The actor who played one of the most hated “Star Wars” characters of all time talked in a recent interview about how Michael Jackson wanted to play the part.
Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in the 1999 prequel “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” provided details in an interview with Vice.
Best recounted an incident involving George Lucas: “Me, Natalie Portman, and George’s kids — we were at Wembley arena at Michael Jackson’s concert. We were taken backstage and we met Michael. There was Michael and Lisa Marie [Presley]. George introduced me as ‘Jar Jar’ and I was like, That’s kind of weird. Michael was like, ‘Oh. OK.’ I thought, What is going on?”
Best has brought up the incident before, notably in a Reddit interview last year. But he filled in a few of the details this time.
Best told Vice he later brought up his Michael Jackson introduction at an afterparty: “I’m having a drink with George and I said, ‘Why did you introduce me as Jar Jar?’ He said, ‘Well, Michael wanted to do the part but he wanted to do it in prosthetics and makeup like “Thriller.”‘ George wanted to do it in CGI. My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don’t think he wanted that.”
Honestly, Michael Jackson could not have done any worse than Ahmed Best. No offense to Mr Best, but Jar Jar Binks was such a terrible character — terribly written, horribly directed — he nearly single-handedly destroyed the Star Wars franchise.