Ahmed Best (born August 19, 1973)[1] is an actor who portrayed Jar Jar Binks in all three films of the prequel trilogy and Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in the game show Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge.
Biography[]
Best in his role as Kelleran Beq
Besides his role as Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy, Best has also appeared as an extra in the role of Outlander Club patron Achk Med-Beq in Attack of the Clones.[3] He also hosted the behind-the-scenes web series on location for StarWars.com during the film's production. He has had voice roles in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and various Star Wars video games, mostly reprising his role as Jar Jar Binks, but occasionally as other characters.[4]
On December 3, 2019, Best was announced as the host of the game show Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge. On May 27, 2020, it was announced that Best would be playing the role of Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, and that the show would be released on YouTube rather than Disney+, as was originally announced.[5] Jedi Temple Challenge premiered on June 10, 2020.[6]
Fan reception[]
Ahmed Best addressed the mixed and sometimes hostile fan reaction to Jar Jar Binks when interviewed in Star Wars Insider 56. In 2018, because Jar Jar was so disliked, Best announced that he had previously considered suicide. This provoked an outpouring of support from fans.[7][8]
During an interview with Lucasfilm employee and This Week! in Star Wars host Kristin Baver in June 2020, Best expressed a "pleasant surprise" at his casting call to play Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. He described the representation of Master Beq as a "person of color" and leader of a Jedi Temple as "breaking new ground" in the Star Wars universe and creating a "brand new world of possibilities."[6]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Series | Contribution(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace | Jar Jar Binks[2] | |
| 2002 | Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones | Achk Med-Beq and Jar Jar Binks | |
| 2005 | Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith | Jar Jar Binks | |
| 2008 | "Bombad Jedi" | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Jar Jar Binks |
| 2010 | "Supply Lines" | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Jar Jar Binks, Toydarian defense minister |
| 2011 | "Gungan Attack" | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Boss Lyonie, Jar Jar Binks, Prisoner #2 |
| 2011 | "Prisoners" | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Jar Jar Binks |
| 2011 | "Shadow Warrior" | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Boss Lyonie, Jar Jar Binks |
| 2014 | "The Disappeared, Part I" | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Jar Jar Binks |
| 2014 | "The Disappeared, Part II" | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Jar Jar Binks |
| 2020 | "Episode 1" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 2" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 3" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 4" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 5" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 6" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 7" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 8" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 9" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| 2020 | "Episode 10" | Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge | Kelleran Beq |
| unreleased | Star Wars Detours | Jar Jar Binks |
Gameography[]
| Year | Title | Contribution(s) | Format(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace | Jar Jar Binks | PC and PlayStation |
| 1999 | Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier | Jar Jar Binks | PC |
| 2000 | Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles | Jar Jar Binks | Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation |
| 2000 | Star Wars: Early Learning Activity Center | Jar Jar Binks | PC |
| 2001 | Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing | Jar Jar Binks | PlayStation 2 |
| 2001 | Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds | Jar Jar Binks | Mac, PC |
| 2005 | LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game | Jar Jar Binks | Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| 2011 | LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars | Jar Jar Binks | Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360 |
| 2022 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Jar Jar Binks | PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch |
Bibliography[]
| Year | Title | Format | Notes |
| 2017 | The Phantom Menace Read-Along Storybook and CD | Young reader book | Voiced Jar Jar Binks |
Sources[]
The Best Choice Makes Jar Jar Who He Is on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- Ahmed Best Takes The Stage At SWCC 2019 | The Star Wars Show Live! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Star Wars: Phantom Menace 20th Anniversary Celebration Live Panel on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge to Stream Exclusively on Disney+ on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge - Trailer on the official Star Wars Kids YouTube channel (backup link)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge Challenge to Debut June 3 on Star Wars Kids on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Step Inside Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge on StarWars.com (backup link)
- From the Pages of Star Wars Insider: Ahmed Best on his Time in the Galaxy on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "Bombad Jedi" – Star Wars Insider 199
- "200 Reasons Why We Love Star Wars" – Star Wars Insider 200
- Yoda | Star Wars Full Circle on the official Star Wars Kids YouTube channel (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga: The Official Collector's Edition
- "Lucasfilm: 50 Years of Innovation" – Star Wars Insider 207
- Clones at 20 | Rob Coleman on Bringing Yoda, Dexter Jettster, and More to Digital Life on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars Celebration LIVE! - DAY 2 on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones 20th Anniversary Celebration | Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
The Child Gets Even Cuter, Luke and Darth Vader Duel in LEGO, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
- ↑ Ahmed Best and Mary Holland Talk Jedi Temple Challenge, And We Celebrate The Empire Strikes Back! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑ O'Neill, Shane: The Clone Wars Fixes Jar Jar Binks' Star Wars Prequel Portrayal (2020-01-16). Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020.
- ↑
Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge to Stream Exclusively on Disney+ on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Step Inside Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best considered suicide (2018-07-04). BBC News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018.
- ↑ Parker, Ryan: Jar Jar Binks Actor Says He Considered Suicide After 'Star Wars' Backlash (2018-07-03). The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 11, 2020.
External links[]
- Ahmed Best on Wikipedia
- Ahmed Best at the Internet Movie Database
- Ahmed Best (@ahmedbest) on Twitter
- Ahmed Best (@bestahmed) on Instagram
