicle," Baron Cohen explained.
"An angry crowd blocked our way and started pounding on the vehicle with their fists. Under my overalls, I was wearing a bulletproof vest, but it felt inadequate with some people outside toting semiautomatic weapons."
The Ali G star said that at one point, someone ripped the door of the car open in an attempt to drag him out.
"I used my entire body weight to pull the door back shut until our vehicle maneuvered free," he said.
"I was fortunate to make it out in one piece."
The controversial filmmaker also recalled a time while filming Bruno where his character engaged in some same-sex "heavy petting" in a cage fighting arena with a fake ex-boyfriend, infuriating a crowd that included "recently paroled prisoners with swastika tattoos".
"The crowd erupted in homophobic slurs and started hurling metal chairs at us. Had I not ducked into a trapdoor and out an escape tunnel, I think the crowd would have beaten me senseless," he said.
Baron Cohen drew comparisons between the moments he feared for his life and how he feels "terrified for the survival of democracy", condemning the "flood of hate, lies and conspiracies spewed by demagogues and spread by social media".
The British actor said the next few weeks leading up to the US election would determine whether America would have a lucky escape like he had in the past.
