The next time you hate on Jar-Jar Binks, remember the sadness of his actor

If you’re a Star Wars fan, you probably have said a negative thing or two about Jar-Jar Binks. Even if you aren’t a big Star Wars fan, you’ve probably already hated on Jar-Jar even without having seen him or knowing anything about him!

Nevertheless, have you ever wondered who you’re actually attacking with that negativity? It turns out that it was actually the actor who played him.

Actor Ahmed Best recently took a rare interview with a YouTuber (seen in full in the player above) to discuss his role as the most hated character in the Star Wars saga. He’s spent over a decade now living with the reputation of Jar-Jar and according to him, it hasn’t been a pleasant one.

“I was to be the template for this, so I was kinda working with George [Lucas] to pioneer this new character form of acting and storytelling, Best said in the interview.

“Even though you play characters, you put a lot of your own personality into it, you get emotionally and personally invested in the work that you do, it’s your work and you take pride in it. So when your work is criticized negatively, you feel a hit.”

Best very much had to take the time and talent to create Jar-Jar’s personality. This opportunity of being able to be the “first” at something drew him to the role. Best continued, “One of the biggest reasons I took it was because of the challenge of it—there was no Andy Serkis and Gollum, Navi from Avatar, Martians, John Carter.”

While those motion-capture characters can be debated to be some of movie history’s other hated characters, Best knows that the amount and time of hate and negativity can’t be matched. This hasn’t, however, affected Best’s pursuit of more acting roles.

Anything besides Jar-Jar, he says.

“Star Wars was my first ‘most hated’ title in anything really. It was painful.”

Let’s try and not make it too much more painful for him, shall we, Star Wars fans?

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