Sacha Baron Cohen has a few different major comedy personas, but the one that started it all was Ali G. The Ali G character (who’s in-universe real name is Alistair Leslie Graham) was created as a parody of specific types of youth culture in the U.K. at the time. Despite being around since 1998, the character didn’t really take off in a big way until the early 2000s, after HBO began several seasons of Cohen’s Da Ali G Show — which also featured Cohen’s other famous creations, Borat and Brüno.
Like most of Cohen’s other characters, Ali G’s humor is mostly derived from his interactions with normal people. They’re usually baited into a false sense of security and don’t realize that Ali G is a character. They speak to him as if he was a real person. Ali G was officially retired back in 2007, and did appear in one feature film — 2002’s Ali G Indahouse — although he’s made a handful of appearances since then.
READ MORE: The Best Comedy Movies of the Last 25 Years
According to a new report, Ali G is about to make a big comeback — although not on film or TV, in part because of the ongoing writers and actors strikes. A source told Variety that: “As a SAG and WGA member he is supporting the ongoing strike alongside his fellow writers and actors.” Instead, Cohen is working on a potential comedy tour where he would perform in character as Ali G.
While Ali G might have been the character that Cohen built his career on, it might be the case that he’s now most well-known for Borat. Obviously, that could change if this upcoming live show is a big hit.
Comedy Movies That Are Surprisingly Deep
These movies are good for a laugh — and a whole lot more.
