Jar Jar Binks Actor Ahmed Best Returns In ‘The Mandalorian’ Chapter 20
Nearly 24 years after first portraying the infamous Gungan Jar Jar Binks in 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, actor Ahmed Best has returned to the Star Wars Universe.
In The Mandalorian Chapter 20, Best plays a Jedi named Kelleran Beq.
During the latest episode “The Foundling,” Beq appears during Grogu’s flashback of Order 66. As clone troopers kill the Jedi protecting him, youngling Grogu was saved by Kelleran, who manages to get Grogu aboard a ship and fly off into hyperspace.
Best Considered Suicide
In 2019, Best opened up about the backlash and animosity he received for portraying Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
“It hit me. It came right for me. I was called every racial stereotype you can imagine. There was this criticism of being this Jamaican, broken dialect, which was offensive because I’m of West Indian descent — I’m not Jamaican. It was debilitating. I didn’t know how to respond.”
In fact, fan backlash was so bad that it led the actor to consider committing suicide. Best was the victim of racist comments following his portrayal of Binks.
“The depression hit me. Hard. I was just broken. The only thing I could think of to make me feel better was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. But this time when I walked across the bridge, I didn’t see the lights of Manhattan. I didn’t see the towers [or] the potential of hard work and ingenuity. I didn’t see anything; I just saw a fog. And I felt tired of having to explain myself. I felt tired of having to defend myself and defend my work. And I felt tired of having to fight back against racism and the racial stereotypes. I just wanted to play a part- I was exhausted.”
A Triumphant Return
What happened to Ahmed Best was a disgrace to Star Wars fans everywhere.
I for one am thrilled to see that Best has been given another opportunity in the Star Wars universe and that he was willing to give the series another chance.
A Bright Future
By the end of Grogu’s flashback, Kelleran and the youngling are heading off to an unknown location, meaning that Best could easily appear again in The Mandalorian.
Interestingly, The Mandalorian is not the first time that Kelleran has appeared within the Star Wars Universe.
Best actually originated the character in the web series “Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge,” a children’s game show where contestants competed to become Jedi Knights.
Now that Kelleran has entered The Mandalorian universe, hopefully, we will see Best again soon.
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