(JTA) — Actor Sacha Baron Cohen received two tickets to the Academy Awards, despite threats that he would be banned if he comes dressed on the red carpet as the title character from his upcoming film, "The Dictator."
Baron Cohen announced Sunday that he would attend the awards ceremony.
In a statement running as a crawl across the website promoting "The Dictator," Baron Cohen said in character as the Dictator, Adm. Gen. Shabazz Aladeen: "Victory is ours! Today the mighty nation of Wadiya triumphed over the Zionist snakes of Hollywood. Evil and all those who made Satan their protector were vanquished and driven into the Pacific sea. What I am trying to say here is that the Academy have surrendered and sent over two tickets and a parking pass! Today Oscar, tomorrow Obama!"
Baron Cohen also tweeted a photo of himself dressed in character holding his two tickets.
Oscar producers also said over the weekend that the actor will appear as himself on stage at the ceremony. He reportedly plans to walk the red carpet in character and then change into a tuxedo for the rest of the evening.
Paramount’s awards staff had said last week that Baron Cohen would not receive his tickets to the Oscars unless he assured the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ahead of time that he would not arrive in costume and not promote his movie on the red carpet, Deadline Hollywood reported.
The awards ceremony is set for Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Baron Cohen has a part in the Best Picture-nominated film "Hugo."
He declined a request to be a presenter at the Oscars in 2005 because he could not do it in character as Borat, a character from a previous film, according to Deadline Hollywood.
"The Dictator," a spoof about a Middle Eastern dictator, is set to be released in May.
