Actor Sacha Baron Cohen was seen chatting with a smiling woman outside a bar in Notting Hill on Wednesday following the release of the first trailer for his new movie Ali G: Who Iz I?
The 54-year-old star dressed casually in a white T-shirt and blue jeans, completing his look with a black baseball cap as he stood outside the West London venue. The woman appeared engrossed in conversation, smiling and laughing with the actor while enjoying her break.
The outing comes as Cohen returns to single life following his divorce from actress Isla Fisher, which was finalised in June 2025 after 20 years of marriage.
Return of Ali G
The Notting Hill appearance coincided with the launch of the first official trailer for Ali G: Who Iz I? on Tuesday. The film marks the return of Cohen's iconic wannabe gangster character after a two-decade absence from cinema screens.
In the new teaser, Ali G unveils a stunt documentary while reflecting on the 20 years since his last major feature. He references major global events that have occurred in the interim, including the pandemic, ongoing conflicts, and the rise of musician Ed Sheeran.
Opening the trailer in character, Cohen says: "Yo, it's me Ali G. I'ze been gone for 20 years chillin' and in that time the world went to crap. There was covid. Wars. And Ed Sheeran. But I'ze gonna get back on top with a brand new ting called a documentary..."
He continues in the clip: "For the first time ever, this is with real people not actors. For more than a year we let the cameras follow me everywhere. Nothing was off limits."
Stunt documentary and plot details
Throughout the trailer clips, Ali is seen wearing a rastacap alongside his signature Tommy Gear headwear. A rastacap is a traditional slouchy, large-knit tam or cap designed specifically within Rastafarian culture to cover and protect dreadlocks.
Actress Morgana Robinson stars alongside Cohen as Ali's long-term girlfriend Julie. The character was previously featured as the subject of the 2002 hit song collaboration Me Julie by Ali G and Shaggy.
In the trailer, Julie reveals she is pregnant, though the hapless lead character struggles to comprehend the news and initially mistakes her positive pregnancy test for an electronic vape.
According to the film's official synopsis: "After twenty years spent “chillin’, tokin’ and bonin’”, Ali G is shocked to discover that his long-term girlfriend, Julie, is eight months pregnant..."
The synopsis adds: "Faced with an extra mouth to feed, he gets off his batty and heads to America to reclaim his former glory… but soon encounters adversaries who will ultimately threaten his and his child’s very existence...."
Secret production and theatrical release
The movie is scheduled for release in cinemas on October 23 by Amazon MGM Studios. The project serves as Cohen's directorial debut and was shot in secret, reportedly across locations in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Ali G: Who Iz I? is the direct follow-up to the 2002 feature film Ali G Indahouse. That original movie featured a high-profile ensemble cast that included Martin Freeman, Charles Dance, and Sir Michael Gambon.
Ahead of Tuesday's trailer release, the official Ali G Instagram account shared a promotional poster on Monday showing Cohen wrapped in an oversized coat emblazoned with the film's title.
The accompanying caption read: "Check it, de worlds biggest puffa worn by the worlds biggest puffer. Respek de erb respek ya nan and respek me trailer droppin tomorrow", mimicking the character's distinct text speak from his early screen appearances.
A video was also posted showing Cohen standing in front of Ali G's iconic yellow car, rapping about the upcoming release to the tune of the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty.
History of the iconic character
Cohen previously teased the resurrection of his signature comic creation with an unannounced appearance in the crowds at the Wimbledon tennis championships in July, where he wore full Ali G attire, complete with tracksuit, dark sunglasses, and heavy gold jewellery.
Reports first surfaced last year that the actor was planning to revive the character, 27 years after Ali G first debuted on television screens as the "voice of youth" on Channel 4's satirical series The 11 O'Clock Show in late 1998.
The character's initial popularity led to the spin-off series Da Ali G Show in the early 2000s, which paved the way for the 2002 feature film Ali G Indahouse.
In a 2007 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Cohen stated that he had retired the Ali G character. However, he subsequently revived the persona at the 2012 British Comedy Awards to accept an Outstanding Achievement Award.
He later returned to television screens as the character in 2014 for the series Ali G Rezurection, which combined original new footage with classic highlights from Da Ali G Show.
