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[–]Higher_Primate 1580 points1581 points  (192 children)

*Sigh* guess I'll be that guy....

How does it feel to have played one of the most unintentionally hated characters in movie history?

[–]bestahmed[S] 1197 points1198 points  (158 children)

I like the fact that you said unintentional. I feels great to be a part of movie history regardless of how anyone feels about him.

[–]Artvandelay1 427 points428 points  (145 children)

Did George Lucas ever say anything to you about Jar-Jar in light of the near-universal negative reaction towards him after The Phantom Menace? Obviously he intended for him to be likable and you were doing the best with the role you were given but I wonder if he felt the need to defend his character or explain himself to you during the production of the subsequent films.

[–]bestahmed[S] 709 points710 points  (143 children)

He did. He let me know that this was nothing new. There was the same reaction to Chewbacca and the ewoks. HE sent me a stack of press from the original movies for proof. He never needed to defend his character. We new what the intention was.

[–]Artvandelay1 146 points147 points  (7 children)

I suppose if he really wanted to make you feel better he could have also showed you the Star Wars Holiday Special.

[–]pothandcary 45 points46 points  (0 children)

Yay for Life Day!!

[–]Mister_Rabbit 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Every Christmas I put it on and every Christmas I hear about an hour of bitching from my family before I have to turn it off.

[–][deleted] 334 points335 points  (98 children)

That's really interesting considering how Chewy is looked upon now. The Ewoks on the other hand...

[–]the_mad_fishmonger 293 points294 points  (65 children)

I believe there was a recent Cracked article stating that the fallen stormtroopers were most likely eaten by the Ewoks. Made me see the little buggers in a whole new light.

[–]stanfan114 79 points80 points  (0 children)

Remember the Ewoks almost ate Han and Luke.

[–]menace64 219 points220 points  (60 children)

Don't forget that Ewoks are actually hyper-intelligent, warlike bears.

The fact that they look cute makes them even more dangerous.

[–]KorranHalcyon 85 points86 points  (53 children)

intelligent, yes. hyper? nope.

[–][deleted] 122 points123 points  (32 children)

Hey now. You use nothing but logs, vines and physics to take out an All Terrain Scout Transport.

[–]TiberiusSmirk 56 points57 points  (18 children)

I mean, in the Empire's defense, nobody could have seen that one coming.

[–]albygeorge 58 points59 points  (2 children)

More like intelligent and hyper.

[–]menace64 50 points51 points  (11 children)

They had invented flight in their early Stone Age. So, yes, hyper-intelligent.

[–]MagicSPA 47 points48 points  (3 children)

They also occasionally strangled themselves on bolas. So the jury's still out on hyper-intelligent.

[–][deleted] 66 points67 points  (20 children)

i loved the ewoks.

[–]pdmcmahon 26 points27 points  (9 children)

When I was a kid I named my dog Ewok.

[–]Skeeders 17 points18 points  (5 children)

Enough people liked them to have the Ewoks universe exanded into spin-offs. I loved the Ewok movies.

[–][deleted]  (3 children)

[deleted]

    [–]ArrrGaming 73 points74 points  (14 children)

    I remember there being derision towards the ewoks, but never Chewbacca, and I saw Star Wars in a movie theater the day it was released. What chewie hate was this?

    [–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (7 children)

    Some critics, including Roger Ebert, have expressed confusion over the Chewbacca character's role in the films, as he has almost zero bearing on the plot.

    [–][deleted] 85 points86 points  (5 children)

    The one George Lucas imagined.

    [–]MagicSPA 23 points24 points  (11 children)

    I'll need a source on people hating Chewie back then the same way they still hate Jar-Jar now.

    I'm pretty sure Lucas didn't get so much hate for Chewie that he increasingly dialed back his screen-time as the series continued, like he did with our friend Mr. Binks.

    [–]nowrongwrong 22 points23 points  (1 child)

    I'm pretty sure any Star Wars fan on the planet would dress up as a giant floating space turd if it meant getting to be cast in an actual Star Wars film.

    [–]tacothecat 31 points32 points  (1 child)

    Do you often find yourself slipping back into Jar Jar's speech pattern?

    [–]NoddysShardblade 38 points39 points  (0 children)

    I like the fact that you said unintentional. I feels great to be a part of movie history regardless of how anyone feels about him.

