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
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.[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]
Best also voiced an alternate version of Binks known as "Darth Jar Jar" in the non-Canon animated series LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, which premiered on Disney+ on September 13, 2024.[9] Best later confirmed during Celebration Japan on April 19, 2025 that he would be reprising his role as "Darth Jar Jar" in the second season LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past, which is expected to be released on Disney+ on September 19.[10]
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.[11][12]
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] |
| 2024 | "Part Two" | LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy | Darth Jar Jar[13] |
| 2024 | "Part Three" | LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy | Darth Jar Jar[14] |
| 2025 | "Part Three" | LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past | Darth Jar Jar, Commander[15] |
| 2025 | "Part Four" | LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past | Darth Jar Jar[16] |
| 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
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Star Wars Year By Year: A Visual History, New Edition
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
- ↑
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)
- ↑
on location home page on StarWars.com (original site is defunct)
- ↑
Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Gungan Attack"
- ↑
Updated: Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge to Debut June 10 on Star Wars Kids on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Step Inside Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Star Wars: The Mandalorian — "Chapter 20: The Foundling"
- ↑ Get Ready for Darth Jar Jar, TIE-Wings, and More in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past Will Feature LEGO BrickHeadz Ahsoka and… Jaxxon?! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best considered suicide on the BBC (July 4, 2018) (backup link archived on July 28, 2018)
- ↑ 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)
- ↑ "Part Two"
- ↑ "Part Three"
- ↑ "Part Three"
- ↑ "Part Four"
External links
- Ahmed Best on Wikipedia
- Ahmed Best (@bestahmed) on Instagram (backup link)
- Ahmed Best (@ahmedbest) on Twitter (backup link)
- Ahmed Best at the Internet Movie Database
