Jack's Info Portal: Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Dictator' Stunt Gets Thumbs-Up From Celebs

Monday, February 27, 2012

Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Dictator' Stunt Gets Thumbs-Up From Celebs

'I thought it was really funny,' Joel McHale tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

Sacha Baron Cohen at the 2012 Oscars
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

For all the anticipation, anxiety and general pomp and circumstance that surrounded the 2012 Oscars, there were not too many surprises with regard to the actual show or its winners, save for comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's stunt with his appearance on the red carpet in character as Admiral General Aladeen, the lead character in his upcoming movie "The Dictator."

Baron Cohen made Ryan Seacrest the unwitting victim of the actor's publicity stunt when he approached the E! host armed with an urn supposedly containing the ashes of North Korea's Kim Jong Il and spilled the powdery contents of the container all over Seacrest and his tuxedo.

Baron Cohen's antics were much appreciated, judging from the smattering of celeb reactions MTV News gathered at Elton John's annual Oscar-viewing party and charity gala.

"No way. That's incredible," said Mark Foster of Foster the People upon hearing the news of Baron Cohen's stunt. "I wouldn't want Kim Jong Il's ashes on me."

"I thought it was funny and Ryan played along very well," Joel McHale said of his E! colleague Seacrest. "He's unflappable."

Both Foster and McHale agreed that Baron Cohen's antics added an extra element of excitement to the red-carpet festivities.

"It keeps things exciting. I love when people do something outside the box," Foster said.

"As long as no one was injured. No one was injured, right? I thought it was really funny," McHale added. "Sacha Baron Cohen is genius."

For his part, Seacrest seemed to take the incident in stride, and took to Twitter to make light of the "spill."

"My mom always told me to pack two jackets for red carpets, always wondered why. Now I know."

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night's big winners and the best red-carpet fashion. Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars.

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