Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G explains the 20-year wait to get back in the saddle
Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G lays out why the comeback took 20 years—with his trademark outrageous humor—as Ali G: Who Iz I? readies for theaters.
On the carpet in Los Angeles on October 14, Sacha Baron Cohen answered in full Ali G mode when Variety asked why it took so long to bring the character back to the big screen.
“I've been very busy, I've been boning, I've been wanking a lot, I've been toking.”
Staying in character, Ali G also spun a tongue-in-cheek “business” tale: he said that after two seasons of his show he tried to make a third with HBO , but the talks fell apart. He claimed he’d been treated badly despite believing he brought huge value, and joked that he’d held the line for two decades.
“If you've got a dream, give it up.”
The new movie
Ali G: Who Iz I? picks up after 20 years of “chillin’, tokin’ and bonin’,” when Ali learns his longtime girlfriend, Julie, is eight months pregnant. Facing fatherhood, he heads to America to recapture his old fame, only to run into people who threaten his and his kid’s future.
- Sacha Baron Cohen writes, directs and stars — his feature directorial debut
- Morgana Robinson plays Julie
The comeback hasn’t been smooth. The first trailer sparked immediate pushback online, with viewers split over whether Ali G’s brand of provocation still works in 2026.
Ali G: Who Iz I? opens in theaters October 23, 2026.