Sacha Baron Cohen Mocks Jeff Bezos at Film Premiere
The comedian, appearing as his character Ali G, quipped about the Amazon founder's involvement in his new film.
Sacha Baron Cohen, reprising his iconic character Ali G, playfully mocked Amazon founder Jeff Bezos at the Los Angeles premiere of Cohen's upcoming film, "Ali G: Who Iz I?". Amazon MGM Studios produced the controversial mockumentary.
Speaking to Variety as Ali G, Cohen referenced Bezos's background and involvement in the film. "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, adopting Ali G's distinctive speech pattern. "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."
The actor, 55, transformed into Ali G for the event, sporting the character's trademark yellow tracksuit and sunglasses. He was accompanied by Morgana Robinson, who plays Ali G's girlfriend, Julie, in the film.
The premiere took place amid ongoing controversy surrounding the mockumentary. A campaign, launched by a UK news monitoring platform, has urged cinemas worldwide to boycott the film, citing concerns that it enforces racist stereotypes. A petition has also been created calling for a ban on the film.
Cohen has publicly addressed the backlash, stating on X (formerly Twitter), "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?" is Cohen's directorial debut and was filmed in secret over a year. The mockumentary follows Ali G's life after "the world went to c**p," alongside his pregnant girlfriend, Julie. Kellie Bright, who played Julie in the original 2002 film "Ali G Indahouse," is referenced, though Robinson takes on the role in the new production. A song titled "Me Julie," performed by Cohen and reggae artist Shaggy, is featured on the film's soundtrack.
Reports initially suggested that the UK cinema chain Picturehouse would not screen the film, but Variety later clarified that the chain's response was a standard customer service reply regarding films not yet scheduled, with no final decision made.
Cohen first teased the return of Ali G with a surprise appearance at Wimbledon in July. The character, originally introduced in 1998 as the "voice of youth" on Channel 4's "The 11 O'Clock Show," later became the star of "Da Ali G Show" and the 2002 film "Ali G Indahouse." Although Cohen announced Ali G's retirement in 2007, he has resurrected the character on several occasions since, including at the 2012 British Comedy Awards and in a 2014 TV special titled "Ali G Rezurection."