Ahmed Best

Ahmed Best (born August 19, 1973) is an actor who portrayed Jar Jar Binks in all three films of the prequel trilogy and Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in the game show Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge and in the television series The Mandalorian.
==Biography==
===Roles===
Besides his role as Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy, Best has also appeared as an extra in the role of Outlander Club patron Achk Med-Beq in Attack of the Clones. He also hosted the behind-the-scenes web series on location for StarWars.com during the film's production. He has had voice roles in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and various Star Wars video games, mostly reprising his role as Jar Jar Binks, but occasionally as other characters.
On December 3, 2019, Best was announced as the host of the game show Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge. On May 27, 2020, it was announced that Best would be playing the role of Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, and that the show would be released on YouTube rather than Disney+, as was originally announced. Jedi Temple Challenge premiered on June 10, 2020. Ahmed revisited the role when he played Kelleran Beq again in The Mandalorian: "Chapter 20: The Foundling" which premiered on March 22, 2023.
===Fan reception===
Ahmed Best addressed the mixed and sometimes hostile fan reaction to Jar Jar Binks when interviewed in Star Wars Insider 56. In 2018, because Jar Jar was so disliked, Best announced that he had previously considered suicide. This provoked an outpouring of support from fans.
During an interview with Lucasfilm employee and This Week! in Star Wars host Kristin Baver in June 2020, Best expressed a "pleasant surprise" at his casting call to play Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. He described the representation of Master Beq as a "person of color" and leader of a Jedi Temple as "breaking new ground" in the Star Wars universe and creating a "brand new world of possibilities."
==Works==
===Filmography===
Year 	Title 	Series 	Contribution(s)
1999 	Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace 	 	Jar Jar Binks
2002 	Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones	 	Achk Med-Beq and Jar Jar Binks
2005 	Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith	 	Jar Jar Binks
2008 	"Bombad Jedi" 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Jar Jar Binks
2010 	"Supply Lines" 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Jar Jar Binks, Toydarian defense minister
2011 	"Gungan Attack" 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Boss Lyonie, Jar Jar Binks, Prisoner #2
2011 	"Prisoners" 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Jar Jar Binks
2011 	"Shadow Warrior" 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Boss Lyonie, Jar Jar Binks
2014 	"The Disappeared, Part I" 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Jar Jar Binks
2014 	"The Disappeared, Part II" 	Star Wars: The Clone Wars 	Jar Jar Binks
2020 	"Episode 1" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 2" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 3" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 4" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 5" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 6" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 7" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 8" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 9" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2020 	"Episode 10" 	Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge	Kelleran Beq
2023 	"Chapter 20: The Foundling" 	The Mandalorian 	Kelleran Beq
unreleased	 	Star Wars Detours 	Jar Jar Binks
===Gameography===
Year	Title 	Contribution(s)	Format(s)
1999	Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace 	Jar Jar Binks 	PC and PlayStation
1999	Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier 	Jar Jar Binks 	PC
2000	Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles 	Jar Jar Binks 	Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation
2000	Star Wars: Early Learning Activity Center	Jar Jar Binks 	PC
2001	Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing 	Jar Jar Binks 	PlayStation 2
2001	Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds 	Jar Jar Binks 	Mac, PC
2005	LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game 	Jar Jar Binks 	Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 2, Xbox
2011	LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 	Jar Jar Binks 	Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
===Bibliography===
Year	Title 	Format 	Notes
2017	The Phantom Menace Read-Along Storybook and CD	Young reader book	Voiced Jar Jar Binks
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Actors who have portrayed Jar Jar Binks
Category:LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy voice actors
Category:Producers
Category:Star Wars Detours voice actors
Category:Star Wars Episode I: The Gungan Frontier voice actors
Category:Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace video game voice actors
Category:Star Wars: Early Learning Center voice actors
Category:Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles voice actors
Category:Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace voice actors
Category:Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones voice actors
Category:Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith voice actors
Category:Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds voice actors
Category:Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge actors
Category:Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing voice actors
Category:Star Wars: The Clone Wars voice actors
Category:The Mandalorian actors