Maria Valcheva Bakalova was born on December 12, 1996, in Burgas, Bulgaria. She began studying acting and singing at a young age. She attended the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts (NATFA) in Sofia, Bulgaria, majoring in drama.
Bakalova’s early career included roles in Bulgarian films such as “XIIa” (2017), “Angels” (2018), and “Last Call” (2020). She also worked in theatre productions during this time.
Bakalova gained international recognition for her role as Tutar Sagdiyev, Borat’s daughter, in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2020). Her performance garnered critical acclaim.
For her performance in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Bakalova received numerous nominations and awards, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She won the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress, and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Following her success in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” Bakalova has taken on diverse roles in film and television. She appeared in “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022), a horror comedy film, and “The Bubble” (2022), a comedy film. She also lent her voice to the animated film “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (2023), playing Cosmo the Spacedog.