LOGIN ‘Borat’ Star Maria Bakalova Says Getting Cast in Bulgaria’s ‘The Father’ Was ‘Best Day of My Life’ “I was praying one day to be part of something that they were going to make,” breakout actress says of the film’s directorsBrian Welk | January 6, 2021 @ 3:40 PM Maria Bakalova landed the role of a lifetime when she was just a young, aspiring actress in Bulgaria. And it wasn’t for “Borat 2.” She was cast in Bulgaria’s Oscar submission “The Father” in a tiny but important role, and in speaking with TheWrap, Bakalova described her casting as something of a dream come true.