Original Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best hasn’t always had a great history with the Star Wars franchise – rather, the fans of George Lucas’s sensational space fantasy.
Since The Phantom Menace, the actor has spoken out about the toxic fans that drove him into a deep depression due to their disdain for the character he played on-screen.
This isn’t the only instance of destructive fan backlash against an actor we’ve seen in the franchise’s history. But there are plenty of passionate fans who have since rallied around Best and other actors to let them know they’ll always support them even if they understandably stay away from the galaxy far, far away.
However, Best is quickly making a major comeback to Star Wars, having set aside those darker years in favor of brighter times. He’s not wearing a Gungan costume this time — instead, he wears traditional Jedi robes on the set of the brand-new Jedi Temple Challenge series premiering next week on YouTube.
This isn’t Best’s last hurrah with the franchise, though. At least, he hopes it isn’t.
Even after all he’s been through, it turns out he wouldn’t mind playing his original Star Wars character again. It would just have to be the right story.
“I would return,” Best tweeted in response to a fan’s question about whether or not he would willingly reprise his role as Jar Jar. “But it really depends on the story.”
This was after Best revealed he once pitched a “black sci-fi comedy” to every major network who would listen. But they told him no.
“I was told no because black people don’t like Sci-fi,” he concluded.
Fans rallied around him in support, however, flooding his tweet with replies about how much they’d love to see his show and encouraging him not to give up on the idea.
Even if we never see Best portray Jar-Jar Binks in the future, it’s possible we could one day see a series of his own creation. Disney+, are you listening?
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