Ash Baron-Cohen

Cousin of actor, comedian, and notorious prankster Sacha Baron Cohen, and often known simply as Ash, English film director Ashley Baron Cohen graduated from Sussex University with a degree in experimental psychology. Originally trained in film at the Pasadena Art Center, Ash once convinced Richard Harris to appear in an early student film, while the legendary British thespian was in Los Angeles shooting "Unforgiven." His debut feature, "Bang," was one of the most acclaimed independent features of the year of its release, earning a mention by "Chicago Sun-Times" critic Roger Ebert in his 1997 "best of the year" countdown. "Bang," which stars Darling Narita as a struggling Los Angeles actress who steals a cop's motorbike and uniform, and spends the day maintaining the ruse that she's a real policewoman, garnered Narita a Best Debut Performance nomination at that year's Independent Spirit Awards. Since then, Ash has worked steadily as an independent artist, in fiction and documentary forms alike, originally choosing his one-word name as a way of avoiding the notice of deportation authorities. Ash made his second film, "Pups," in 1999, this time working with Burt Reynolds and a very young Mischa Barton, in a story about a pair of troubled teens holding a bank hostage. His 2003 film, "This Girl's Life," is about a young woman in the sex industry, and features James Woods, Ioan Gruffudd, and Rosario Dawson.