Maria Bakalova is an actress who became famous for her role in the movie Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. For her exceptional performance as Tutar Sagdiyev, she received an Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations. Although she is only 25 years old, she already conquered Hollywood and stood right next to the big screen celebrities. We will reveal ten facts about Maria Bakalova that may surprise you!
Maria Bakalova is a Bulgarian.
The actress was born on June 4, 1996, in the seaside town of Burgas, Bulgaria. There she studied at the National School of Music and Performing Arts “Pancho Vladigerov” with a first specialization “Drama Theater Acting” and second – “Flute.” Then she studied at NATFA in the class of prof. Ivan Dobchev.
Actress, but also a musician!
Maria Bakalova is a real artist in every sense of the word – singer and flutist. As a child, she took singing, flute, and even gymnastics lessons, but deep down, she dreamed of becoming an actress and conquering the big screens. Well, dreams come true!
Also, Bakalova sang in the choir for Strandzha folk songs and participated in many international projects. She was also a scholarship student of the Ministry of Culture as a child with special merits in the cultural field.
She is an activist and an LGBT activist.
Although far from her homeland, the actress stands firmly behind her compatriots, who protested against corruption in the country.
She also supports people of different sexual orientations and urges tolerance. But what is the Maria Bakalova sexuality? Well, she’s heterosexual – that’s what we know for sure.

Maria Bakalova – a new global star
Maria Bakalova loves animals.
If you look at her Instagram profile, you will get it – photos with dogs, cats, etc. And her biggest weakness is her cat. Alive gray, big love!
She participates in various Bulgarian productions.
The role that made the whole world notice Bakalova is far from her first. From 2015 to 2020, she participated in various film productions such as XIIa, Angels, Transgression, The Father, As for the last time, Tipichno, etc.

Maria Bakalova in Women Do Cry (Bulgaria)
Award for Best Actress at the AltFF Alternative Film Festival.
We assume that this is no surprise to anyone. In the not-too-distant 2018, Maria Bakalova was awarded at the AltFF Alternative Film Festival in Toronto for the best female role in the Bulgarian movie Transgression. In addition, Transgression received an award for arthouse film at the Depth of Field International Film Festival.
She has a strong connection with her parents.
Maria Bakalova’s father – Valcho Bakalov, worked as a chemist for many years, and then – in the neon sign industry. He is already retired due to illness and lives in a neighborhood in Burgas. Extremely lovely and simple person, and for her father, Maria says that she always finds common ground between the projects she works on and him – as if karmically everything is connected with him.
The relationship with her mother, Rumyana, is also more than perfect. Rumyana also says that she was extremely worried when her daughter had to leave because Maria Bakalova had to maintain strict confidentiality.

Very young Maria Bakalova with her father
Maria Bakalova became the face of the fashion brand Dior.
The magazine Vogue announced the surprising news, and the description of Bakalova is like she is the new, magical talent of Hollywood. The actress shares that this is a dream come true, and she has always loved fashion and clothes.
In fact, Bakalova didn’t watch the original Borat before getting the role.
In an interview, the young actress admits that she did not watch the original Borat, perhaps because she was too young when the film was released – in the distant 2006. She also shares that she is more familiar with the work of Cohen, whom she has seen on the show The Spy on Netflix.

Maria Bakalova in the sequel of Borat
The first Bulgarian Oscar nominee
Maria Bakalova competed in the category for best actress in a supporting role. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also nominated her for the role of Tutar, Borat’s daughter in Borat 2. For her role, Bakalova was also awarded the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress. The Oscars were held on April 25, and Maria was the little diamond of the evening!
In the Jimmy Kimmel Show in underwear!
After starring in Borat 2, Maria Bakalova and Sacha Baron Cohen were guests on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, where they promoted the film. The Bulgarian actress surprised everyone by asking the host in Bulgarian to take off his pants. So, Kimmel and Sacha stayed in their underwear, and as a bonus, they threw away their shoes! Wild and beautiful, this is Maria Bakalova!
She’s the first Bulgarian actress to be cast by Marvel
Maria Bakalova is someone who loves to rewrite history. In 2023 she again put Bulgaria on the map, becoming the first Bulgarian actress to be cast by Marvel. The Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn chose Maria to voice the space dog Cosmo in his movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. By doing so, he allowed her to work for one of the most successful franchises in the entertainment world today.
FAQ:
What’s new from Maria Bakalova?
In 2022 the Bulgarian actress had a role in Judd Apatow’s Netflix comedy The Bubble. In this movie, she partnered with movie stars such as Pedro Pascal, David Duchovny, Karen Gillian, Iris Apatow, etc. And here’s a curious thing that happened while filming it. The director Judd Apatow got information that the Academy nominated Bakalova, so he stopped the work to tell her. It was one of the best moments in her life so far.
Is she dating someone?
Who does Maria Bakalova dates? In 2023, she’s dating fellow Bulgarian Valery Grigorov – a fitness model and a reality TV star. They were introduced to each other during work as Valery was one of the stuntmen in one of Maria’s movies. When discussing her boyfriend, Maria calls him “the best boy in the world.”
Is Maria Bakalova gay?
No, Maria Bakalova is not gay. She’s a heterosexual woman.