Ahmed Best Reveals Jar Jar Binks’ Hidden Cinematic Legacy

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Jar Jar Binks is widely considered one of the most controversial and disliked characters not just within the Star Wars franchise, but in film history as a whole. For actor Ahmed Best, portraying this entirely CGI character was a challenging period due to the negative reaction to his appearance in the movie. However, over time he has come to understand why Jar Jar Binks is such a significant and vital character within the realm of cinema.

At Star Wars Celebration, ScreenRant interviewed Mark Hamill about the upcoming season 2 of “Light & Magic.” They asked if he truly valued the historical significance of Jar Jar Binks, the first entirely computer-generated character, which was introduced years before Andy Serkis’ motion-capture work as Gollum. Hamill responded:

* He acknowledged that it was groundbreaking to have a CGI character in Star Wars, but…
* He emphasized that the impact of Jar Jar Binks on the film industry was not fully realized at the time of its release, since motion capture technology had not yet been developed and popularized.
* He suggested that Andy Serkis’ work as Gollum paved the way for a greater appreciation of the technical achievements behind characters like Jar Jar Binks.

Absolutely! Back then, I was absolutely thrilled to be included in the cast and working with ILM, and the team’s enthusiasm was contagious. It felt like we were part of the most incredible movie studio and the hottest tech startup all rolled into one. Essentially, working on The Phantom Menace was an unparalleled experience, akin to being in the premier film company and the most innovative internet startup imaginable.

Each day was a continuous learning process, a fresh creation for us. We made errors and faced setbacks, but we learned from them and kept moving forward. It didn’t feel like we were immersed in historic moments; it felt more like we had tasks to accomplish, duties that required our utmost effort. And everyone gave their best performance possible.

I didn’t fully realize the impact until I saw the end result, which was similar to not knowing you’re building a company like Microsoft until you actually see it. It wasn’t until then that I understood the historical significance, but what it did do for me was instill a strong work ethic. It made me believe that with the right team and the right leader, there are no limits to what can be achieved.

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2025-04-18 17:03