What's the nationality of actress Maria Bakalova, who plays Tutar in the Golden Globe awarded movie "Borat 2"?

Maria Bakalova is a Bulgarian actress and model. She gained international attention through her role as Tutar Sagdiyev in the 2020 mockumentary "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm" or "Borat 2", for which she earned Golden Globe, SAG and Critics' Choice Award nominations. She is the first Bulgarian to be nominated for these awards and is one of Bulgaria's top-earners in her field.

She was cast as Tutar Sagdiyev in the mockumentary "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm", the daughter of fictional Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev. Although initially credited as Irina Nowak, reports later revealed her involvement. Fellow Bulgarian Julian Kostov connected her with casting director Nancy Bishop for the role. Critics have praised Bakalova's performance, with Matt Fowler of IGN stating how "the film's fantastic find, Maria Bakalova, every bit Sacha Baron Cohen’s on-screen equal, is who, and what, most people will be talking about in the wake of the film." Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang described Bakalova's performance as "terrific", praising her portrayal of her character’s journey "with madcap energy and touching conviction".

In November 2020, it was reported that Bakalova had signed with Creative Artists Agency.