    [–]Callate_La_Boca 48 points49 points  (0 children)

    Ok folks, that's all the time we got for questions

    [–]AshRandom 50 points51 points  (0 children)

    The only question anyone cares about.

    [–]bubbabubba345 143 points144 points  (16 children)

    I actually thought jar jar was pretty cool, but maybe that was in Lego Star Wars videogames

    [–]bestahmed[S] 247 points248 points  (8 children)

    me too.

    [–]alicization 21 points22 points  (1 child)

    He could jump the highest, could he not?

    [–]GreedE 130 points131 points  (4 children)

    Hmmm... yousa point is well seen.

    [–]VAGINA_EMPEROR 81 points82 points  (3 children)

    The hatred is still so strong that even reading that sentence, my immediate reaction is "Die!"

    [–]tupper93 341 points342 points  (38 children)

    Did you come up with Jar Jar's voice and speech patterns, or was that given to you by the writers? If the latter, what was that conversation like?

    [–]bestahmed[S] 488 points489 points  (37 children)

    It was all scripted. I just did the voice.

    [–][deleted]  (26 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]Sum_Bitch 119 points120 points  (0 children)

      Did you ever go up to George Lucas and ask "What the fuck?"

      [–][deleted]  (6 children)

      [removed]

        [–]swiley1983 82 points83 points  (5 children)

        Haha, yes it did:

        JAR JAR No...no! Mesa stay...Mesa yous humble servaunt.

        QUI-GON That wont be necessary.

        JAR JAR Oh boot tis! Tis demunded byda guds. Tis a live debett, tis. Mesa culled Jaja Binkss.

        [–]complex_reduction 95 points96 points  (0 children)

        Gee, thanks. Now I have eye cancer.

        [–]DarkeKnight 356 points357 points  (31 children)

        What's your favourite Star Wars movie?

        [–]bestahmed[S] 994 points995 points  (29 children)

        Empire Strikes Back

        [–]crovax33 682 points683 points  (25 children)

        This is the correct answer.

        [–][deleted] 202 points203 points  (12 children)

        The only answer, really. Unless you saw the Christmas special after taking Quaaludes or something.

        [–]Zeppelanoid 238 points239 points  (2 children)

        GET ERFFFF DERR PHERRNNNNN!!!

        [–][deleted] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

        I ain't dyin' sobah

        [–]FriendFoundAccount 68 points69 points  (2 children)

        steeeeeeeeev mahhhhdeeeeenn

        [–][deleted]  (1 child)

        [deleted]

          [–]DudeExclamationPoint 331 points332 points  (10 children)

          Hey Mr. Best- Dunno if you remember, but we met backstage at the first Star Wars Celebration convention (in Denver). At the time I had just been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease/juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and was wheelchair-bound during the convention. I know there's a lot of Jarjar hate out there, but behind that face was a real cordial guy who helped make that weekend something to remember for a lifetime. I've long since been in remission, but it's still a great memory to look back on. So I just wanted to say thanks, fifteen years later.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 340 points341 points  (6 children)

          Thanks my friend. you just made my day. Much love.

          [–]WritingContradiction 318 points319 points  (5 children)

          Meesa gon cry

          [–]victoctogon 5 points6 points  (0 children)

          this comment has me in tears!

          [–]IWriteScreenplays 300 points301 points  (35 children)

          Knowing what you know now about how your character in Star Wars would be received, by fans, critics, and the general public, would you still have said yes to taking on the role of Jar Jar Binks, and why?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 878 points879 points  (33 children)

          YUP! I'm a skinny kid from the Bronx. I'm not supposed to be alive let alone a pro artist. Opportunities like SW come once in a lifetime. Those are the ones you say yes to.

          [–]AbanoMex 414 points415 points  (29 children)

          that reminds me of a quote from Shaq about why he did Kazaam.

          "I was a medium-level juvenile delinquent from Newark who always dreamed about doing a movie. Someone said, 'Hey, here's $7 million, come in and do this genie movie.' What am I going to say, no? So I did it."

          [–]grizzlyking 371 points372 points  (14 children)

          Reminds me of Micheal Caine's quote about Jaws 4: "I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific."

          [–]boomhaeur 87 points88 points  (10 children)

          You can't help but read that in his voice...

          [–]toine55 74 points75 points  (11 children)

          I loved Kazaam...

          [–]tphantom1 81 points82 points  (0 children)

          if you got the itches for a sack of riches, don't matter how avaricious, I'm the man that can grant your wishes!

