Ahmed Best Admits He Was 'Nervous' To Return To 'Star Wars'

Actor Ahmed Best was understandably nervous to appear in another "Star Wars" project after the critical reception he received for playing Jar Jar Binks.

The actor was bullied for his role as the comedic character during the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but no one was laughing when Best returned to the franchise as Jedi Kelleran Beq, who saved Grogu from Order 66 in the latest episode of the "Star Wars" series, "The Mandalorian."

Although his character was beloved by fans for saving Grogu, affectionately known to many as Baby Yoda, Best admitted that he was "nervous" to return to a galaxy far, far away considering the cold reception his last character received.

In an interview with the official Star Wars website, Best admitted that he was invited by showrunners Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and director Rick Famuyiwa to play Kelleran Beq, the Jedi responsible for saving Grogu during the attack on the Jedi Temple.

During the first costume test, Best said, “As soon as I put the robes on for my first costume test, and I walked on to get approval from Jon and Dave, and they handed me a lightsaber, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m in this.’” Although he felt comfortable in his costume, Best said that he was “still nervous,” adding, “It was really Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and being with them, that made me want to come back.”

Although most people would jump at the chance to appear in a “Star Wars” project, Best admitted that he “had to think about it,” considering the public reception to his character and the bullying he received after appearing in the prequel trilogy.

“I’ve been in the Star Wars world for such a long time and my story is such a rollercoaster ride of emotions,” Best explained. “So 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 mean, I was excited. I don’t think people really understand how much I care about Star Wars. Like, I really care,” he added. “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. So it took me a minute.”

Although many would think that Ahmed Best would try to avoid looking at reactions to his second character, he really does want to know what fans think. More importantly, he wants to make sure that audiences can relate to the character he created.

“I really care about how Kelleran Beq will be received," he said. "I know this might not be cool to say, but I want everyone who watches Star Wars to look at Kelleran Beq and go, ‘I believe that guy. I want to follow that guy. Where does he go? What happens next?’ I think all the best stories are stories that leave you wondering what happens next”

“I think that’s why Star Wars has survived as long as it has, because all of these characters are characters who have lives,” he added before discussing the impact that Jar Jar Binks had on cinema even despite his poor reception.

“Jar Jar changed movies, and I don’t think Jar Jar gets a lot credit for changing movies. But Jar Jar was the first CGI main character in movie history," Best explained. "There had been other CGI characters, but the evolution of the fact that you can star as a CGI character, and an actor in performance capture, was really George, was really Jar Jar and ILM and all of us, and it was a significant change in movies."

"To be a part of that is enormous for me. Especially me coming from the South Bronx — this corny, artsy, nerdy, skinny kid, where Star Wars was the first movie I had ever seen in my life,” he continued. “Now, coming back, being in The Mandalorian, part of me doesn’t want to let it go. In The Phantom Menace days, you had to let it go. It was just George doing it."

"Now, you can do it for a while. You can tell stories in Star Wars and have them be in multiple mediums," he continued. "As a writer, as a director now, as a teacher now, there is so much more that I want to do that this universe is perfect for, that I don’t want this to be the end of legacy."

"I don’t want this to be the end of the story," he added. "I want this to be the beginning, and a new beginning. Especially through Kelleran Beq.”

Fans are hoping that Kelleran Beq's story isn't over either! In the meantime, season 3 of "The Mandalorian" is available to stream on Disney+.