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Ahmed Best

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 and in the television series The Mandalorian.

Biography

Roles

KelleranBeq-ABig

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.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6] Jedi Temple Challenge premiered on June 10, 2020.[7] Ahmed revisited the role when he played Kelleran Beq again in The Mandalorian: "Chapter 20: The Foundling" which premiered on March 22, 2023.[8]

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.[9][10]

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."[7]

Works

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
2023 "Chapter 20: The Foundling" The Mandalorian Kelleran Beq[8]
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, Wikipedia:Nintendo DS, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360

Bibliography

Year Title Format Notes
2017 The Phantom Menace Read-Along Storybook and CD Young reader book Voiced Jar Jar Binks

Sources

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Notes and references

Explore all of Wookieepedia's audio files for this article subject.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Star Wars Year By Year: A Visual History, New Edition
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
  3. ↑ The Star Wars Show: 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) (Posted on StarWars.com)
  4. ↑ StarWars.com on location home page on StarWars.com (original site is defunct)
  5. ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Gungan Attack"
  6. ↑ StarWars.com Updated: Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge to Debut June 10 on Star Wars Kids on StarWars.com (backup link)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 StarWars.com Step Inside Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge on StarWars.com (backup link)
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Mandalorian — "Chapter 20: The Foundling"
  9. ↑ Star Wars: Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best considered suicide on BBC News (July 4, 2018) (backup link archived on July 28, 2018)
  10. ↑ Jar Jar Binks Actor Says He Considered Suicide After 'Star Wars' Backlash by Ryan Parker on The Hollywood Reporter (July 3, 2018) (backup link archived on May 11, 2020)

External links