{"id":811566,"date":"2026-10-23T17:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/811566\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T17:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:20:10","slug":"ali-g-who-iz-i-star-morgana-robinson-on-playing-julie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/811566\/","title":{"rendered":"Ali G: Who Iz I Star Morgana Robinson on Playing Julie"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAfter more than a decade out of the limelight and away from his wardrobe of high-visibility, low-practicality clothing, Sacha Baron Cohen<\/a>\u2018s Ali G is back with his first film in almost 25 years. This time, alongside the satirical would-be bad boy himself leading \u201cAli G: Who Iz I\u201d comes his long-suffering girlfriend Julie (constantly referred to by Ali as \u201cMe Julie\u201d). <\/p>\n

\n\tPlayed by British comic and impressionist Morgana Robinson, Julie is seen in the trailer to the film \u2014\u00a0released Oct. 23 by Amazon MGM \u2014\u00a0heavily pregnant while Ali first explains to a doctor that her bump is \u201cprobably wind or a big poo\u201d and later with him as, when asked what type of father he wants to be, he replies \u201cabsent.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tFor Robinson, who played Pippa Middleton in \u201cThe Windsors,\u201d the experience making \u201cAli G: Who Iz I\u201d was the most insane she\u2019s ever had,\u00a0one that required her, on the insistence of Cohen, to stay in character off set. \u201cHe was training me like Rocky,\u201d she says. But for all the silliness of the film (Morgana claims it\u2019s half-silly \u2014\u00a0\u201dlaugh-out loud funny, but with a message\u201d), \u201cAli G: Who Iz I\u201d has also come under significant fire, accused of using outdated racist stereotypes and mocking the working class. In the U.K., there have also been calls for cinemas to boycott the film.<\/p>\n

\n\tSpeaking to Variety, a wildly entertaining Morgana claims that Julie \u2014\u00a0who she describes as \u201cthe heart of the film\u201d \u2014\u00a0is much more than what\u2019s been seen in the trailer, adding that the \u201cWho Iz I\u201d actually takes aim at Ali G\u2019s out-of-date views and attitude. But she also laughs about the shock and surprise of finding people in America who didn\u2019t know Ali G and could be duped by the joke and reveals the real \u2014\u00a0and painful \u2014\u00a0struggles of trying not to laugh during each scene, because \u201cthere is no take two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tHow\u2019s the \u201cAli G: Who Iz I\u201d press tour been?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019m in a bowl of jelly, to be honest. It is a bit knee-knocky. It\u2019s on a rather grand scale, but it\u2019s been amazing, especially on the red carpet and turning up in character.<\/p>\n

\t\tMost carpets are quite serious affairs with serious questions. Was turning up as Julie and, I guess, ad lobbing a bit quite fun?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI find it a bit of a comfort. It\u2019s like a very solid bra. I feel supported and not so exposed. They can look a bit serious, can\u2019t they? And if you look a bit silly, it\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n

\t\tSo how silly is this film?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s half-silly. It gets less silly as you go on. But it\u2019s got all the feels. It\u2019s outrageous. It\u2019s very funny. It\u2019s terrifying. It\u2019s uncomfortable. It\u2019s heartbreaking. It\u2019s confusing. But it\u2019s laugh out loud funny, but with a message.<\/p>\n

\t\tWe haven\u2019t had Ali G on screens for a very long time. How does he rank to the Ali G of old?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tHe hasn\u2019t changed particularly much, apart from you know his beard\u2019s a bit longer. But how does he sit into today\u2019s society? I think that\u2019s sort of the reason they made this \u2014what happens when you take a very dated character and drop him in into today\u2019s society, into the world that we live in today that\u2019s a very different place.<\/p>\n

\t\tDoes he manage to survive that?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI might let you wait and see. But what I will say is that I think a lot of questions have been asked, and I think they get answers.<\/p>\n

