Jar Jar Binks Actor Says These 2 Star Wars Icons Always ‘Had My Back’

Ahmed Best, best known for his portrayal of Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, recently shared a heartfelt message on Instagram. He recently played in The Mandalorian and gave his experience as one of the over-hated characters in the prequels, only recently feeling love from fans.

Warning: This contains spoilers for The Mandalorian, specifically, Best’s role.

Despite the critical and fan reception of the prequel films, Best and other cast members faced significant harassment and bullying. In his Instagram post, Best revealed that Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Frank Oz (Yoda) were among the few Star Wars legends who stood by him and offered unwavering support.

Best recalled how Hamill was the first person to tell him he was part of the Star Wars family, providing much-needed encouragement during a difficult time. Oz, known for his iconic voice work as Yoda, also significantly supported Best and other cast members. Best’s positive experiences with Hamill and Oz are especially noteworthy given the negativity surrounding the Star Wars franchise.

Through all the hate and vitriol I received during the prequels, these two privately and publicly had my back. They always spoke up and spoke out. Mark was the first to call me Star Wars family. I’ve always followed their example. Thank you both for being the role models for everything that’s right about Star Wars.

Ahmed Best

Best’s own Jar Jar Binks was very much hated, and many fans couldn’t see the difference between actor and character, so much of it was directed at Best.

Best was able to return to Star Wars as most of the contentment for Jar Jar died down. Best returned as a Jedi, saving Grogu in The Mandalorian from Order 66, with music that makes your heart swell. It’s a scene that transcends the show because there’s so much more to it than just a Jedi coming to save Grogu. It’s an actor who gets to play an incredibly important role in a series that hasn’t been kind to him—like a vindication of sorts. It’s nice to know that behind the scenes, Best always received love from Hammil and Oz.