From near death to fame: where was the actor Jar Jar Binks from The Mandalorian?

From near death to fame: where was the actor Jar Jar Binks from The Mandalorian?

From near death to fame: where was the actor Jar Jar Binks from The Mandalorian?

Ahmed Best returned to the franchise as respected Jedi Kelleran Beck.

Star Wars is a franchise that loves redemption. Even the most feared Sith can come to their senses at the last minute, and the same goes for offscreen. This week the saga saw the biggest behind-the-scenes story of redemption: actor Ahmed Bestgiving voice to the hated Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy, reappearing in the final episode of The Mandalorian as the famed Jedi Master Kelleran Beck. About 18 years passed between the disappearance and the return of the actor, but where was he?

• Click here to subscribe to Disney+ and start watching The Mandalorian now!

Jar Jar Binks and Suicide

Ahmed as Jar Jar Binks (K. Disney)

In 1999, at the age of 24, Best starred in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace doing the voice and motion capture of Jar Jar Binks. At the time, the role seemed like a lifetime opportunity, a dream come true—after all, her career so far has been mostly theater and one small film.

Ahmed was invited to an audition after a recruiter in LucasFilm watch your game stomp, in NYC. On the set, the actor was completely delighted with the opportunity to participate in the appearance of purely computer characters in the movie. However, when the film was opened, the public took devastating action.

Criticism that was initially directed at the character soon escalated into personal attacks and racist slurs. With no manager or agent interested in his career, Ahmed found himself alone in front of a flurry of negativity. After two years of depression and grief, Ahmed attempted suicide in The Brooklyn Bridge (via member).

The actor managed to hold on, remorseful, and returned to safety, but that scar from almost killing himself has been with him ever since.

Pitching and dubbing

Ahmed characters in Fallout 76 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Ahmed Best even returned for two more Star Wars films – in Attack of the Clones (2002)in which he also appeared briefly as Achk Med-Bek, and Revenge of the Sith (2005). After that, the actor still had small appearances in low-budget films and TV series until 2013, with his biggest participation in big time Rushfrom Nickelodeon.

Outside of the field of vision, Best has not stood still: he has directed short films, produced music and played many roles in the entertainment industry. One haven he got from Star Wars was voice acting. He voiced Jar Jar Binks in seven episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as several other characters, but he didn’t stop there.

The best-voiced animated sequel to Kangaroo Jack and the game series, Cloak in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2Jar Jar in lego star wars This Disney Infinity 3.0three characters in fallout 76 and even additional voices in The Last of Us Part 2. Until, finally, he returned to his true home: the Star Wars franchise.

Return as Kelleran Beq

Ahmed Best as Kelleren Beck in The Mandalorian (C. Disney)

In 2020 with the arrival Disney+, LucasFilm decided to launch its own children’s game show, an auditorium where children competed in a Star Wars-themed competition. And it was then that Ahmed Best was invited to present Star Wars: Trial of the Jedi Temple as a new character: Jedi Master Kelleran Beck.

Beck has a rich backstory as a great defender Padawans from the Jedi Temple on Corruscant, who led their trials until the fall of the Republic. With his debut, the character became firmly established in the Star Wars canon, with the possibility of appearing in books or other productions.

And in 2023, in the third season The MandalorianKelleran Beck debuted in the franchise in a highly coveted role: he was the one who saved Grog, Baby Yoda, from genocide. Order 66. Thus, Ahmed Best went from the most hated character in the franchise to universal recognition as an important part of its history.

What do you think of Ahmed’s story? Don’t forget to comment!

Read also: