Jar Jar Binks Actor Moving On

He might have played one of the most hated characters in Star Wars history – but how does Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best really feel about the way the character was received?

“Even though sometimes you play characters, you put a lot of your own personality into it. You get personally and emotionally invested in the work that you do”, Best continued. Referring to Andy Serkis’s supposed inspiration for another CGI character, Gollum, he asks if Best’s cat “coughed up an idiotic Jamaican guy”.

Although he has become the poster boy for everything wrong with George Lucas’ later Star Wars projects, Jar Jar has actually still popped up in the franchise in recent years.

‘On set we were focused on the challenge of playing the character and having so much fun, I was surprised by the backlash’. It was painful. I mean, this character for me, one of the biggest reasons why I took it was because of the challenge of [motion capture acting], and it hadn’t been done before…so I was kind of working with George [Lucas] to pioneer this new character form of acting and storytelling.

Lucas has also been on the defensive and even said that if he could be any “Star Wars” character, he would be, yes, Jar Jar.

Best also earned enemies beyond the legions of Star Wars fans throughout the world.

As for the fans of the time not liking the Gungan, Best says he totally understands why we all hope we never see him again. “When [fans] see a character that’s purely comical, and purely for the children, they felt probably a bit condescended to”, he said. “And I can understand how they wanted more a more serious story”.

“But the children really liked it. And the children who saw it who are now adults who are wondering why people have a problem with Jar Jar”.

Now Best has opened up about his experience to YouTuber Jamie Stangroom, who is on a mission to track down the “forgotten stars” of the sci-fi saga.

“No, I think I’ve done my damage”. Would Ahmed Best return (besides the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he voiced the character) for more Binksing?