Ahmed Best arrives for the World Premiere of 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' on Dec 16, 2019, in Hollywood, California. Photo: TNS
The actor behind Jar Jar Binks suffered from severe depression and contemplated taking his own life as a result of backlash to the controversial Star Wars character.
A self-described “enormous Star Wars fan” growing up, actor Ahmed Best told The Guardian the incredible opportunity to be part of the franchise, and as such a historic character – the first fully CGI one to boast a prominent role in a live-action flick – turned out to be a nightmare.
In addition to critics slamming Jar Jar as “the most annoying character to ever grace the big screen,” websites like JarJarBinksMustDie.com were inspired by widespread disdain for the fictional figure.
Academics and critics alike viewed Jar Jar as racially offensive – the stereotype of the “noble savage” or the “carefree Jamaican minstrel.” The fact that media also pounced on writing about the backlash didn’t help, Best said, especially when his contact information was leaked and death threats followed.
“It was the lowest I’ve been in my life,” the actor-turned-producer and director told the outlet, recalling that he nearly jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge one night due to the belief that he’d consented to having his identity as a Black man exploited.
Best said he wanted to “show” people “what you’re doing to me. And when I’m gone, then you’ll feel exactly what I went through.”
In 2018, Best took to social media with a picture of the bridge to tell the world what the emotional toll had nearly led him to do. The vulnerability not only led many younger Star Wars fans to offer love and support, but others who once criticised the character to apologize.
Jar Jar Binks debuted in 1999′s Episode I: The Phantom Menace, when Best was 25 years old.
“We were doing something that was going to change cinema history,” he said, speaking about the groundbreaking CGI technology at the time. “Even the software was written on my body. There’s still that legacy code in CGI packages today. My physical DNA is in every single CGI character since.”
But then Jar Jar made smaller appearances in 2002′s Episode II: Attack Of The Clones and 2005′s Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith.
“Here I am, a significant character who changed movies, and then I’m a footnote – I barely appear,” Best said of his role being shrunk down further and further.
Best has since gone on to reclaim his place in Star Wars history, boasting the Mandalorian role of Grogu’s (Baby Yoda) saviour, Kelleran Beq – a move he said “gave me that affirmation of ‘You were always doing the right thing... It wasn’t you.’”
Best speaks more on the subject of making movie history, enduring hate, and eventually making a comeback on the new podcast The Redemption Of Jar Jar Binks.
“I want folks who listen to recognise what I contributed to the history of cinema,” he told The Guardian. “Culturally, Black invention has been repeatedly erased from history and that is an injustice. Since 1997, no other Black man has ever played a main CGI character and that’s a travesty.” – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
