Morgana Robinson has said that she demanded a bodyguard while filming the Ali G sequel.
The actress and comedian, 44, appears as Julie – or ‘me Julie’ in Sacha Baron Cohen’s upcoming Ali G: Who Iz I?
It was a role previously played by EastEnders star Kellie Bright in the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse.
Where the first film was a fully scripted adventure for the Staines talk show host, this sequel will return the character to his roots – blending narrative storytelling with interactions and interviews with very real (and often dangerous) people.
And Ali G won’t be alone either, with long-suffering, and now pregnant, girlfriend Julie joining him on this journey of self-discovery.
Robinson has shared that, due to the often intense nature of the film’s stunts, she asked for a bodyguard to be present while she filmed.
‘It can be disturbing, risky and unpredictable,’ she told The Sun of the shoot, which involved filming around right-wing ‘extremists’ in the US.
‘There’s an element of fear, as well as excitement and adrenaline, so there is security, like with the big boots and walkie-talkies, hidden around a rock or a tree or behind the door somewhere. So they’re only like a metre away from you at all times,’ she continued.
She revealed that she also had a codeword, should things get too dangerous.
The plot of the film sees Ali and Julie relocate to Los Angeles in an attempt to resurrect his talk show.
When this fails, he falls in with a right-wing network willing to platform his offensive views and ludicrous behaviour.
Meanwhile, Julie finds herself in grave danger when she’s kidnapped by a former Mossad agent (also played by Baron Cohen).
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Ali G made his television debut in 1998, on Channel 4’s The Eleven O’clock Show. The character proved popular enough to earn his own series, titled The Ali G Show, which aired for three series on Channel 4 and HBO.
Interviews included one Donald Trump, in a segment which took place in Trump Tower, New York.
During the piece, Ali G attempted to pitch his ‘ice cream glove’ to the future President, prompting him to end the interview after seven minutes.
In typical Trump style, The Apprentice host later claimed that he saw through the comedian’s facade, although this was refuted by Cohen.
‘I actually met a woman who was in the car with him after that interview, and he was apparently furious,’ he told Variety.
‘He actually went out publicly a couple of times to criticise me. And in the end, we used all those clips and used them to advertise another show that I did.’
As for Robinson, she’s no stranger to absurdist, often risqué comedy.
Headlining The Morgana Show on Channel 4, the comedian played a series of bizarre characters – including unflattering impressions of Natalie Cassidy, Fearne Cotton and Boris Johnson.
She also appeared in Vic and Bob’s House of Fools, where she played a randy neighbour called, uh, Julie.
In 2021, she was a contestant on Taskmaster, contributing one of the show’s most disturbing/strangely alluring moments when she subsequently appeared on its Champion of Champions special in 2024.
This involved Morgana covering herself in poster paint and, after filling her mouth with the stuff too, dipping her head in feathers and spitting the mixture all about the place.
Awarding the attempt five points, host Greg Davies deemed Robinson’s actions ‘wilfully and dangerously stupid.’
Ali G: Who Iz I? is out in UK cinemas now.