Back when the Star Wars prequel trilogy released in theaters, it’s safe to say that most fans would have named Jar Jar Binks as their least-favorite character from the franchise. And the actor behind the CG creation, Ahmed Best, felt the full weight of that hatred. Disney is offering Best quite the do-over with a small role in The Mandalorian — and has even put the actor up for an Emmy nomination for his work.
On its Debut Disney website, the company has listed its offerings for Emmy consideration relating to the third season of The Mandalorian. Under the category of “Guest Actor in a Drama Series” is Best for his portrayal of live-action Jedi Knight Kelleran Beq. The character was introduced previously in Star Wars canon, but he returned in “Chapter 20: The Foundling” in a flashback as the Jedi who helped save Grogu from a burning Jedi temple.
Whether the role is memorable enough to actually score a nomination is beside the point. Best seems to have always put his heart and soul into his work, which includes roles in film, television, and video games. Any problems we and the rest of the world have with Jar Jar Binks are George Lucas’ fault entirely. Yet we’re probably too hard on Lucas as well, given that Jar Jar was designed in part to make kids giggle, not appease Star Wars fans who grew up with the original trilogy and wanted all of the comedy to be at the exact same pitch as they remember.
Best suffered a ton of undue criticism for playing Jar Jar, with a backlash so brutal that he even considered ending his life. But he stuck to his profession and by age 49 has finally worked his way out of the stigma — and that’s something to be applauded on its own. Plus, Beq is an awesome character who we hope to see more of in future seasons of The Mandalorian, even if it’s just in flashbacks.
Now let’s see if a comeback is possible for the guy who voiced Watto, or the hopeful longshot J.J. Abrams.
