Ahmed Best, most notably known as the voice and motion capture actor behind Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels, seems to be teasing a new perspective on his time as the divisive character. Many fans may not have the most favorable view of Jar Jar, but they don't know the whole story. It looks as though Best means to remedy that.
Best recently tweeted out a rather cryptic image showing the title page of an "Untitled One Man Show" that he either wrote or is in the process of writing. Based on the context, it appears to be a stage show of some sort, meant to clear up some things regarding the character and role of Jar Jar Binks. "I think it’s time for my version of how it all went down," he wrote in the post itself, offering up an intriguing tease of what's to come.
Posting the image on his official Twitter account, Best also included some noteworthy Star Wars hashtags which honestly offer more information than anything else. The hashtag list includes "#jarjarbinks, #starwars, #fandom, #theprequels, #onemanshow, #mystory," and perhaps most surprising, "#darthjarjar." Based on these tidbits, it looks as though Best is planning to put on a one-man stage show for the purpose of finally telling all about his experience in the role as well as in dealing with the Star Wars fandom's intense Jar Jar Binks hate in the years since. But given the medium he's chosen, this should give him the opportunity to tell the story entirely on his own terms, a right he has definitely earned.
Best's performance as Jar Jar became a go-to punching bag for audiences, with even casual viewers joining in on the jokes. But they were misplaced, as Best himself actually did a pretty fantastic job with the material he was given. That didn't matter to many Star Wars fans, who took things to the extreme of targeting their Jar Jar hate at Best himself, resulting in a dark couple of decades for the actor. He even later admitted that he was almost driven to suicide by the nearly endless stream of abuse. It's no wonder he made a point to pay tribute to Kelly Marie Tran, who suffered (and continues to suffer) similar toxicity from the fans.
This is an interesting opportunity for both Best and any Star Wars fans out there who might regret all the vitriol they've spewed over the years. Telling his story via a one-man show will not only convey his version of things, but it will put him front and center for the whole thing, effectively forcing viewers to look directly at the person who was affected by their words. It's also notable to bring up the "#darthjarjar" hashtag again. Is that just a tongue-in-cheek reference? Or will the show also lend credence to the long-held theory suggesting Jar Jar Binks is an agent of the Dark Side?
Either way, this sounds like a story every Star Wars fan should hear. This fandom has an unfortunate history of hatred, from bullying a young Jake Lloyd for his performance as Anakin in The Phantom Menace to a shocking amount of racist attacks. So here's hoping Best's show can serve as a mirror for many who may not realize they're part of the problem.
The Star Wars saga is available on Disney Plus.
Source: Ahmed Best/Twitter