Sacha Baron Cohen has “killed” an elderly woman in a wheelchair while receiving an award onstage. The English actor shocked the audience when he pushed 87-year-old Grace Collington, described as “the oldest surviving actor to have worked with Chaplin in a silent movie,” off the stage on Saturday.

Fortunately, it was just a prank, and Baron Cohen did not really kill any old woman, inadvertently or not.

The 42-year-old comedian was at the BAFTA Los Angeles Jaguar Britannia Awards to receive the Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence of Comedy when he stole the show with his heart-stopping antic.

To present the award, actress Salma Hayek took the stage along with a frail, elderly lady in a wheelchair introduced as Collington, who was said to be just five years old when she appeared onscreen with legendary comedian Chaplin.

Baron Cohen walked on stage and immediately went over to Collington after greeting Hayek. Collington then presented him a cane, which she claimed Chaplin himself used in the movie “City Lights.”

The delighted actor imitated Chaplin’s famous goofy walk. However, the cane broke, and Baron Cohen fell into the woman, prompting her wheelchair to roll off the stage and making her fall headfirst onto the floor.

The audience were understandably stunned, thinking that they have just witnessed a person’s actual death, but a few were able to quickly catch up with the joke.

After initially concerning himself with Collington’s welfare, Baron Cohen walked on stage again and proceeded with his speech.

“Grace Collington is the oldest, uhm, sorry, was the oldest surviving actor...” he amended when an assistant signalled that the woman has died before she was carried out in a fireman’s carry style.

“I dedicate this award to her. This is obviously a tragedy, but on the bright side, what a great way to go, giving the award to me. Plus, she’d probably make the Oscars In Memoriam segment.

“At this moment, I’d like to say a few words to her family: Do not try to sue me. However, if you decide to have the lawyers involved, then bring it on. I would take you down just like I did to your granny,” Baron Cohen continued as the audience roared with laughter.

As the audience has surmised by that time, Collington wasn’t really a child actor who appeared with Chaplin in the ‘30s, but a stuntwoman.

“Anyway tonight is not about her, it’s about me,” he then thanked BAFTA for his award, as well as his parents who flew from England to celebrate with him.

“My incredible wife – what’s her name? Ees-la? Ice-la? I don’t know. We got so long into the relationship, it’s embarrassing to ask,” he referred to his wife of three years, Australian actress Isla Fisher, who couldn’t contain her laughter at her husband’s absurdity.

A-list superstars George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Julia Roberts, and Benedict Cumberbatch were among the audience in the small yet distinguished awards show.

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