Jar Jar Binks Actor Contemplated Suicide Because of 'Star Wars'

Over the years, it has become terribly trendy to hate on one Star Wars character. You may have a [...]

By Megan Peters

Over the years, it has become terribly trendy to hate on one Star Wars character. You may have a grudge against Jar Jar Binks, but no one has been more affected by the role than Ahmed Best. Taking to Twitter, the actor told the world he almost ended his life following Jar Jar Binks' controversial reception.

Over on social media, Best shared a post looking back on his Star Wars legacy while celebrating his greatest work as a dad.

"20 years next year I faced a media backlash that still affects my career today. This was the place I almost ended my life," the actor shared.

"It's still hard to talk about. I survived and now this little guy is my gift for survival. Would this be a good story for my solo show? Lemme know."

For those unaware of Best, the actor gained notoriety after playing Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels. He went on to collaborate with George Lucas on other Star Wars projects like The Clone Wars. He even nabbed an Annie Award for his work on Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II. However, his reception within the Star Wars fandom has been devisive.

After all, Jar Jar Binks a rather polarizing character. The CGI brought the Gungan to life after the franchise dove into Naboo. His eccentric speech patterns and goofy behavior were a treat for younger fans, but returning audiences weren't pleased with Jar Jar. These days, the character has come to represent the much-mocked reputation of the prequels. So, you can imagine the kind of hate Best has dealt with over his career.

In the past, Best has touched upon his tenure as Jar Jar, and his latest comments show how far he would've gone to give the character a permanent out.

"I always complained to George when I realized that [Revenge of the] Sith was pretty much not going to have Jar Jar in it and they were moving very very far from me," Best said. "I always complained to George that I didn't get a good death! i wanted to really be just hacked to pieces in some kind of way... and George wouldn't do it. I always said that Jar Jar's fate was too open ended, I would have loved to have closed it in some way. I think everybody wants some kind of Jar Jar closure to happen, including me."

How do you feel about Jar Jar after all these years? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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