Jar Jar Binks Actor Steps Up For The Acolyte Actress
Star Wars fans are known for their cruelty towards certain actors in the franchise, something Ahmed Best knows very well. The actor, who played the much-hated character Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy, has given his public support to the lead actress in The Acolyte, Amandla Stenberg. She has received some of the same fan mistreatment Best did in the wake of her now-canceled show’s poor reputation.
Artists Who Stay Together Slay Together
The Jar Jar Binks actor shared a supportive post on Instagram for Amandla Stenberg. He shared a poster for The Acolyte with a caption about supporting artists. He followed that broader sentiment by tagging the actress and telling her “Keep shining queen.”
After the release of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Ahmed Best became the target of fans who were unhappy with the movie, and that hate only grew throughout the prequel trilogy era. Best’s character, Jar Jar Binks, was considered annoying and overly silly, becoming the avatar for all the problems fans had with the prequels. Fans then directed that hatred at Best personally, a phenomenon that has repeated itself with divisive new Star Wars projects like The Acolyte.
Best Knows How Brutal Star Wars Fans Can Be
Ahmed Best has publicly shared the negative effect fan hate had on his mental health. The Jar Jar Binks actor has said that the constant verbal abuse he suffered led him to consider suicide when it was at its worst. Best is clearly trying to help prevent that for the cast of The Acolyte, the latest derided Star Wars project.
Getting Just A Little Too Personal
Like the prequel trilogy, the Disney era of Star Wars has been met with fan backlash with nearly every project being hated by a vocal group of fans to one degree or another. Just like they did with Ahmed Best and Jar Jar Binks, some fans have taken to harassing actors and actresses who play the characters they hate. Kelly Marie Tran was harassed after Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and most recently Amandla Stenberg has been targeted for her role in The Acolyte.
Started With The Prequel Trilogy, And Hasn’t Let Up
Fan harassment has become an expected part of the fan group, making the practice almost synonymous with the fandom. The prequel trilogy, which came out as online fandom was first rising, seems to be the origin point for the practice with fans attacking the actors playing Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), in particular. That harassment is often coupled with racist and misogynistic language, particularly the harassment leveled at The Acolyte’s Amandla Stenberg who is a Black woman.
Best Is Setting A Great Example
While it’s a shame to see Star Wars fans turning their hatred for fictional characters against real people, it’s heartwarming to see the Jar Jar Binks actor reaching out to a cast member of The Acolyte. Ahmed Best is proving that there is a positive, supportive side to the Star Wars world that’s often overshadowed by the poor behavior of its worst fans. Regardless of how fans feel about modern Star Wars projects, they should look to Best as the role model for how to treat the real people involved in making them.
