Ken Davitian

Biography

Kenneth "Ken" Davitian, born on June 19, 1953, is an American actor renowned for his portrayal of Azamat Bagatov, the producer in the 2006 comedy, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. In this role, he delivers lines in the Eastern Armenian dialect throughout the film.

Davitian was born in Los Angeles to an Armenian American family hailing from Montebello, California. His maternal grandparents survived the Armenian genocide, and his father served as a Red Army soldier during World War II, only to be captured by German forces and held in an Armenian Legion camp in Stuttgart, Germany. After the war, he made his way to the United States with the help of George Mardikian, a notable restaurateur and philanthropist.

Completing his education at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, Davitian later attended Whittier College. He was inspired to pursue acting by his teenage idol, Burt Reynolds, and had the opportunity to perform alongside him in the film Pocket Listing. Prior to his acting career, Davitian also contributed to his family’s waste management business. Fluent in Armenian, he seamlessly incorporates the language into his role as Azamat in Borat.