          HEY! don't turn your butt on me! I'm a man of the ages, straight out of the pages! hang on - I'm contagious, outrageous, spontaneous! You can't contain this. I AM KAZAAM!!!

          [–]Notanexpertinthis 38 points39 points  (5 children)

          This might be the first comment I've seen that truly deserved a confession bear.

          [–][deleted] 28 points29 points  (4 children)

          Kazaam was the shit. I'm guessing you were either born after 1992 or before 1982 if you don't appreciate its glory.

          [–][deleted] 63 points64 points  (2 children)

          I like that you have a healthy attitude about this.

          [–]Twitch92 64 points65 points  (3 children)

          Who was your favorite actor to work with in Star Wars, and why was it Ewan McGregor?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 55 points56 points  (2 children)

          I love them all. Most of my scenes were with Liam, but Ewan and Natalie and Liam were all wonderful.

          [–]Twitch92 8 points9 points  (0 children)

          Thank you I appreciate your answer : ) that's good to hear.

          [–]OwenWard 182 points183 points  (15 children)

          In the special features on the Episode I DVD, you seem to be full of enthusiasm and always in good spirits. What are some of your favourite fun moments you had making the movie?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 343 points344 points  (14 children)

          The submarine scene with me Liam and Ewan. We laughed through most of that. We were all very close, but Liam and I had a special thing when we were on screen together. I always thought we should do a buddy cop flick

          [–]pc14 195 points196 points  (2 children)

          Meesa gettin too old for dis shit

          [–]Nefer_Seti 248 points249 points  (8 children)

          Meesa has a skill set that is particu-lahr!

          [–]Wild_Marker[🍰] 250 points251 points  (7 children)

          Meesa will find youu!! And meesa will kill youu!!

          [–]bestahmed[S] 209 points210 points  (2 children)

          hahahahah. Bring it. I'm hard to kill

          [–]tyrannoforrest 15 points16 points  (0 children)

          I'll say, considering it took a blast from the Death Star blowing up an entire planet just to kill you in the Star Wars universe.

          [–]OwenWard 20 points21 points  (0 children)

          I would pay to see that!

          [–]JohnnyH104 160 points161 points  (13 children)

          Are there no Ahmed's better than you?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 292 points293 points  (12 children)

          I'm sure there are many. But not one with the birth right title of Best.

          [–]happy_guy23 198 points199 points  (37 children)

          I guess most questions will be on the same theme but...

          After filming Episode 1 and before it was released, how did you expect Jar Jar to be received? Did you manage to not take the hatred personally?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 676 points677 points  (36 children)

          No, it hurt a lot. You put your heart and soul in to something groundbreaking for two years and it gets slammed, that hurts. But It made me stronger. Cheesy answer, but it's true.

          [–]ggg730 430 points431 points  (7 children)

          Just so you know, the hatred isn't directed at you. Reading your answers leads me to believe you are a good dude. I might hate Jar Jar but you are the best Ahmed I know.

          [–]NoddysShardblade 132 points133 points  (0 children)

          "The character of Jar-jar was fine, it's just the actor who played him that made him so annoying" ...said no one ever.

          [–]TheRevMrGreen 34 points35 points  (1 child)

          One hundred percent correct. If it hadn't been you playing him, it would have been someone else. But there is only one man who was responsible for that hot mess.

          [–]disconnectivity 288 points289 points  (9 children)

          When I was in high school I took a photography class. Teacher asked us to go outside and takes a few shots that demonstrated contrast. We were working with black and white film. I took a shot of the corner of a brick wall, one side lit by the sun, the other in shadow, the edge right down the middle. When she critiqued our photos, i got an honorable mention as one of the photos she liked. But she said the reason she liked it was because she hated it. There was no subject, it was too perfectly aligned, and it was not in good focus. But as she explained it, something about the shot made her uneasy, and she couldn't quite explain why. She hated it, but it was provocative to her nonetheless. The last thing she said has stuck with me my whole life, "What else is art other than something that raises questions, something that makes your mind start to engage?".

          Jar Jar is a polarizing character, for sure, but he is also the most quoted, most immitated, and by far the most talked about character from those movies. Most of the other actors in those films were heavily criticized for wooden portrayals. No one can say that your performance was wooden. Binks was the life of an otherwise near lifeless party.

          I guess what I'm saying is, I think you nailed it my man. You created one of the most talked about and thought about characters on film from the last 20 years. Up top.

