Sacha Baron Cohen calls 'Ali G: Who Iz I?' his final risky comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen has declared his latest film, "Ali G: Who Iz I?", to be his final project in the high-risk, character-driven comedic genre that established his career. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 55-year-old actor stated that he is finished with this specific style of filmmaking, prioritizing work that challenges him in different ways.

Cohen explained that while he has previously claimed to be done with this type of comedy, he returned to it for this specific film out of concern for the current state of society. He described his motivation as a fear of where the world is heading, viewing his comedy as a tool to comment on extremism and the spread of lies through social media and artificial intelligence. "If we don’t have these shared facts, then democracies crumble, and we can’t have a tolerant society," Cohen told the outlet. He added that making people laugh serves as a form of therapy in this context.

The production of "Ali G: Who Iz I?" involved significant physical demands and logistical complexity. Cohen described the final scene as an eight-hour continuous take spanning 12 locations in the desert. The sequence featured gunfire, a medical procedure, drones, and explosions. During filming, Cohen wore a prosthetic head inside a fat suit. A stuntman he encountered warned him that the dehydration from the conditions could land him in a hospital for two weeks. To mitigate these risks, Cohen hired an endurance specialist who trains for the Tour de France to be present throughout the shoot. Despite these precautions, Cohen noted that several crew members were hospitalized for dehydration.

Cohen emphasized that while these films are "incredibly demanding" on the body, he and his crew prioritize safety. He stated he will never perform a scene if he believes it could kill him. He recounted an incident during the filming of the first "Borat" where he stopped a scene because a police officer was holding a gun on his thigh and was too far away to ensure immediate safety. Conversely, for the second "Borat" film, he agreed to film at a gun rights rally despite the risk of being shot, feeling the film was important enough to warrant the danger.

Cohen first gained international recognition with "Da Ali G Show" in 2000 and the film "Borat" in 2006. His subsequent work includes "Bruno," "The Dictator," "Who Is America?", and "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." He has also taken on dramatic roles in films such as "The Trial of the Chicago 7," "Les Misérables," and "Disclaimer." His writing for "Borat" and its sequel earned him Academy Award nominations in 2007 and 2021, respectively, while his acting in "The Trial of the Chicago 7" received an acting nomination.