This article contains discussion of suicide. Reader discretion advised.
For many older fans of the Star Wars franchise, we all remember where we were when we first saw the trailer to Episode I: The Phantom Menace. We were introduced to new characters and exciting storylines as the franchise returned to the big screen.
One character was Jar Jar Binks. The Gungan was meant to be a character enjoyable for younger audiences and part of the comic relief for the film. He was in all three of the prequel trilogy films as a central figure in The Phantom Menace and played an important role in Attack of the Clones, with the character of Binks turning over power to the Emperor.
The character, however, was not well received at the time of the trilogy's release, and there was a lot of negativity thrown at the actor who portrayed Jar Jar, Ahmed Best. Best portrayed the character the way it was written by George Lucas and did it to the best of his ability. He returned to voice the character in several episodes of The Clone Wars animation series. However, because of the horrible backlash and harassment from some fans, the actor contemplated ending his own life.
He had spoken to Indiewire in the past about issues he had after hearing from some people who disliked him and the character. "There was just so much hate and anger and venom directed at me, and I took it personally… I put a lot of me into that work, and if you talk to any artist who really cares about their work, you’re talking about them," said the actor in 2019.
The fact that Best has been open about his struggles can help some people who may be going through their own personal problems. I, personally, served in the United States Air Force for five years. Due to my own mental health issues, I did attempt to end my own life after my enlistment. Hearing from people like Best, who have gone through the same type of thing and yet have persevered and become loved by the franchise fanbase now, is an inspiration to me.
One of the highlights of Season 3 of The Mandalorian was when Best returned to the franchise as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, who saved Grogu during the Jedi Purge. It was a great moment for the franchise, for Best, and anyone who can use him as an inspiration to continue to work through what they need to.
I continue to look for people who are honest with their own struggles and wanted to say thank you to Ahmed Best for me to look up to.
If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.