Ken Davitian
Encyclopedia
Kenneth "Ken" Davitian is an American
actor
who is best known for his role as Borat's producer (Azamat Bagatov) in the 2006 comedy film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
, in which he speaks the Eastern
dialect of Armenian
throughout the film.
descent, was born in Los Angeles
, California
. He received a degree in theatre from Whittier College
.
Early in his career, he appeared in the movies American Raspberry, Bikini Summer, Maximum Force, Frogtown II, and Sexual Intent. In 1994, he appeared in the movie The Silence of the Hams
, a spoof of The Silence of the Lambs. Davitian has also appeared in television series such as Chuck
, Ghost Whisperer, Becker
, ER
, Arli$$
, The Shield
, Gilmore Girls
, Six Feet Under, Boston Legal
, The Closer
, and Mind of Mencia
. He has also made appearances in music videos, for example in The Smashing Pumpkins
' "Stand Inside Your Love" of 2000. He appeared in the film Meet the Spartans
as Xerxes
, with the movie's narrator playing on his previous role as "that fat guy from Borat". He also starred in the 2008 film, Stone & Ed, in which he portrays a drug lord named Señor Gordo. Ken also was an extra in a background scene of the show According to Jim
. Upcoming films with Davitian include the family friendly film The Prankster, Melvin Smarty, and You May Not Kiss The Bride in which he plays Katherine McPhee's father, starring opposite Kathy Bates, Rob Schneider, Vinny Jones, Dave Annable and Mena Suvari. Davitian also has a cameo on the film The Artist with John Goodman and James Cromwell, which was the first film to be bought at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival by The Weinstein Company and already has Oscar buzz.
Davitian starred in the short Last Day Foundation with comedian Jon Lovitz, a piece written by his son, screenwriter Aaron Davitian.
Davitian founded a restaurant in 2003 called The Dip, which was located in Los Angeles, California
and his son Robert Davitian runs his hot dog restaurant "The Infield" in Sherman Oaks, CA, which was recently made even more famous by Charlie Sheens tweet and the creation by Sheen of the Charlie Sheen Dog with Tiger Blood.
In his appearance in the 2011 television series The Cape, his role in Borat is referenced as his character's store is assaulted by muggers, who yell at him: "Come on, Borat!".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who is best known for his role as Borat's producer (Azamat Bagatov) in the 2006 comedy film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
, in which he speaks the Eastern
Eastern Armenian language
Eastern Armenian is one of the two standardized forms of modern Armenian , the other being Western Armenian. The two standards form pluricentric language....
dialect of Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
throughout the film.
Life and career
Davitian, who is of ArmenianArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
descent, was born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He received a degree in theatre from Whittier College
Whittier College
Whittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
.
Early in his career, he appeared in the movies American Raspberry, Bikini Summer, Maximum Force, Frogtown II, and Sexual Intent. In 1994, he appeared in the movie The Silence of the Hams
The Silence of the Hams
The Silence of the Hams aka Il Silenzio dei Prosciutti is a comedy movie directed and written by Ezio Greggio and features an image-by-image parody of Thriller...
, a spoof of The Silence of the Lambs. Davitian has also appeared in television series such as Chuck
Chuck (TV series)
Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central...
, Ghost Whisperer, Becker
Becker (TV series)
Becker is an American television sitcom that ran from 1998 to 2004 on CBS. Set in the New York City borough of The Bronx, the show starred Ted Danson as John Becker, a misanthropic doctor who operates a small practice and is constantly annoyed by his patients, co-workers, friends, and practically...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Arli$$
Arliss
-Criticism:This show, which ran for seven seasons, is a prime example of how HBO differs from traditional networks due to its nature as a network its viewers specifically pay to be able to watch. Arliss was cited by so many viewers as the sole reason that they paid for the network that its...
, The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
, Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, Six Feet Under, Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
, The Closer
The Closer
The Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods...
, and Mind of Mencia
Mind of Mencia
Mind of Mencia is an American television comedy series on the cable channel Comedy Central. Hosted by Carlos Mencia, it aired from 2005 to 2008.- History :...
. He has also made appearances in music videos, for example in The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
' "Stand Inside Your Love" of 2000. He appeared in the film Meet the Spartans
Meet the Spartans
Meet the Spartans is a 2008 parody film directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Similar to past movies, such as Scary Movie, Date Movie, and most recently Epic Movie, it directs parodies at various films. Although it references many movies, TV shows, people and pop cultural events, it...
as Xerxes
Xerxes I of Persia
Xerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
, with the movie's narrator playing on his previous role as "that fat guy from Borat". He also starred in the 2008 film, Stone & Ed, in which he portrays a drug lord named Señor Gordo. Ken also was an extra in a background scene of the show According to Jim
According to Jim
According to Jim is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children. It originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2001 to June 2, 2009.-Synopsis:Jim is an abrasive but lovable suburban father...
