The mouthful of consonants which make up his name are unfamiliar to the majority of the country. Even his more well known alter ego Ali G can only be described as cult.
Yet 27-year-old comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is the fifth hottest star in the world, according to entertainment magazine Heat, which publishes its list of the hottest 100 stars this week.
Ali G, who made his name interviewing establishment figures for Channel 4's satirical 11 O'Clock Show as the channel's "voice of youth", beat Jim Carrey and Tom Cruise to a place in the top 10.
Number one in the poll, after the success of The Spy Who Shagged Me, the second Austin Powers film, was Mike Myers. Nicole Kidman was number two.
Madonna, in third place, is described by the magazine as deserving of the honour because "she's 41 and still parties like she's 17", beating Ewan McGregor into fourth place.
Otherwise homegrown stars seem more popular than those from Hollywood. Robbie Williams beat the rapper, film star and would-be US president Will Smith and Scottish actor Robert Carlyle beat Keanu Reeves, despite The Matrix.
In the battle of the bands, the Manic Street Preachers scored over 10 places higher than rivals, the Stereophonics. Lisa Kudrow emerged as the surprise favourite Friends star, eight places above nearest co-star, Jennifer Aniston.
Of the Spice Girls, scary Mel G beat newly-solo Geri by 35 places, but both were topped by sporty Mel C - the only Spice Girl in the top 10.
Neither Posh Spice Victoria Beckham or her footballer husband David were included. Perhaps the most suprising omission, given her new husband's top 10 placing, was Zoe Ball.
The Radio One Breakfast Show host is unplaced along with her radio rival, Chris Evans.
Levi's ad star Flat Eric also failed to make the cut, proving that cult status is short lived, but the best-selling fictional schoolboy Harry Potter made it in at 75.
Voted for by readers of the magazine, the poll also canvassed the opinions of an entertainment industry panel, including film producers Tim Bevan and Cindy Cowan, TV presenters Davina McCall and Will MacDonald, and Creation Records managing director Alan McGee.
Heat's top 10:
1 Mike Myers
2 Nicole Kidman
3 Madonna
4 Ewan McGregor
5 Sacha Baron Cohen
6 Robbie Williams
7 Will Smith
8 Mel C
9 Ricky Martin
10 Norman Cook
