The man who played Jar Jar Binks, the most universally ridiculed “Star Wars” character, revealed last week that the hate directed at his character prompted a personal downward spiral that led him to almost take his own life.
Actor Ahmed Best posted on Twitter, with a photo of himself and his son on a bridge: “20 years next year I faced a media backlash that still affects my career today. This was the place I almost ended my life. It’s still hard to talk about. I survived and now this little guy is my gift for survival.”
“Star Wars” arguably has movie land’s largest and most passionate fan base, as loyalists heap lavish praise and reverence on iconic characters such as Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. But as George Lucas continued making movies in the beloved saga and created more characters and plotlines, fans have been equally brutal when they dislike something or someone.
No character was on the receiving end of that more than Jar Jar Binks, who first appeared in 1999 in “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.” He was supposed to be a clumsy, funny character.