          [–]letsgocrazy 150 points151 points  (1 child)

          Your teacher taught you so hard we all just got educated.

          [–]chodeboi 7 points8 points  (0 children)

          I too am glad.

          [–]mattoly 56 points57 points  (2 children)

          You had a good teacher. She taught you not just technique but how to think. Good for her and good for you.

          [–]disconnectivity 22 points23 points  (1 child)

          Yeah, she was definitely one of those rare high school teachers, the ones who actually have faith that young people can understand complex thought. She treated us like adults, it was a revelation for a 17 year old.

          [–]nevaevaevaeva 58 points59 points  (1 child)

          I always got your back, you have to realize that the character Jar Jar wasn't really there (mostly animated) and to get such a strong reaction, (good or bad) people had to believe in the character whether they liked it or not. So I pat you on the back for making such a feeling evoking character from mostly animation.

          [–]Corpsman223 18 points19 points  (0 children)

          Great, honest answer. You will do fine here.

          [–][deleted] 90 points91 points  (27 children)

          So how did you end up being the actor for Jar Jar? Was there any competition for the role?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 353 points354 points  (26 children)

          I auditioned. Michael Jackson really wanted to do it but George picked me. Marinate on that one. I still am.

          [–][deleted] 84 points85 points  (22 children)

          MJ eh? That would be hilarious to imagine

          [–]Ernest_Frawde 226 points227 points  (19 children)

          [–]dannyboylee 212 points213 points  (9 children)

          "Ani are you okay?!"

          [–]jscoppe 30 points31 points  (0 children)

          Yousa been hit by
          Yousa been struck by

          [–]Age_Lessono 16 points17 points  (0 children)

          You just made my week

          [–]losjoo 41 points42 points  (6 children)

          Did I just see Jar Jar Jackson's penis?

          [–]Grizzly_Bits 45 points46 points  (3 children)

          Depends. We're you invited to his slumber party?

          [–]StevyJ 8 points9 points  (0 children)

          "Shamawn AnakiiiinAHHH"

          [–]davidkones 25 points26 points  (0 children)

          Me s-uh (does a spin move) wanna helllpp youuuuuuOOOOeeeewwweeeeWWWW!

          [–]ZombieLibrarian 28 points29 points  (0 children)

          I have to ask.....are you joking about Michael Jackson, or are you being serious?

          [–]idiot_nerd 155 points156 points  (7 children)

          How do you feel about all the people that found Jar Jar to be annoying?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 344 points345 points  (6 children)

          they all have a right to their opinions. Star Wars belongs to the fans as much as it does all of us who were in the movies.

          [–]ArtGoftheHunt 186 points187 points  (5 children)

          You need to explain that to George Lucas.

          [–]Fork_was_Taken 206 points207 points  (4 children)

          Disney did to the tune of 4.02 billion dollars.

          [–]Lowdownsound 23 points24 points  (0 children)

          That's a fine little diddy, too.

          [–]MySonsdram 251 points252 points  (7 children)

          You're a brave man coming here. What project that you worked on are you most proud of?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 208 points209 points  (5 children)

          Can't choose. I'm proud of all of them for different reasons.

          [–]happy_guy23 157 points158 points  (2 children)

          Are you sure it wasn't Rampart?

          [–]Damaso87 16 points17 points  (0 children)

          Pick one and tell us a little story about it!

          [–]CoreyVidal 299 points300 points  (11 children)

          Hey Mr. Best,

          I don't think you get nearly as much credit as you deserve, having played the first fully digital main character in film history. Without anywhere in filmmaking to look or research for previous experiences, how did you prepare for that kind of role when you were cast?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 331 points332 points  (5 children)

          Thanks my man. It was tough because the tech was being invented as I was doing it. A lot of the inspiration for Jar Jar was from Buster Keaton. George and I would watch a lot of Buster Keaton together and he would tell what he liked and what he wanted. The final battle scene in Phantom Menace is almost all Buster Keaton.

          [–]CoTripper 112 points113 points  (1 child)

          Somebody should have pointed out that Buster didn't speak.

          [–][deleted] 47 points48 points  (3 children)

          What is the difference from an actor's perspective between a digitally rendered character and a cartoon? The acting is the same.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 143 points144 points  (2 children)

          the difference would be performance. The animated cartoon is mostly realized by the animation artist. The CG Character is mostly realized by the actor, the animation artist then translates the actors performance in to animation.

