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The Da Ali G Show Moment That Had Sacha Baron Cohen Afraid For His Safety

With his trademark bling and a snappy "Boo-yaka-sha," "Da Ali G Show" acted as a springboard for several careers. The titular character of Ali G was played by the impeccable Sacha Baron Cohen, and one of the writers of the show was a young Seth Rogen. The show itself mainly followed the fictional character of Ali G, a roguish and incompetent bad boy as he interviews people, but it also served as a vessel for other Cohen characters that would later get their own movie like Bruno, a flamboyant fashion designer.

Known primarily for his role as Borat, who also appeared on "Da Ali G Show," Cohen's tools of the trade are primarily candid, undercover interviews with people who often unwittingly expose their prejudices. This can sometimes get the famous comedian into trouble as people realize what is going on, such as when his character of Borat had to flee a political rally in "Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm." However, this was not the first time the actor has had to flee from a scene, and a recent appearance on "Hot Ones" by Seth Rogen shows that Cohen's antics have been getting him into some issues for quite some time.

Sacha Baron Cohen had to run from aggressive frat boys while in the Bruno character

While eating what looks to be some painfully hot wings, Seth Rogen was asked about his experiences on "Da Ali G Show," working for Sacha Baron Cohen, and why Rogen feels like Cohen is one of the few artists willing to risk his life. He recounted a story from the early days of "Ali G" involving drunk fraternity members by saying, "I remember that was one where, like, he was almost getting killed. And he ran away, but he was wearing his mic, so you could still hear him. And he stayed in character the whole time! And he was Bruno, and the whole time he's like 'They're gonna kill me, they're gonna kill me!' And he's like hiding in a shop, and he's like 'Sorry!' and you hear him talking to the shop owner, like asking if he can hide, and he never broke character the entire time. But he was legitimately running out of fear for his well-being."

As mentioned earlier, Cohen is no stranger to controversy or having to high-tail out of a situation that has become dangerous. His characters, who often appear oblivious or arrogant, have a way of disarming people, which tends to get his interviewees into trouble. He has even managed to earn the ire of a potential United States Congressional candidate, who unsuccessfully asked the FCC to clamp down on Cohen's show. Needless to say, Cohen uses his comedy to transmit his beliefs and highlight hypocrisy, even if it continues to imperil the entertainer.