Jar jar binks actor almost killed himself

No Star Wars character has been the recipient of as much hatred from their fanbase as Jar Jar Binks. Originally intended as a comic relief character for Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace, audiences took an immediate dislike to Jar Jar. Many critics claimed the Gungan was a racial caricature, quickly fostering an attitude of indifference at best, and at worst, giving fans license to ridicule Jar Jar through offensive jokes, memes, and Internet videos. One fan even suggested Jar Jar was secretly a Sith Lord, encouraging more online bullying of the character. Before long the overwhelming hatred spilled into Star Wars media itself, with comic books and even novels reflecting fan loathing, showing Jar Jar being abused by his father, and ending up homeless on Naboo. And while they were jokes at the time, recent confessions from Jar Jar actor Ahmed Best, who contemplated suicide due to backlash toward his character have shown them in a much harsher light. As horrible as this is, comparing Jar Jar’s fate in Star Wars media to newer canon offers a far more positive conclusion. One that shows how nobly Jar Jar Binks responded to his mistreatment. Let’s take a look at how online bullying of Jar Jar Binks led to some real-life consequences, and how the new canon has given Jar Jar's heroic response to abuse. Star Wars Made Jar Jar Binks & Suicide a Joke It's hard to believe the levels that fan hatred of Jar Jar Binks actually rose to at their peak, and how broadly they came to influence Star Wars media. The general response was prompting mean-spirited stories of the Gungan, with none in worse taste then the Dark Horse comic book Star Wars Tales #20, in a tale entitled “George R. Binks.” The short story introduces readers to Jar Jar’s father, George -- an almost unmistakable reference to Jar Jar’s real world “father” George Lucas. In the story, George R. Binks is shown to be a Naboo whaling captain, who winds up marooned on a deserted island with his wife and son. How? Because Jar Jar accidentally capsized their boat, obviously! After one case of Jar Jar's actions and intentions leading to calamity after another, and his father's growing annoyance, George eventually encourages Jar Jar to swim for help, hoping he’ll get eaten by a sea monster. When his wife stops Jar Jar from being killed off,

George decides to just put himself out of his misery. When contemplating suicide with a blaster to his head, Jar Jar's mother urges George to reconsider what he has to live for. When instructed to "think of your son," he frowns, and pulls the trigger. The attempt is unsuccessful, but plays to the most vicious and mean-spirited of Star Wars fans. Especially in the final cruel twist, Jar Jar’s kind hearted mother reveals George had hoped to marry a different woman, and have a different child, before ending up stuck with them both. And if that single comic doesn't explain how bad things had gotten, then the main reason why a Jar Jar Binks suicide joke has aged terribly sure will. Fan Harassment Nearly Drove Ahmed Best to Suicide While many fans, writers, and artists felt justified in ridiculing Jar Jar Binks -- a character only ever created to make audiences laugh -- most didn't consider the effect it had on the people involved in their creation. Most importantly Ahmed Best, Jar Jar Binks' actor who opened up about his suicidal thoughts after being accused of promoting racial stereotypes through Jar Jar. What began as a job helping to lay the foundation of future performance capture and CG technology, eventually led to even Best wanting to leave Jar Jar Binks behind. Best, an African American actor of West Indian descent, was particularly hurt by those who accused him of promoting racial caricatures, stating, “I was called every racial stereotype you can imagine… It was debilitating. I didn’t know how to respond.” Feeling alone and depressed, Best, at 26 years old, walked onto the Brooklyn Bridge one night and considered jumping off. When a gust of wind knocked Best off balance, however, the actor caught himself and realized he still wanted to live and make it through the next day. Twenty years later, Best shared his near-suicide attempt on Twitter and, thankfully, received an outpouring of support. Star Wars Canon Has Finally Changed The in-continuity novel Star Wars Aftermath: Empire’s End reveals Jar Jar’s final fate post-Return of the Jedi. Here, readers discover Jar Jar is now a homeless jester on Naboo who performs for many refugee children hoping to be adopted. While the children adore the Gungan, the adults refuse to speak to Jar Jar, whom they blame for helping Supreme Chancellor Palpatine become Emperor (Jar Jar later reveals his

The 1999 "Star Wars" prequel movie "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" introduces fans to several new characters in creator George Lucas' sprawling space opera, including Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), the Jedi Master of young Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor); Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), the future mother of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher); and a bumbling member from the Gungan alien race named Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best).Unfortunately, Best was never the same after playing Jar Jar Binks, with the character subject to vicious backlash from fans online exacerbated by reports of the abuse by the press. The hatred aimed at the actor himself was so intense that his phone number was leaked and he received death threats on his answering machine. "It was terrible," Best told the Guardian in a July 2023 interview. "It was the lowest I've been in my life." Fortunately, he survived and thrived, as evidenced by his comeback in the "Star Wars" universe. Best returned to Star Wars as a Jedi Knight on The Mandalorian Lucasfilm/Disney+ Having endured the hate for playing Jar Jar Binks in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, Ahmed Best was given a rare chance to play another character from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away in 2023 with a guest role in Season 3, Episode 4 of the hit Disney+ series "The Mandalorian." Although he was hesitant to join the series considering how Jar Jar Binks was blasted by fans nearly 25 years before, thankfully, his appearance as Jedi Knight Kelleran Beq, who in a flashback scene saves Grogu during the events of Order 66, was widely embraced.The Jar Jar Binks actor responded to the love he received from "The Mandalorian" fans by posting a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, "'Star Wars' fans on social media, thank you so much for everybody who ever rocked with me! I am more of a fan than I am a person in these movies, and I have always been and always will be."Apart from his turns in "The Phantom Menace" and on "The Mandalorian," Best's credits include voice work for several video games, including "The Last of Us: Part II" and "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2," as well as various "Star Wars" projects. Best has even lampooned his work by voicing Jar Jar Binks for the stop-motion animated comedy series "Robot Chicken." On-screen,