          [–]Artvandelay1 71 points72 points  (29 children)

          As far as you know, did George Lucas ever consider making any changes to Jar-Jar Binks in light of the general negative reaction towards him?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 151 points152 points  (27 children)

          Not to the character, but to the story arc there were huge changes.

          [–]OwenWard 55 points56 points  (15 children)

          That's really interesting, could you elaborate on that by any chance?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 167 points168 points  (13 children)

          I think George wanted to give the fans what they wanted. That meant more lightsabers and less Gungans.

          [–][deleted] 182 points183 points  (8 children)

          Actually we wanted a good story, but whatever.

          [–]Artvandelay1 37 points38 points  (0 children)

          Shhhh.... George Lucas doesn't need any input, he knows what we want.

          [–]Rosenkrantz_ 67 points68 points  (4 children)

          What's your favorite dinosaur?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 103 points104 points  (3 children)

          Triceratops.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 91 points92 points  (0 children)

          Thanks everyone for all the questions comments and feedback. This was a blast. please follow on www.ahmedbest.com twitter @ahmedbest instagram @bestahmed blog at www.ahmedbest.com/blog-2 tumbler http://hespeakssowell.tumblr.com/

          Peace.

          [–]honnziva 74 points75 points  (0 children)

          Does this guy have the biggest balls for coming on here? Major kudos man, I wish you nothing but the best and future success

          [–]zachattack667 43 points44 points  (4 children)

          How is your day going so far?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 109 points110 points  (2 children)

          A bit hung over. Not enough coffee.

          [–]charl3magn3 67 points68 points  (1 child)

          I want to party with Jar Jar

          [–]iPodZombie 57 points58 points  (0 children)

          Weesa goin' ouuuut!

          [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

          After reading all our shit, it's probably not gonna go well.

          [–]GeorgeDouglasMcFly 99 points100 points  (1 child)

          STOMP blew my mind as a kid in New York, and I've been fascinated with it ever since. I was wondering about the collaborative process on the show. Since the ensemble has to work in such close harmony, was there an evolution to the bits when a new cast member joined? Or was it more static and everyone just had to keep up?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 83 points84 points  (0 children)

          STOMP was the best training I've ever had. Each person has a role and that role has a track that you follow. So new folks would learn each routine in the show following the role and track they were assigned. Some learned faster than others. in the beginning you have to hold on and keep up, but everyone catches up and flies really quickly.

          [–]JamesRenner 96 points97 points  (48 children)

          Have you had conversations with Abrams or anyone regarding Ep. 7?

          [–]sexymafratelli 20 points21 points  (2 children)

          Let's talk about your music. You're writing, producing, and I assume performing music in and around New York, yeah? What defines your personal style of performance, and do you have a musical crew that you run with (perform regularly?)

          [–]bestahmed[S] 29 points30 points  (1 child)

          My musical style is very influenced by soul music. I have a jazz background and a R&B foundation. But I have rock n roll stage performance attitude. But if it's honest and comes from the soul I'm in.

          [–]GreedE 89 points90 points  (12 children)

          Hi Mr Best! What was it like being directed by George Lucas, and how would you compare him to other directors you've worked with?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 152 points153 points  (11 children)

          George and I worked very well together. He has the movie in his head before he shoots so he's super smart and efficient. He's also one of the kindest most generous directorsI've worked with. He doesn't say much. He let's actors act.

          [–]GreedE 63 points64 points  (1 child)

          Thanks for the reply. Mesa your humble servant.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 154 points155 points  (0 children)

          Word.

          [–]MANCREEP 305 points306 points  (27 children)

          I thought you should know, I LIKED JAR JAR BINKS.

          Anakin was far more annoying than Jar Jar ever was.

          [–]i_crave_more_cowbell 215 points216 points  (4 children)

          But far more irritating than Anakin is sand; it's coarse and rough and it gets everywhere.

          [–]Kozyre 49 points50 points  (3 children)

          Not like here. Here everything is soft and smooth.

          [–]xtxylophone 12 points13 points  (2 children)

          strokes Jar Jar's head

          [–]crazedhatter 52 points53 points  (5 children)

          I agree actually, Anakin was far more annoying than Jar Jar.