\t\tSo how did how did this film find you? How did you become Julie?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThere was a very rigorous, full-on casting situation, and there were waves of auditions. There was like the first wave of auditions was a sort of like, \u201cHi, can you come in and have an improv with Sasha? Can you be funny? Can you go toe to toe with him? Can you hold your own?\u201d And then the second, once you\u2019ve passed that, was, \u201cWe throw you into the jaws of a shark with a with a real interview with a real person. Can you be believable?\u201d I guess what they were looking for was a balance between someone who could be funny, but also someone who you know could feel real. Otherwise, I guess they don\u2019t have a film. But I think it took them about a year to cast.<\/p>\n

\t\tThis film took us all by surprise when it was announced. So much must have been done in secret.\t<\/p>\n

\n\tOh yeah, I like the word \u2018clandestine.\u2019 It\u2019s an odd it\u2019s an odd fish, isn\u2019t it? I mean, I\u2019ve never done anything like this with real people. It was was crazy. Sometimes we were in the desert in Palm Springs. We stayed in these random hotels, all of us, but no one knew what we were doing there. So it was all sort of cloak and dagger and lying about what we were doing. You\u2019d be doing makeup in your hotel room, and some days I\u2019d come back and I\u2019d have a bob and I\u2019d be not pregnant. Then the next morning, I\u2019d be eight months pregnant, walking out the lobby. Then I\u2019d be in the bar having a glass of wine. And the concierge was just so confused.<\/p>\n

\t\tPrevious mockumentaries from Sasha, whether with Ali G or Borat or Bruno, have all relied on people not understanding that it\u2019s a joke. But I\u2019d be surprised if there\u2019s anyone now who doesn\u2019t know. Was it all scripted or were you actually meeting real people who had no idea that this was a joke?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tEvery single person, apart from me and him and the guy who plays his dad, are all real people. It think Borat is well known in America, but Ali G isn\u2019t. But I think the people on the team scouted for people, and they had to pass a sort of certain test of who they know and what they know.<\/p>\n

\t\tThat must be quite some scouting. I\u2019m really surprised that someone who\u2019s not been cut off from the world for the last 20 years wouldn\u2019t just see Ali G and know that a joke was coming a mile off. Was it a surprise to you that some people out there were still duped by it?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThe whole thing is ridiculous. The whole thing is shocking and surprising. I don\u2019t know where to begin. But the script was a constantly evolving thing. It wasn\u2019t like, \u201cHere is the script. You may read it.\u201d It was like, \u201cHere it is and it\u2019s different from yesterday.\u201d So you\u2019re in your room waiting to come on set and 10 minutes before someone runs in going, \u201cHey Morgana, this has totally changed.\u201d You\u2019re like, \u201cThis is chaos. This is ludicrous. They\u2019re never going to believe this. We can\u2019t pull this off. This is impossible.\u201d And I don\u2019t know what happens, but [Cohen] sort of hypnotizes people. it\u2019s like a magic trick.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tMorgan Robinson. Photo: Lou Rolley<\/p>\n

\t\tDid you struggle not to laugh? Because obviously you can\u2019t start again. You literally have to stay in character or the whole thing\u2019s ruined, right?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThere\u2019s no take two. So that actually stops you from laughing a lot of the time. I did corpse twice in the entirety of filming. One was when I had to peel a banana with my toes, and the other one was something that happens later, but I don\u2019t want to spoil it. So I did it twice, but I sort of managed to look away and stifle it. I bit so hard on my cheek. That\u2019s one way of doing it. You can sometimes turn it into a cough. Or it can come out as a sort of twitch. But yes, it\u2019s very hard.<\/p>\n

\t\tAnd after each scene, are you and Sasha able to have a laugh or do you stay in character?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tHe will not let you break character. So we\u2019re in character for eight hours. It\u2019s exhausting. Normally, when you\u2019re acting, you\u2019re like, that was a very big take, is it lunch break? But here you\u2019re eating lunch in character or whatever you\u2019re doing because they\u2019re watching. It\u2019s wild. I remember when we first started filming, I hadn\u2019t seen Sasha since the audition and I got to the lot to do the first rehearsals and talk and read the script. I was like, \u201cOh, hi Sasha, it\u2019s Morgana, I haven\u2019t seen you for six months.\u201d And he\u2019s like, \u201cIn character! All day I want you in character! I never want to hear you speaking as Morgana! It\u2019s always me Julie!\u201d Then he\u2019d march me down to the mall and be like, \u201cGo and have an argument with some people and buy some socks and then come back and then call up your mother and have a conversation as me Julie and eat that bento box as me Julie. How would she use chopsticks?\u201d He\u2019s mad.<\/p>\n

