This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
The Britannia Awards, put on by the Los Angeles branch of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) at the Beverly Hills Hotel last night, went off mostly without a hitch. That is, until comedian Sacha Baron Cohen decided to have a little fun with the audience.
Cohen, star of "Borat," "Bruno," and "The Dictator," was on hand to accept the "Charlie Chaplin Brittania Award for Excellence in Comedy," which was presented to him by Salma Hayek and Grace Cullington, a frail, elderly woman in a wheelchair. Hayek introduced her as, "The oldest living actor to have appeared with Chaplin in a silent movie."
When Cohen approached the podium to accept the award, Cullington gave him a cane, saying that it was the same cane used by Chaplin in his iconic film "City Lights." After doing a cute little impression of Chaplin's signature walk, Cohen "breaks" the cane and falls into Grace, which sends her tumbling face-first into the audience floor. It was all a prank, though: "Grace" was merely and actor and Cohen once again had fun at everyone's expense.
The gag begins at 2:00, unless you want to watch Salma Hayek speak for a little bit (I totally won't fault you if you do).