          [–]Sibbo94 113 points114 points  (7 children)

          Hi Ahmed, I know that you probably get a load of flak for Jar Jar, but I want to say thanks for the last arc you had in the Clone Wars - the one with Mace Windu, it made Jar Jar seem like a character that cared about something rather than a supporting character.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 167 points168 points  (6 children)

          Thanks. Clone wars was something special. We had a great time doing those.

          [–][deleted] 18 points19 points  (4 children)

          I started watching Clone Wars a couple weeks ago, surprised by how good it is. Also found myself liking Jar Jar in it.

          [–]Danielrh9 31 points32 points  (7 children)

          How do you feel about the assertions that Jar Jar (and other alien characters in the Prequels) were racist caricatures? Additionally, what's your opinion on the "fan-edits" that gave Jar Jar an entirely alien language with subtitles to detract from the issue?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 78 points79 points  (6 children)

          The racism charge has no legs. There is no legit argument for it. P.S. I'm really good at debating racism and Jar Jar so please no takers you will be sonned. I love the fan edits. Star wars is as much the Fan's as it is ours. Be creative. I'm doing a sci-fi webshow called the Nebula and I will be encouraging fan edits.

          [–]infernoenigma 57 points58 points  (5 children)

          Aside from JarJar, which role are you proudest of / do you wish people knew you from instead?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 165 points166 points  (4 children)

          i'm probably most proud of STOMP. I was the lead in that show off and on for 10 years. That show felt tailor made for me. There would be no 'instead' for me. i love all the things I've done for their reasons.

          [–]StNic54 7 points8 points  (0 children)

          I got to see it - very cool, very innovative

          [–]Jah_Fooly 50 points51 points  (14 children)

          Did you get/Are you still getting royalties from any of the Jar Jar merchandise?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 75 points76 points  (2 children)

          nope.

          [–]letsgocrazy 15 points16 points  (0 children)

          Everyone knows - always ask for points on a Star Wars film!

          [–]Ineversawsixthsense 39 points40 points  (4 children)

          Do you ever bust out in your Jar-Jar voice at random times. Mostly to impress everyone around you and to be swarmed by fans?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 110 points111 points  (2 children)

          Not really. I will only do it for kids.

          [–]Ineversawsixthsense 17 points18 points  (0 children)

          That's awesome. I work a lot with kids and they are so easily entertained and have such amazing imaginations. I can imagine that you can completely make their day when you speak in that voice.

          [–]MrDorkESQ 10 points11 points  (1 child)

          Thanks for coming here Ahmed.

          I personally enjoyed your performance in the Star Wars franchise, maybe it is because I was 36 when Phantom Menace was released and realized that it was just a friggin movie. People who have that much hate over a work of fiction and can't appreciate the amount of work that went into it need to get over it, or watch Gigli and see if they still have so much hate for episodes 1-3. :o)

          I was wondering did you do any of the touring shows with Stomp? If so, how is life on the road with a touring company?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

          I did. I love the road. it's tough when you're away from home for months at a time, but i love new places and people.

          [–]juicycunts 11 points12 points  (1 child)

          Monsters out there, leaking in here. Weesa all sinking and no power. Whena yousa thinking we are in trouble?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

          hahaha. favorite scene.

          [–]cbwatts1138 10 points11 points  (1 child)

          How did your cameo in Attack of the Clones in the nightclub scene happen? Did you ask for it or did they ask you to do it?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

          Anthony Daniels. (C3PO) he made it happen.

          [–]Johnny_Welfare 29 points30 points  (8 children)

          Before the first film came out, did you expect to have a larger role in Episodes II and III? Your time in both sequels was seriously condensed.

          Also, in the summer of 1999 me and my friends drank an unhealthy amount of Pepsi and Mountain Dew in an attempt to find a can with Jar Jar on it. Just saying.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 62 points63 points  (2 children)

          I've come to learn that you have to role with the punches when it comes to scripts and sequels. I'm a fan of working and the less work there is for me on the page the harder it is for me. I have a can if you want one. it's not cheap though ;-)

          [–]flooid 47 points48 points  (1 child)

          Ahmed - no questions, but just popped in to drop that we were in band together. CHS represent!!

          [–]medcur 65 points66 points  (1 child)

          I found Jar Jar funny and didn't have a problem with him at all so I wondered what your take is on why there was so much opposition to him.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 77 points78 points  (0 children)

          Everyone has their reasons. I'm glad you liked him.

