Sacha Baron Cohen Mocks Jeff Bezos at Film Premiere
The comedian, in character as Ali G, quipped about the Amazon founder's involvement in his new film 'Ali G: Who Iz I?'
Sacha Baron Cohen, appearing as his iconic character Ali G, playfully mocked Amazon founder Jeff Bezos at the Los Angeles premiere of the upcoming film "Ali G: Who Iz I?" The mockumentary, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, marks Cohen's directorial debut.
Cohen, 55, addressed Bezos's involvement in the film with a characteristic Ali G persona. "Jeffrey Bezos came through. You know that bloke? Him flew over here from the Amazon, where him lived up a tree, you know?" Cohen quipped, according to Variety. "Him has his d**g out. Him is just very natural there. But him has got a company now – them sell like, I don't know, everything... And him said: 'Look, here's some cash money, make a documentary about you life.' And I said: 'I will, so long as you're not in it.' That's how we did the business."
For the premiere, Cohen donned his character's signature yellow tracksuit and sunglasses, accompanied by actress Morgana Robinson, who portrays Ali G's girlfriend, Julie. Robinson also embraced her character, wearing a tight bodysuit and sky-high heels.
The film's release has been met with calls for a ban in UK cinemas. A petition launched by campaigners claims the film and character perpetuate racist stereotypes. Cohen addressed the backlash on X, writing, "In an age where a comedian's career can be ended by a single un-PC joke, I thought I'd play it safe and bring this guy back."
"Ali G: Who Iz I?" was secretly filmed over a year and follows the character's life since "the world went to c**p," alongside his pregnant girlfriend, Julie. The character Julie was originally played by Kellie Bright in the 2002 film "Ali G Indahouse."
Cohen first teased the return of Ali G with an appearance at Wimbledon in July. The character, who first appeared on Channel 4's "The 11 O'Clock Show" in 1998, later became the subject of "Da Ali G Show" in the early 2000s. Cohen had previously announced the retirement of Ali G in 2007, but resurrected the character in 2012 to accept an award and again in 2014 for "Ali G Rezurection."