Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Greatest opened up about how the backlash he obtained for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace saved him from desirous to work for years following the 1999 launch.
In a dialog with Folks in honor of the twenty fifth anniversary of the primary installment within the Star Wars prequels, Greatest mirrored on how his portrayal of the character marked a significant milestone within the movie business but additionally had its downsides.
Jar Jar Binks was the primary character in a live-action movie to be created by motion-capture know-how, with the actor being the primary to play that kind of position. Nevertheless, Greatest recalled the unfavorable suggestions in regards to the character on the time and the way he was a goal for harassment from the fanbase, which resulted in him stepping again from appearing for a while after the venture.
“All people got here for me,” he informed the publication. “I’m the primary individual to do this sort of work, however I used to be additionally the primary Black individual, Black man.”
He defined that, regardless of being the primary actor to do such work, he was “ostracized” from doing related gigs as a result of folks didn’t like his character, regardless that he had nothing to do with how Jar Jar was written.
Earlier than the movie was even launched, Greatest skilled on-line hate, which he considers “the primary textbook case of cyberbullying,” and it solely grew after Phantom Menace hit theaters. What made it worse, nevertheless, was that the hate wasn’t simply directed at his character, it was additionally directed at him as an individual, and he obtained demise threats over his efficiency.
“It actually wasn’t simple,” he stated. “I used to be very younger. I used to be 26. And it’s laborious to have this concept that the factor you’ve been working all of your life for, you lastly get it, and also you’re lastly within the massive leagues and the best stage of the sport, and also you maintain your individual. All of those years you’re identical to, ‘I belong on the high of the sport. I belong on the highest stage.’”
He continued, “After which rapidly folks pull the rug out from underneath you. And I used to be identical to, ‘What is occurring now?’ My profession started and ended. I didn’t know what to do, and sadly, there was actually nobody that might assist me as a result of it was such a singular place; it had by no means occurred earlier than in historical past, particularly with the web element. … However George [Lucas] is untouchable, and everyone was untouchable. Who wasn’t untouchable? Me. Everybody got here at me.”
Greatest beforehand revealed he contemplated suicide following the backlash he obtained for taking part in Jar Jar, regardless of the character being liked by kids and Lucas himself. (He went on to look within the two different movies within the prequel trilogy: Assault of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.)
Basically, Phantom Menace obtained a lot of criticism from Star Wars followers. Liam Neeson, who performed Qui-Gon Jinn, addressed the backlash in September 2020 when he sat down with Andy Cohen for an episode of Radio Andy and famous he loved making the movie and thought it turned out properly.
“I just like the movie. I’m happy with it and proud to have been part of it,” Neeson informed Cohen. “I obtained to be a Jedi. I obtained to play with these great lightsabers and stuff. It was terrific, Andy, it actually was.”
He additionally famous how he was very distressed over how the fanbase handled Greatest.
“He got here into quite a lot of criticism, I imply to the purpose the place it actually damage his profession,” the Taken star stated. “And I’ve to say after I was making that movie … he was most likely one of many funniest guys and proficient guys I’ve ever labored with.” He added that he was so impressed with Greatest that he even informed his supervisor that the actor could possibly be the following Eddie Murphy, sharing on the time, “I nonetheless consider that.”