Sacha Baron Cohen's wife admits it's not a normal life

By Natalie Jamieson
Newsbeat entertainment reporter Isla Fisher went to the premiere of her husband's film The Dictator in London

The wife of Sacha Baron Cohen says she doesn't live a "normal" life with The Dictator actor.

Actress Isla Fisher married him in 2010 and although she admits "it's not a normal life to lead," she does love it.

Fisher says: "Obviously it's not pleasant to say to your husband - instead of 'Did you pick up the dry cleaning?' or 'Did you pick up someone from a play date?' - 'Oh wow are we getting sued? Has anyone put a death threat on us?'"

The couple have two young daughters and in 2009 it was reported that Baron Cohen had received death threats due to controversy over his gay fashionista character Bruno.

With that in mind, and being the person closest to him, does Isla Fisher ever feel she can censor the words that come out of Sacha Baron Cohen's creations?

"Oh, of course," Fisher reveals. "There's a lot of, 'Oh my gosh, no you cannot say that! We're friends with that person, blah, blah, blah, no!'"

She still feels that's just a natural aspect to their relationship.

"I think all married couples tend to run things by each other in every capacity and we're not different to them."

The Dictator and his beard

If you were to describe Baron Cohen's latest comic incarnation as a fragrance, it may be fair to say the Dictator, Admiral General Aladeen, reeks of Saddam Hussein, with undertones of Colonel Gaddafi and a top note of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Sacha Baron Cohen has caused controversy with his film The Dictator

One bonus for Fisher on this project though was that she did get her husband back at the end of a day's filming.

"The good news is the beard came off in the evening," she smiles remembering. "So I did not have to look at the beard, unlike the Borat handlebar moustache which I was saddled with for months and months."

Fisher doesn't think there is any one scene that will mightily offend the masses in The Dictator movie, but has she ever had any cringing moments watching Baron Cohen's films with, say her in-laws or parents?

"No, luckily no one ever really says anything, what they really think," she admits before laughing off the thought.

As you'd expect, Fisher wholeheartedly supports Baron Cohen's film choices and finds his latest work the most appealing.

"I love it (The Dictator). It's the funniest movie he's made, I think by a long way, and it's also really sweet. There's a love story and I like to see him, like in Hugo, showing that side of him, creatively it's great."

The Dictator is released in the UK on 16 May.