Sacha Baron Cohen is known for disappearing into outrageous characters, but Tuesday night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he disappeared into a string section. The comedian and actor played cello in Beck’s backing band during a performance of“In the Night,”the latest single from Beck’s new album Ride Lonesome. No character, no bit, just a comedian with genuine classical chops holding down the low end.
Ride Lonesome marks Beck’s first collection of all-new material since 2019’s Hyperspace, and early listeners say it echoes the melancholy textures of Morning Phase and Sea Change. During his interview with Fallon, Beck talked about the album’s inspiration and even revealed a Zoolander role he never got to play. Cohen also sat with Fallon to promote Ali G: Who Iz I?, his feature directorial debut, which opens in theaters Friday, Oct. 23, for a one-week run before streaming on Prime Video.
The film has drawn racism accusations, and Cohen addressed them head-on in a Time essay, saying,“The fact that Ali G is outdated and problematic is the very reason I resurrected him.”Whether you’re here for the cello, the comeback, or the controversy, this episode gave pop culture plenty to chew on.
What surprised you more: Cohen on cello or Ali G’s return? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.