Ahmed Best (born August 19, 1973) 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.[2]
Star Wars career
Edit
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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] Jedi Temple Challenge premiered on June 10, 2020.[5]
Fan receptionEdit
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.[6][1]
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 Kellaren Beq. He described the representation of Mas Beq as a "person and color" and leader of a Jedi Temple as "breaking new ground" in the Star Wars universe and creating a "brand new world of possibilities out there."[5]
Work in Star WarsEdit
- Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Early Learning Activity Center (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (Jar Jar Binks/Achk Med-Beq)
- LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (Jar Jar Binks)
- Robot Chicken: Star Wars (Jar Jar Binks)
- Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Bombad Jedi" (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Supply Lines" (Jar Jar Binks/Toydarian defense minister)
- Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III (Jar Jar Binks)
- LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Gungan Attack" (Jar Jar Binks/Boss Lyonie/Prisoner #2)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Prisoners" (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "Shadow Warrior" (Jar Jar Binks/Boss Lyonie)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "The Disappeared, Part I" (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars – "The Disappeared, Part II" (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars Detours (Jar Jar Binks)
- The Phantom Menace Read-Along Storybook and CD (Jar Jar Binks)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge (Jedi Master Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 1" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 2" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 3" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 4" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 5" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 6" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 7" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 8" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 9" (Kelleran Beq)
- Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge – "Episode 10" (Kelleran Beq)
BibliographyEdit
- The Best Choice Makes Jar Jar Who He Is on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Ahmed Best Takes The Stage At SWCC 2019 | The Star Wars Show Live! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel
- Star Wars: Phantom Menace 20th Anniversary Celebration Live Panel on the official Star Wars YouTube channel
- 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)
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Parker, Ryan (July 3, 2018). Jar Jar Binks Actor Says He Considered Suicide After 'Star Wars' Backlash. The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 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)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 O'Neill, Shane (January 16, 2020). The Clone Wars Fixes Jar Jar Binks' Star Wars Prequel Portrayal. 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)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Step Inside Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best considered suicide. BBC News (July 4, 2018). Archived from the original on July 28, 2018.
External linksEdit
- Ahmed Best on Wikipedia
- Ahmed Best at the Internet Movie Database
- Ahmed Best (@ahmedbest) on Twitter (backup link not provided!)
- Ahmed Best (@bestahmed) on Instagram
