Jar Jar Binks is arguably the most universally loathed character in pop culture within the past 20 years, but there’s at least one person who thinks the despised alien from “Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace” is pretty great.
That person is George Lucas.
The “Star Wars” director delivered a pre-recorded video message to fans at the Star Wars Celebration fan event in Chicago, which was played ahead a panel celebrating the 20th anniversary of “The Phantom Menace”.
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“Thank you for coming to the Celebration,” said Lucas, reports IndieWire, declaring “The Phantom Menace” to be “one of my favourite movies and of course Jar Jar is my favourite character.”
Lucas, 74, offered his thanks to actor Ahmed Best for his portrayal of the character, addressing the extreme backlash that dogged the character and the actor who played him.
“Ahmed, you did a fantastic job,” Lucas said, adding. “It was very, very hard.”
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Lucas also thanked Industrial Light & Magic CCO John Knoll for the film’s then-trailblazing special effects.
“Also for John Knoll and all the guys at ILM, I made it impossible for them,” Lucas continued. “We broke a lot of ground. We were using test equipment but it was the beginning of digital, even though we didn’t get to shoot the whole thing digitally, we got to shoot part of it so it was really one of the first digital features and I’m very proud of that.”
Concluded Lucas: “The fans are always such a big part of these films and obviously those of you who are here are the fans of ‘Episode 1’ and I love each and every one of you.”
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While fan hatred of Jar-Jar was prevalent, that backlash exacted a personal toll on Best, who revealed last year that it led him to consider suicide.
“20 years next year I faced a media backlash that still affects my career today,” Best tweeted, including a photo of himself and his young son looking out on a bridge.
“This was the place I almost ended my life,” he continued. “It’s still hard to talk about. I survived and now this little guy is my gift for survival.”
In a 2017 interview with Wired, Best opened up about the extreme level of hatred he faced personally because of the character. “I had death threats through the internet,” he admitted. “I had people come to me and say, ‘You destroyed my childhood.’ That’s difficult for a 25-year-old to hear.”
He added: “There were a lot of tears, there was a lot of pain, there was a lot of s**t I had to deal with.”
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Two decades later, however, Jar-Jar is far less controversial than he used to be. According to People, Best received a standing ovation when he appeared at the 20th-anniversary panel for “The Phantom Menace” at Star Wars Celebration, with the crowd enthusiastically chanting his name.
“You guys are going to make me tear up,” he told the audience, “and I’m an unattractive crier.”