          [–]deejayfourex 18 points19 points  (5 children)

          you did voice work for jar jar on several star wars video games. which was your favorite to work on? to play? have you considered doing VG voice work for non-jar jar parts?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 56 points57 points  (4 children)

          CLone wars and RObot Chicken were my favorites. I do a lot of VO work.

          [–]Diraga 11 points12 points  (2 children)

          I loved the Jar Jar bits in Robot Chicken!

          [–]darkjungle 7 points8 points  (0 children)

          Wessa can be together for ever and ever.

          [–]Kknowsbest 15 points16 points  (2 children)

          If they made a movie about your lIfe, who would play you (other than yourself)?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 66 points67 points  (1 child)

          Zoe Saldana. She gets everything.

          [–][deleted] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

          She can be the bad guy in your Liam Neeson buddy cop movie

          [–]AdamBertocci-Writer 7 points8 points  (2 children)

          Do you keep up with the technology and technique behind making digital / motion-capture characters that Jar Jar paved the way for? It really is amazing how quickly it went from groundbreaking technology to the going thing!

          [–]bestahmed[S] 13 points14 points  (1 child)

          I do. Andy Serkis is really moving everything forward. Imaginarium in London is rocking the house.

          [–]YiPlandar 7 points8 points  (1 child)

          Mr. Best! I hear you are a jiujitsu bad ass. How and why did you get involved with this most noble of martial arts?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

          I've been doing martial arts since I was very young. I've done many of them. As I got older i was tired of hitting and being hit. I also love wearing a GI. I found john Machado and machado BJJ and immediately felt at home. Been with John for 10 years now. i love BJJ. It's a part of me.

          [–]AlmostPerfekt 21 points22 points  (3 children)

          How were you dressed when shooting the scenes? I always thought that jar jar was 100% cgi and they just added him into the scenes after shooting. Did you just record the voice for jar jar or were you actually in the scenes? Also a video of you in front of a camera doing jar jars voice would be amazing to see! Thank you for your time!! (From someone who actually loved jar jar binks)

          [–]bestahmed[S] 55 points56 points  (2 children)

          thanks for the love. I was dressed like the character then the CGi was added over my movements. by ep 2 they figured a lot of stuff out so my Jar Jar 'skin' was less by 2 and 3. I was in every scene Jar Jar was in.

          [–]StNic54 19 points20 points  (1 child)

          Hi Ahmed, and thank you for doing this AMA. What project(s) do you have that you'd like to talk about?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

          Doing a bunch of stuff. Mostly Web. Best thing to do is Check my website, www.ahmedbest.com. most of my work will be there I also write regularly on my blog. I have a webshow called 2blackdudes that's out soon that's very funny, and a scifi comedy called th NEBULA out soon.

          [–]strongbadpenis 15 points16 points  (1 child)

          Ahmed. I frikkin worshipped you when I was 9. I've always wanted to be a voice actor, and I always loved Jar Jar, despite the hate. Thanks for workin so hard.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

          thank you

          [–]Frajer 28 points29 points  (35 children)

          Have you found Jar Jar Binks enthusiasts?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 99 points100 points  (29 children)

          Many. contrary to popular belief there are more enthusiasts than non-enthusiasts. But, I appreciate all. I don't discriminate.

          [–]tsularesque 6 points7 points  (2 children)

          I've heard that Ewan Macgregor made lightsaber noises while filming the scenes where he's using that kickass weapon.

          Did you, or any of the cast, feel tempted to fill in your own effects or anything similar? I could imagine just being on the set of Star Wars would make it tempting.

          [–]bestahmed[S] 11 points12 points  (1 child)

          He did. we all did sound effects on set. it was fun.

          [–]Sterculius 25 points26 points  (5 children)

          Was there any sense on-set during the prequels, particularly during filming of Episode 1 that it might not be up to the audience's expectations as it now has a reputation for, much in the same way that there was famously a lot of ridicule from the cast and crew during the filming of A New Hope? Or was everyone generally happy with the job they were doing and just excited to be apart of Star Wars?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 78 points79 points  (3 children)

          Happy and excited. We were doing Star Wars!

          [–]johnnason 35 points36 points  (1 child)

          Hi! Thanks for doing this AMA.

          What is your personal opinion of the Star Wars prequels? Were you a Star Wars fan before signing onto them?

          [–]bestahmed[S] 72 points73 points  (0 children)

          I was a huge Fan! First movie I ever laid eyes on was SW A New Hope. So I grew up with it. I am biased to the prequels, so I love them.