The Mandalorian actor Ahmed Best opens up about what returning to the franchise means to him – and what finally convinced him.
Speaking to StarWars.com, Best highlighted how the decision to return to the Star Wars screen via the Mandalorian was not an easy one. However, it was the presence of two people in particular that brought him back.
“I was still nervous, but it was really Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and being with them, that made me want to come back,” said the actor.
Despite the presence of Favreau and Filoni, returning to the franchise after such a long time away was still a big consideration for Best. When he first joined Star Wars as Jar Jar Binks, Best received heavy criticism and even death threats from so-called fans due to the unpopularity of the character. This even drove the actor close to suicide, highlighting the serious impact and therefore implications of him returning to the galaxy far, far away.
“I’ve been in the Star Wars world for such a long time and my story is such a rollercoaster ride of emotions,” Best said. “Coming back to Star Wars wasn’t an easy decision for me. It wasn’t something I could have immediately said yes to. I did have to marinate over it for a bit.
I truly hope Ahmed Best feels more welcomed and loved by the Star Wars fandom than ever before. He deserves this and so much more! #TheMandalorian pic.twitter.com/aJQ1pGGvNb
— Nathan Messer | The Mandalorian (@N8Mess) March 22, 2023
“I mean, I was excited. I don’t think people really understand how much I care about Star Wars. Like, I really care. I really, really care about the storytelling, about the mythology, about the fans. I really want Star Wars to deliver, and if I become an obstacle to that, then I shouldn’t be in it. I don’t want to be bigger than the story. I don’t want to be bigger than the mythology. I want to contribute, I want to add to it.”
From our side, we’re just happy to see him return and, hopefully, be happy with how his second appearance in the Star Wars franchise has gone down with fans.
Featured image: Disney
