Liam Neeson unhappy with critics' comments on Star Wars' Jar Jar Binks

In a recent interview, Liam Neeson, who played Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars prequels, talked about the negative comments caused by the character of Jar Jar Binks. He said that he had a good time working with Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks, during the filming, and believed that the negative comments directed at Best by critics and fans were an offense to him and Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan).

“Ahmad is very funny and creative,” Neeson said. “Ivan and I were both angry and saddened by the negative reception our character received.”

Best began dubbing and motion capturing for the all-computer special effects character Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars 1: The Phantom Menace in 1999. However, the character received a lot of criticism and negative reviews from the audience, and some even thought it was racist.

In 2018, Best revealed that he had thought about committing suicide due to malicious attacks on the Internet. He posted a photo of himself and his son standing on a bridge on social media, and wrote: "I have been strongly criticized by the media, which still affects my career. This is where I almost ended my life."

In 2023, Best played the role of Calleran Baker in the second season of The Mandalorian, and also voiced other games such as The Last of Us Part II.