Ahmed Best

Ahmed Best (born August 19, 1973) is an American actor, comedian and musician. He is known for providing the voice and motion capture for the character Jar Jar Binks in the ''Star Wars'' franchise.

Best likewise collaborated with director George Lucas in three films and seven episodes of the animated show, '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. He won the Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production for portraying Jar Jar Binks in '' Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II''.

Early life

Ahmed Best was born in New York City on August 19, 1973. Born in Roosevelt Hospital, he lived the majority of his formative years in the Soundview section of the Bronx, before moving to Maplewood, New Jersey in 1984. He attended Columbia High School, graduating in 1991. He then studied percussion at the Manhattan School of Music.

Best is the younger brother of Dunia Best Sinnreich, lead singer and co-founder of Brave New Girl, Dubistry and Agent 99 and formerly with The Slackers.

Career

In 1994, Best joined the acid jazz group the Jazzhole. He contributed to the success of the group for two years. He co-wrote and co-produced three albums for the group including ''The Jazzhole'', ''And the Feeling Goes Around'', and ''The Beat is the Bomb''. In 1995, he co-wrote and co-produced ''Escape'' by Bill Evans.

In 1995, he joined the Obie Award-winning cast of '' Stomp''. He toured with the cast of ''Stomp'' throughout the US and Europe.

In 1997, after casting director Robin Gurland had observed his flexible, athletic movements in ''Stomp,'' Ahmed was cast as Jar Jar Binks in the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy (1999–2005). He reprised the role in the ''Robot Chicken'' specials '' Robot Chicken: Star Wars'' and '' Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II'', '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars'', and an episode of Stephen Colbert's ''The Colbert Report''. Best said he put a lot of himself into the character, so when Jar Jar drew hostility from audiences, it sometimes extended toward the actor or he otherwise interpreted it personally. The character of Jar Jar Binks was so disliked that Best considered suicide. Best later appeared with fellow ''Star Wars'' alumni Dee Bradley Baker, James Arnold Taylor, and Daran Norris on the TV show '' Big Time Rush''.

In 2008, he also wrote, directed, and produced the pilot for a television show called ''This Can't Be My Life''.

In late May 2020, Lucasfilm announced that Best would star as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq in the game show '' Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge'', which premiered in June 2020. Best reprised the role of Beq in the third season of '' The Mandalorian'', a live-action series set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. His character rescued Grogu from Darth Sidious' Jedi Purge. Best received praise for his performance.

In addition to his acting roles, Best has worked as an adjunct professor at Stanford University. His Stanford classes have touched on subjects such as art and Afrofuturism.

Best also holds the rank of Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Best has attended several conventions as part of Star Wars Celebration as a guest. He attended Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025.

Filmography

Film

Television

Short films

Documentary

Music

Composer

Director

Video games

Producer

Writer

Theatre

Discography

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Best, Ahmed
1973 births
Living people
20th-century African-American male actors
20th-century American male actors
21st-century African-American musicians
21st-century African-American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Actors from Maplewood, New Jersey
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male video game actors
American male voice actors
Annie Award winners
Columbia High School (New Jersey) alumni
Jazzhole members
Male motion capture actors
Male actors from the Bronx
Male actors from New Jersey
Manhattan School of Music alumni
People from Soundview, Bronx
Stanford University faculty