Ahmed Best returned to the universe created by George Lucas after playing the controversial character in the prequels.
In a surprise cameo the actor who played Jar Jar Binks, Ahmed Bestreturned to the universe of “Star Wars” in today’s episode of “The Mandalorians”. But instead of playing the infamous Gungan, Best returned as a Jedi named Kelleran Beq.
In the most recent episode, titled “The Founding”, Best briefly appears in a flashback to Order 66, when clone troopers betrayed the Jedi and mercilessly slaughtered nearly everyone. Best’s Jedi Knight, Kelleran, saves a young Grogu, who was left alone against a group of clone troopers. Kelleran saves the little alien and dispatches the enemies with his two lightsabers, allowing Grogu to escape with him on a ship. The episode ends without showing where Kelleran and Grogu fly to, which opens up the possibility of Best reappearing later on.
This isn’t the first time Best has played Kelleran. She created the role for the web series “Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge”a children’s game show where contestants completed obstacle courses to become Jedi knights.
Best is best known for playing Jar Jar in the prequels to “Star Wars”, a controversially unpopular role for which he was ridiculed. Jar Jar first appeared in “A Phantom Menace” in 1999 and was met with near universal animosity from longtime fans of the Galaxy Saga for his goofy accent and goofy personality.
Twenty years after playing Jar Jar, Best opened up about how the backlash nearly led to his suicide.
“He hit me. It suited me well. I was called every racial stereotype you can imagine. There was this criticism of it being this broken Jamaican 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,” Best said in a 2019 interview.
“Depression hit me. Hard. He was broken. The only thing I could think of to make myself feel better was to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. But this time, when I crossed the bridge, I didn’t see the lights of Manhattan. I didn’t see the towers [o] the potential of hard work and ingenuity. I did not see anything; I just saw a mist. I felt tired of having to explain myself. I felt tired of having to defend myself and my work. I felt tired of having to fight against racism and racial stereotypes. I just wanted to play a part. I was exhausted.”
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
