There was a stir this weekend as Ali G appeared at Wimbledon, but how much do you know about the man behind him, Sacha Baron Cohen?
While the eyes of the sporting world were trained on the Centre Court of Wimbledon for the men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev last Sunday afternoon, eagle-eyed viewers spotted a familiar face from the past in the stands – Ali G.
The comic character, brought to life by Sacha Baron Cohen, hasn’t been seen in years, but there he was dressed in an all-white tracksuit – in keeping with the strict Wimbledon dress code – creating havoc in the stands, apparently posing as the official ganga dealer of the Championships.
Some people on social media wondered if it was a tribute act but it appears to be the man himself.
Indeed, Deadline has since reported that a new Ali G movie has been filmed, a mere 24 years after Ali G In Da house dropped in 2002.
Since that movie, Sacha has largely moved onto other comedy characters such as Borat and Bruno, as well as carving out a decent career in Hollywood movies, including as King Julian in the Madagascar movies.
But now he appears to be going back to the character that made him a household name. But how much do you know about Sacha Baron Cohen?
He’s from a famous family
Sacha is not the only Baron Cohen to make a name for themselves. His elder brother, Erran, is a composer – and the two have collaborated in the past. Meanwhile, his cousins include prominent autism researcher Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, playwright Dan Baron Cohen and filmmaker Ash Baron-Cohen.
His was educated at Cambridge University
He was educated at Cambridge University
Sacha’s acting and comedy ambitions were on hold until he completed his education. He attended the prestigious Haberdashers Aske’s Boys School in London, before moving on to Cambridge University, where he studied history, with a focus on antisemitism. He graduated in 1993 with upper-second-class honours.
During his time at Cambridge, he was part of the Amateur Dramatic Club and performed in various productions, including Fiddler on the Roof.
His first TV appearance was on a music show
Sacha appeared on several TV shows before hitting fame, including hosting Pump TV in the UK from 1995-6. It was the Eleven O’Clock Show that brought Ali G, and Sacha, to national prominence. He performed regular skits on the show, interviewing famous people of the time, who didn’t get who he was – or, often, the joke.
But before all that, Sacha’s first TV appearance came while he was still at school. As a boy, he played the cello and was featured playing it on a show called Fanfare for Young Musicians.
He surprised everyone at the 2016 Oscars
As mentioned, Sascha has largely moved away from playing Ali G since the 2002 movie, but he has occasionally returned to the tracksuit and goatee beard. One of the most famous occasions was at the 2016 Oscars when the character made a surprise appearance – a surprise to everyone, including the show’s producers.
His costume was smuggled in before a quick change to appear onstage alongside Olivia Wilde – who was in on the stunt. Where he delivered an unscripted monologue, which took on the ceremony’s lack of diversity, shouting out overlooked people including Will Smith, Idris Elba and The Minions.
He’s a wrestling fan
Sacha is a long-time fan of professional wrestling, and he is said to be good friends with iconic WWE wrestler John Cena. On several occasions Sacha has incorporated wrestling into his stunts as a homage to his fandom, notably as Borat and Bruno.
