Jar Jar Binks Actor Ahmed Best Talks About the Character's Current Popularity and How George Lucas Called It

Since the release of Star Wars Episodes 1-3 in the 90s and 2000s, actor Ahmed Best has been pretty open about the deep depression he faced when his character Jar Jar Binks was relentlessly mocked and hated by the Star Wars fan community. But something cool has happened since those films released, which was that the kids who saw the films, who actually really liked Jar Jar Binks, have grown up, and they are giving him the love he always hoped for.In an interview with Comic Book at Star Wars Celebration, Best talked about the changing tides for the character, and about how Star Wars creator George Lucas called it from the beginning. Best said:“Yeah! I mean, that’s pretty incredible to me, but I think it’s because all of the kids who loved Jar Jar are now adults, and now they have kids,” he said. “So, Jar Jar was a lot of peoples’ entry into the Star Wars universe, and those folks who grew up with Jar Jar — that’s their Star Wars, just like A New Hope, Empire, Jedi were my Star Wars. “So, it kind of is natural that there is this new renaissance, and to be honest, George saw this coming. He was very much a futurist, so he knew that 20 years later, it was going to turn out like this.”Best agreed that the fandom’s gradual acceptance of Jar Jar is similar to the response to Ewoks. Those characters were despised by some viewers at the time, who felt like they were too cute for the climactic battle of Return of the Jedi. However, they were beloved by children seeing them for the first time, and in hindsight, few people would say they’re out place.“I love the Ewoks, I never knew that there was a problem with the Ewoks,” Best admitted. “But things transform.”Best was 24 years old when he took the role of Jar Jar Binks, which was a huge break for him. He would later tell interviewers that he felt he had put a lot of his own personality into the character, and when the backlash began, he found it hard to compartmentalize it. He interpreted it as attacks on himself, and he disclosed that he even had suicidal thoughts during this period.There’s a lot more to the story of Jar Jar and the Star Wars fandom, with elements of racism to consider as well. However, Best has been able to move past that in part because of his new role as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, who appeared in The Mandalorian Season 3. Best told us he is still excited to take the role further and show off more of his own martial arts prowess in the process.All Star Wars films and series are available to view on Disney+.

Apr 22, 2025 - 21:17

Jar Jar Binks Actor Ahmed Best Talks About the Character's Current Popularity and How George Lucas Called It

Since the release of Star Wars Episodes 1-3 in the 90s and 2000s, actor Ahmed Best has been pretty open about the deep depression he faced when his character Jar Jar Binks was relentlessly mocked and hated by the Star Wars fan community.

But something cool has happened since those films released, which was that the kids who saw the films, who actually really liked Jar Jar Binks, have grown up, and they are giving him the love he always hoped for.

In an interview with Comic Book at Star Wars Celebration, Best talked about the changing tides for the character, and about how Star Wars creator George Lucas called it from the beginning. Best said:

“Yeah! I mean, that’s pretty incredible to me, but I think it’s because all of the kids who loved Jar Jar are now adults, and now they have kids,” he said. “So, Jar Jar was a lot of peoples’ entry into the Star Wars universe, and those folks who grew up with Jar Jar — that’s their Star Wars, just like A New Hope, Empire, Jedi were my Star Wars.

“So, it kind of is natural that there is this new renaissance, and to be honest, George saw this coming. He was very much a futurist, so he knew that 20 years later, it was going to turn out like this.”

Best agreed that the fandom’s gradual acceptance of Jar Jar is similar to the response to Ewoks. Those characters were despised by some viewers at the time, who felt like they were too cute for the climactic battle of Return of the Jedi. However, they were beloved by children seeing them for the first time, and in hindsight, few people would say they’re out place.

“I love the Ewoks, I never knew that there was a problem with the Ewoks,” Best admitted. “But things transform.”

Best was 24 years old when he took the role of Jar Jar Binks, which was a huge break for him. He would later tell interviewers that he felt he had put a lot of his own personality into the character, and when the backlash began, he found it hard to compartmentalize it. He interpreted it as attacks on himself, and he disclosed that he even had suicidal thoughts during this period.

There’s a lot more to the story of Jar Jar and the Star Wars fandom, with elements of racism to consider as well. However, Best has been able to move past that in part because of his new role as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, who appeared in The Mandalorian Season 3. Best told us he is still excited to take the role further and show off more of his own martial arts prowess in the process.

All Star Wars films and series are available to view on Disney+.