Sacha Baron Cohen might be dusting off one of his classic characters. While the comedian is best known for his portrayal of Borat, who now has two movies under his belt, Cohen looks to be going back to his roots by bringing back Ali G, the character that started it all.
According to Variety, Cohen is reportedly developing a stand-up tour featuring Ali G, whose absurd interviews put the actor on the map. Ali G originally appeared in the late ’90s on the British TV sketch series, “The 11 O’Clock Show” before making the jump to HBO where Ali G became a breakout hit with American audiences in the early-to-mid 2000s.
However, a source close to Cohen made it a point to “strenuously deny” that a new Ali G movie was in the works and that Cohen is “strictly abiding” by strike rules. “As a SAG and WGA member he is supporting the ongoing strike alongside his fellow writers and actors,” the source told Variety.
While Cohen has focused mainly on Borat, Ali G has reemerged a handful of times. The actor famously surprised audiences with the character at the 2016 Oscars thanks to the help of wife Isla Fisher. More recently, Cohen dropped a secret Ali G set at The Comedy Store in Sydney in 2021 where he may have been laying the groundwork for the pending stand-up tour.
“I just wanted to get on stage and muck around and see what Ali G would be like with a crowd,” Cohen said after the performance. “It was really good fun.”
(Via Variety)