In May 1999, George Lucas unleashed Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, the first installment of the long-awaited prequel trilogy. That film also marked the first major role for Ahmed Best, who provided the voice and the motion capture performance for Jar Jar Binks, a new character who was largely received with scorn from Star Wars fans. At the time, Best was openly depressed by the response to Jar Jar. But now, 25 years later, Best is proud of his place in the history of Star Wars and for portraying one of the first-ever CGI characters.
“I’m in there,” Best told The New York Times. “You can’t have Gollum without Jar Jar. You can’t have the Na’vi in Avatar without Jar Jar. You can’t have Thanos or the Hulk without Jar Jar. I was the signal for the rest of this art form, and I’m proud of Jar Jar for that, and I’m proud to be a part of that. I’m in there!”
Following The Phantom Menace, Best had noticeably smaller roles in the next two prequels, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Best revealed that on top of the backlash from fans, he felt the sting of being sidelined from those films.
“As an artist you want the respect from your peers, and I felt as if I was being scaled back because I didn’t do a good job,” related Best. “It really hurt. Everybody was running away from me, including the people that I gave two years of my life to.”
Best also recalled that Lucas told him that the children who grew up with Jar Jar would eventually become his biggest defenders.
“He was right,” said Best. “It’s a different story now.”
Best made his comeback to Star Wars in The Mandalorian Season 3 as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, a role he originated in Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge. And he noted that the opportunity meant a lot to him.
“This is going to sound really corny, please forgive me, but it felt like coming home,” said Best.
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is currently back in theaters for the 25th anniversary.
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