ALIG is the crossword answer to the clues like
[Sacha Baron Cohen persona]

Ali-G always looked odd, but he appeared especially bizarre in 2004 orating to Harvard students in his beanie, yellow-tinged shades, and crimson-ish vinyl jumpsuit. So its suiting that the name of the [“Interviewer” who asked Kobe Bryant how many springs are in a basketball] looks so strange when written in crossword grids as ALIG.
The film Ali-G Indahouse revealed that the true name of [Sacha Baron Cohen’s rude-boy persona], is Alistair Leslie Graham. And as the name of his “posse” suggests, this [Fictional member of da West Staines Massiv] grew up not on the tough streets of the ghetto, but in the comfortable London suburb of Staines.

So, bedecked in BLING [Gold grillz, e.g.] and athleisurewear, ALIG is a character inside a character. (Even if his name, when entered as a crossword answer, is missing a character.)
By now, solvers and potential marks should recognize ALIG as an [HBO conductor of prank interviews]. Nevertheless, the [TV character with the catchphrase “Booyakasha!”] might still appear incognito in late-week clues like [Cohen character] or [Former HBO character].
BRUNO, BORAT, and ALIG: Crosswords are infiltrated by Sacha Baron Cohen
Differentiating between two other COHEN ([Real last name of Mama Cass Elliot], [Skater Sasha or comic Sacha Baron]) incarnations is no joke. Both BRUNO and Alma-Ata born BORAT can masquerade as a five-letter [Sacha character].
- Solving tip:
- In a clue like [Sacha character], use of the actor’s first name indicates that the answer will also be a first name, like BORAT or BRUNO
- It works the other way too: as [Bruno or Borat, really] are first names, the clue subtly suggests the answer is more likely to be SACHA than the other plausible five-letter name, COHEN
The character of Ali-G was a send-up of a Northern English stereotype sometimes pejoratively called a “chav,” described as “a vile word” which may stem from chavi, Romani for “child.”
Some felt Da Ali-G Show was similarly cruel, but the general consensus seems to align with this heart-shaped mini-puzzle‘s ALIG clue:
[British character played by Sacha Baron Cohen who can seem a little mean sometimes, but I know it’s all in good fun and it comes from a good place :)]
Caleb Madison, Buzzfeed – March 14, 2016
But clues for ALIG probably work best when they cite one of his outrageous moments. an outsize proportion of which reference one interview in particular:
[TV personality who asked Buzz Aldrin: “What was it like to walk on the sun?”]
[He once asked Buzz Aldrin, “Is you upset that Michael Jackson got all the credit for inventing the moonwalk?”]
[“Interviewer” who asked Buzz Aldrin whether people on the moon were friendly]
[TV interviewer who called astronaut “Buzz” Aldrin “Buzz Lightyear”]