Hugh Grant stars as a strange and dangerous villain in Heretic, A24's new horror flick that debuted with $11 million last weekend. And at one point in the film he does an impression of Star Wars character Jar-Jar Binks and folks, it’s the worst impression of the hated alien I’ve ever heard. Suggested ReadingLive Forever in the Universe of 'New World: Aeternum'Suggested ReadingHeretic, a movie about two young women who quickly regret entering the home of Grant’s character, landed in theaters on November 8 and has already become one of A24's highest-grossing pictures, beating out movies like I Saw the TV Glow and Love Lies Bleeding in just a few days. Impressive stuff! What’s not so impressive is a moment in the movie in which Hugh Grant’s character does a brief impersonation of Jar-Jar Binks. On November 12, IGN posted a clip from Heretic showing Grant’s character talking about how, in the future, people will worship Jar-Jar Binks as a religious figure. The clip was later “borrowed” and reposted by DiscussingFilm on Twitter, where it blew up.Jar-Jar first appeared in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999 and people hated him. The negative reaction and abuse pushed Jar-Jar’s actor, Ahmed Best, to nearly kill himself. But since then, he’s bounced back, has a great family, and has returned to Star Wars as a badass Jedi who saved Grogu. Anyway, I have to imagine that Hugh Grant is aware of who Jar-Jar Binks is and at least looked up one video of the character talking. So I’m going to assume that the horrible impersonation is on purpose and is an example of how the character doesn’t know much about who Jar-Jar is, which might be a clue toward how much you can trust him. Or maybe Grant did it,

Tragic story in the entire Star Wars franchise. Ahmed Best's Star Wars Fate Is Happier Than Jar Jar's Ahmed Best Returned As Jedi Master Kelleran Beq In The Mandalorian Ahmed Best has been open about the harsh fan backlash to Jar Jar Binks after The Phantom Menace's release in 1999. Closely mirroring the debate surrounding certain aspects of the Sequel Trilogy, Jar Jar was ripped apart by fans, who detested the intensely childish character. The backlash even led Best to leave acting behind for a while when things became too toxic. Thankfully, Ahmed Best has a much happier ending than his Star Wars character. Best made a surprise return in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, but not as his infamous Gungan character. Instead, the actor appeared without his typical motion-capture suit, portraying the Jedi Knight Kelleran Beq, who is revealed to have been the one to save Grogu from the Temple on the night of Order 66. Fan reaction to Best's return was overwhelmingly positive, giving the actor a role that gave him the respect that he had long deserved for his appearances in previous Star Wars projects. After years of backlash and abuse, Ahmed Best conquered the hate and became a beloved part of Star Wars lore. Related Emperor Palpatine's Most Atrocious Act Wasn't In Any of The Movies Emperor Palpatine is the epitome of evil, but the Death Star may seem like an evil plan, but it's not even close to his worst act against the galaxy. Should Jar Jar Binks Ever Return to Star Wars? It Might Be Better for Star Wars to Leave Jar Jar Binks In the Past Image via Lucasfilm Despite significant pushback to Jar Jar's debut in The Phantom Menace, the controversial Star Wars character could return in upcoming projects. Various Disney+ series have seen popular characters like Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Obi-Wan Kenobi return, and the door seems open for other classic individuals to show up in the future. Given his placing in the franchise's timeline, Jar Jar likely wouldn't fit in a project that takes place after Return of the

Jedi, limiting his chances of appearing in multiple Disney+ series, most of which take place in that timeframe. Although the hatred for Jar Jar has lessened over the years, it still might be more constructive for Star Wars to leave the character in the past. Even if fans have warmed to the character, bringing him back for more hijinks might reverse this trend and reignite the vitriol that they once felt for the clumsy Gungan. Star Wars should think twice before cramming a Jar Jar cameo in any of its upcoming projects, stopping to consider whether it will help or hurt the character's slowly improving public relations. Moreover, with Ahmed Best now outfitted in a much more palatable Star Wars role, it may be better to leave Jar Jar behind and move forward with new characters and new storylines. Jar Jar Binks will forever be a controversial character, but Star Wars continues to find inventive ways to play with his legacy in the franchise. The character and the actor behind him endure very different fates, telling one story of tragedy and another of redemption. Jar Jar Binks Could Appear in These Upcoming Star Wars Projects Several Upcoming & Rumored Star Wars Projects Could Feature Jar Jar's Return Image via Disney While Jar Jar remains a controversial character, there is always a way to bring him back—and several projects could do this seamlessly. Binks would easily fit in a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi, especially given his close connection to the nominal Jedi Master. However, there have been no official indications that Obi-Wan Kenobi will ever continue with an additional season, though series star Ewan McGregor has voiced his hopes that he can reprise the role at some point in the future. Another project set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope would be the perfect place to include Jar Jar's return, including the upcoming second season of Andor. However, the character might clash with the more serious tone of the series. Related Star Wars: What if Darth Vader Died During the Battle of Yavin? The