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Being a part of perhaps one of Hollywood’s biggest, most pre-eminent franchises, felt like a dream come true for Ahmed Best when he first joined the galactic world ofStar Wars. Famous for playing the clumsy Gungan pariah Jar Jar Binks, what the actor, however, witnessed, was far from a dreamy acting gig. If anything, it turned into a pulsating nightmare so petrifying that it pushed him to take his own life.
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Jar Jar Binks Star Looks Back on Dark Times
Although he’s back in the game with renewed vigor now, it goes without saying that Ahmed Best’sStar Warstenure when he first set foot in the franchise, transpired as one of the darkest times of his life. And that is exactly what he revisits on the Ted-produced podcastThe Redemption of Jar Jar Binks –the time when he was at rock bottom owing to frighteningly overzealous and toxicStar Warsfans.
Best, 49, who first portrayed Jar Jar Binks inEpisode I: The Phantom Menacebefore reprising the role throughout thePrequel Trilogy, reflected on the vehement fan backlash that drove him to the point of depression which soon spiraled into a suicide attempt. And all he could think during that foggy 3 a.m. morning at the Brooklyn Bridge was –
“I’ll show all of you. I’ll show you what you’re doing to me. And when I’m gone, then you’ll feel exactly what I went through.”
The actor and comedian disclosed how all the vehement hatred that was hurled at both him and his on-screen character, began way before the films hit the big screens; from derision and criticism about racial stereotypes to full-blown death threats, Best was forced to encounter the odious underbelly of fame whenStar Warsfans practically made it their mission to make his life living hell.
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Rising Like A Phoenix From the Ashes
At one point, things got so out of hand that the relentless death threats made it increasingly difficult for him to even step out of his New York City apartment.
“It was terrible. It was the lowest I’ve ever been in my life.”
Soon after that tempestuous period, Best then moved to Los Angeles where he filmedEpisode II: Attack of the ClonesandEpisode III: Revenge of the Sith, only to be reduced to a mere“footnote”after his character was undermined and reduced to essentially nothing. But, he didn’t leave any stones unturned in picking himself up and penning a new and brighter chapter of his life.
See also:“I want this to be the beginning”: The Mandalorian Star Ahmed Best Teases Potential Spin-Off After Pedro Pascal’s Show Concludes
After he sublimated his energies into martial arts and film school, Best then unearthed love and the joys of fatherhood; he’s been married to his spouse Raquel Horsford for almost two decades now and they share a son.
As for his career, Best recently appeared in theStar Warsuniverse as a Jedi master named Kelleran Beq in Chapter 20 of the Disney+ series,The Mandalorian.
Source:The Guardian
Khushi Shah
Articles Published :857
With a prolific knowledge of everything pop culture and a strong penchant for writing, Khushi has penned over 700 articles during her time as an author at FandomWire.An abnormal psychology student and an fervent reader of dark fiction, her most trusted soldiers are coffee and a good book.
