For me, the most surprising thing about Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Sacha Baron Cohen's surprise Borat sequel that saw him inhabiting the Kazakhstan journalist once again, wasn't him trolling Mike Pence in a Donald Trump suit. It wasn't the vulgar dance in front of real, pissed off debutantes. It wasn't even the cameo appearance of one of America's most well-known movie stars.

No, the most surprising thing about Borat 2 was the introduction of Maria Bakalova, who plays Borat's daughter Tutar. Simply put, Bakalova steals the picture. Tutar goes on the film's largest physical and emotional arc, and Bakalova commits hard to the varied role. She acquits herself perfectly to the stunts with confused participants, exhibits a dramatic amount of courage, and serves as the film's emotional and moral backbone. Bakalova is a star in this movie, and the awards she keeps winning tell that story and more.

I was lucky enough to speak with Bakalova in a one-on-one Zoom call about all things Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. We spoke about the film's progressive messages, her powerful partnership with Cohen, the elaborate process of screen testing for Tutar, her emotional relationship with babysitter Jeanise Jones, her harrowing experience with one Rudy Giuliani, an intriguing deleted scene with Tutar, and much more.

And if you want more deep dives on Borat 2, here's our full interview with director Jason Woliner.