. Upcoming films with Davitian include the family friendly film The Prankster, Melvin Smarty, and You May Not Kiss The Bride in which he plays Katherine McPhee's father, starring opposite Kathy Bates, Rob Schneider, Vinny Jones, Dave Annable and Mena Suvari. Davitian also has a cameo on the film The Artist with John Goodman and James Cromwell, which was the first film to be bought at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival by The Weinstein Company and already has Oscar buzz.
Davitian starred in the short Last Day Foundation with comedian Jon Lovitz, a piece written by his son, screenwriter Aaron Davitian.
Davitian founded a restaurant in 2003 called The Dip, which was located in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and his son Robert Davitian runs his hot dog restaurant "The Infield" in Sherman Oaks, CA, which was recently made even more famous by Charlie Sheens tweet and the creation by Sheen of the Charlie Sheen Dog with Tiger Blood.
In his appearance in the 2011 television series The Cape, his role in Borat is referenced as his character's store is assaulted by muggers, who yell at him: "Come on, Borat!".
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1999 1999 in film The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep... |
Shandra The Jungle Girl | Diego |
| 2000 2000 in film The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor .... |
Our Lips Are Sealed Our Lips Are Sealed (film) Our Lips Are Sealed is a 2000 direct-to-video film featuring Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen. The film was set and filmed in Sydney, Australia.-Plot:... |
Mobster |
| 2002 2002 in film The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of... |
The Shield The Shield The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons... |
Armenian Mobster |
| 2003 2003 in film The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... |
S.W.A.T. S.W.A.T. (film) S.W.A.T. is a 2003 action-crime film directed by Clark Johnson, and is based on the 1975 television series of the same name. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, LL Cool J and Michelle Rodriguez. It was produced by Neal H... |
Uncle Martin Gascoigne |
| Holes Holes (film) Holes is a 2003 film based on the novel of the same name by Louis Sachar, who also wrote the screenplay, with Shia LaBeouf as the lead role of Stanley Yelnats... |
Igor Barkov | |
| A Man Apart A Man Apart A Man Apart is a 2003 action-thriller-drama film directed by F. Gary Gray and released by New Line Cinema. The film stars Vin Diesel and Larenz Tate. The story follows undercover DEA agent Sean Vetter who is on a vendetta to take down a mysterious drug lord named Diablo after his wife is murdered... |
Ramon Cadena | |
| 2006 2006 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006... |
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox... |
Azamat Bagatov |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
South of Pico South of Pico South of Pico is a 2007 character-driven drama film written and directed by Ernst Gossner set in Los Angeles.-Plot:Four strangers witness an unimaginable tragedy and are catapulted into the defining moment of their lives... |
Nick |
| Lucky You Lucky You (film) Lucky You is a 2007 drama directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, and Robert Duvall. The film was shot on location in Las Vegas... |
Poker Player | |
| 2008 2008 in film This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008... |
Meet the Spartans Meet the Spartans Meet the Spartans is a 2008 parody film directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Similar to past movies, such as Scary Movie, Date Movie, and most recently Epic Movie, it directs parodies at various films. Although it references many movies, TV shows, people and pop cultural events, it... |
Xerxes |
| Get Smart Get Smart (film) Get Smart is a 2008 American spy-fi comedy film based on Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's 1960s spy parody television series of the same name. The film stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99... |
Shtarker | |
| Soul Men Soul Men (film) Soul Men is a 2008 American music-comedy-drama film directed by Malcolm D. Lee and written by Matthew Stone and Rob Ramsey. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac. It was released on November 7, 2008.... |
Ardesh Kezian | |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
Chuck Chuck (TV series) Chuck is an action-comedy/spy-drama television program from the United States created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak. The series is about an "average computer-whiz-next-door" named Chuck, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central... |
'Uncle' Bernie |
| Lonely Street Lonely Street (film) Lonely Street is an American comedy-thriller film directed by Peter Ettinger and starring Jay Mohr, Robert Patrick, Nikki Cox, Joe Mantegna and Katt Williams. It was released in 2009... |
Motel Owner | |
| Not Forgotten Not Forgotten (film) Not Forgotten is a 2009 independent thriller written and directed by Dror Soref starring Simon Baker and Paz Vega. The film takes place on the Texas-Mexico border and tells the story of a kidnapping plot involving the ritualistic cult Santa Muerte... |
Father Salinas | |
| 2011 2011 in American television The following is a list of events affecting American television in 2011. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and carriage disputes.... |
The Cape | Store Owner |