There are major franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. Entire generations grew up with the galaxy far, far away, which is always expanding thanks to new projects hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. When fans rank the Star Wars movies, usually The Phantom Menace is fairly low thanks to its child-friendly tone. The backlash to that movie was huge, and Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best recently spoke about a suicide attempt that happened as a result.
Jar Jar has been the subject of countless jokes since Episode I hit theaters, and Best previously spoke about being suicidal as a result. On the new season of Disney+’s series Light & Magic, he got detailed about attempting to end his life on the Brooklyn Bridge. As he put it:
I just remember myself on the outside of the bridge, leaning up against one of the big pillars. I see the Statue of Liberty, and what I think to myself is, ‘I’ll show every single one of them what y’all did to me. I’m gonna make every one of you feel what you did to me.’
How harrowing. While landing a role in a Star Wars movie is a dream to many, it quickly became a nightmare for Best. The backlash to Jar Jar was real, including allegations that the actor’s portrayal of the Gungan was racist. And after starring in Phantom Menace, the character was pushed to the sidelines for the rest of the prequel trilogy.
Clearly Best was in a dark place, and wanted to end his pain and also teach a lesson to those who made him feel that way. The hate against Jar Jar still affects him today, so one can only imagine how intense it was at the time. In the same episode, he recalled the moment that stopped him from taking his life, offering:
I’m leaning on the bridge and I’m getting closer and closer to just going — just being free of all the talking and people. Then this really unexpected out of nowhere, WHOOSH, a gust of wind blows just at me. Out of nowhere.
Talk about divine intervention. When Best was at his lowest and contemplating suicide, an unexpected breeze pushed him back. As he shared, this caused him to suddenly grip onto the Brooklyn Bridge out of fear. It was this moment of terror and serendipity that made him realize he didn’t wan tot die after all. In his words:
I got really scared. And I was very happy that I was afraid. Because that meant that I wanted to live.
It’s remarkable that Ahmed Best not only got through this, but is brave enough to share his history with suicidal ideation with the world. I have to assume that his has bene powerful for fans, especially those who have had similar struggles and are having trouble seeing themselves on the other side.
Best recently returned to the Star Wars franchise in a new role, playing a Jedi Master who helped Grogu survive the attack on the Jedi Temple via a flashback in The Mandalorian. What’s more, Best already wants to reprise that role for a spinoff movie. And honestly, it sounds like a pretty great pitch.
Ahmed Best’s tenure in the Star Wars franchise is streaming on Disney+. While the franchise won’t return to theaters with a title on the 2025 movie release list, we’ve been regularly getting new TV shows to stream.