\t\tSo you were Julie constantly, if there was a camera on you or not?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tHe was training me like Rocky. All day long, running up and down those steps, all sweaty.<\/p>\n

\t\tHow then did it feel then at the end of all that to finally put Julie to bed?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI think I lost my marbles a little bit for a while, but I think I found them again. I think it\u2019s sort of like sort of slow release PTSD. I can\u2019t believe we fucking did that. I cannot believe that. I mean.. so I get kidnapped.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, I get kidnapped. That\u2019s an actual thing. That\u2019s not even the bad bit. That\u2019s just in the second act. I get kidnapped. But more happens.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat can you say?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI get my minge out. You\u2019ll probably have to change that because no one knows what a minge is in America. So all these years, I\u2019ve been doing these cute little cult things, like Vic and Bob, and no one\u2019s watched it. Really, all you need to do is just go to Hollywood and get your fanny out. You know, I\u2019m 44. I\u2019ve got to pay the mortgage.<\/p>\n

\t\tThe last major thing that Sasha did was Borat 2, which obviously has that scene in a hotel room with Maria Bakalova and Rudy Giuliani. Does it reach those levels?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tYes, indeed.<\/p>\n

\t\tBut with well-known individuals who are going to be made to feel ashamed of their actions afterwards?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tNo, they\u2019re not politicians. Not in my scenes anyway.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhen the first trailer came out, there was a lot of noise \u2013 some good, some bad. There were quite a few negative comments with regards to the scenes with Julie, with a lot of people saying it was mocking working class women and was quite derogatory. What did you think when you know saw those comments?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI found it difficult. So I just stopped reading them entirely. People have their opinions, and that\u2019s absolutely fine. I am a character actress and I play all sorts of people. I play every class, everything and so I feel like that\u2019s what my job is. But think the hard things to read online was when they got really nasty.<\/p>\n

\t\tI get it. But in terms of those claims about the film mocking the working class, is that something that you would remotely agree with?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI think she\u2019s a well thought out character. She\u2019s got heart. She\u2019s got soul. She cares very much for her baby. She\u2019s got amazing morals. She loves her family to pieces. She would die for them, as you will see. It\u2019s not just one note. There\u2019s more to her than what you see in the trailer. The film is much more layered. I think they probably designed the trailer a little bit to get people talking.<\/p>\n

\t\tYou said that the story is about dropping Ali G, this outdated character, in today\u2019s world. There have also been accusations about him being this tired racist caricature. But it sounds like that\u2019s actually part of the film \u2014 is that the case?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s sort of all about that, really.<\/p>\n

\t\tHow\u2019s Sasha to work with?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tHe\u2019s kind of like a giant kid who\u2019s had too much sugarish. Sometimes it\u2019s like trying to wrangle a hurricane. It\u2019s chaos, but in a wonderful way and I think that shows in the work he makes. It\u2019s just not normal, but it\u2019s exciting, you know, and it\u2019s interesting, and exhilarating and also terrifying. All those things. There\u2019s so much adrenaline going around in your in your body. That\u2019s his gift to you.<\/p>\n

\t\tI always felt like in today\u2019s world of social media and everybody knowing everything because it\u2019s all been videoed and posted everywhere, you just couldn\u2019t get away with this kind of stuff anymore. But the fact that they were able to find people that had no idea and keep that joke going is phenomenal.\t<\/p>\n

\n\tI know it\u2019s crazy. I think this will probably be the last one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After more than a decade out of the limelight and away from his wardrobe of high-visibility, low-practicality clothing,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":811567,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[234180,96,2839,12277,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-811566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-ali-g-who-iz-i","tag-entertainment","tag-movies","tag-sacha-baron-cohen","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=811566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/811566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/811567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=811566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=811566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=811566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}