Dan Mazer says working with Sacha Baron Cohen felt like "doing a bank job" every day.
Dan Mazer
The comedian and filmmaker co-wrote much of the material for his pal's most famous characters - which included Ali G, Bruno and Borat - and the pair were known for approaching celebrities and embarrassing them, which he says gave him a massive rush.
He explained: "We asked Victoria Beckham, 'do you want your son to grow up to be a footballer like David, or a singer like Mariah Carey?' Every day felt like doing a bank job, a heist. You'd get back at night and the adrenalin is like nothing you've ever felt.
"Essentially, in Borat, Bruno and Ali G, all of our targets were deserving. We wanted to be satirical, prove something, fire a shot across the bows of people who deserved it."
Dan is now writing a script with Zach Galifianakis which he says is about a New Age nudist festival in Sweden, and insisted he is taking a less risky approach to making movies nowadays.
He told The Independent newspaper: "Never say never. We have families and kids now. Do I want to go out and get shot at by the KKK again? Do I want to wake up at 5am at a Holiday Inn in Wichita to go out and find rednecks?
"That was a phase in my life where comedy was everything. Now there's a bit more perspective. And frankly, if you can sit on a film set and have green tea and almonds brought to you, your appetite for that level of hardship is slightly diminished."