Michael Jackson wanted to play Jar Jar Binks in ‘Star Wars’.
Jar Jar Binks may go down in history as the most hated character in the Star Wars universe, but it could have all been so different, if Michael Jackson got the role he always wanted.
In an interview with Vice, Ahmed Best, the man who voiced Jar Jar in Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, revealed that George Lucas had told him Jackson was keen on the part and wanted to do it in prosthetics and make up.
“That’s what George told me,” he said. “Me, Natalie Portman, and George’s kids – we were at Wembley Arena at Michael Jackson’s concert. We were taken backstage and we met Michael. There was Michael and Lisa Marie [Presley]. George introduced me as ‘Jar Jar’ and I was like, ‘That’s kind of weird.’ Michael was like, ‘Oh. OK.’ I thought, ‘What is going on?’ After Michael had driven off, we all go back up to a big afterparty. I’m having a drink with George and I said, ‘Why did you introduce me as Jar Jar?”’He said, ‘Well, Michael wanted to do the part but he wanted to do it in prosthetics and makeup like Thriller.’ George wanted to do it in CGI.”
Best added: “My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don’t think he wanted that.”
Even though Ahmed Best knows that millions of people hate Jar Jar Binks, it doesn’t really bother him. “At the end of the day, it is the movie business, and if the character doesn’t work for the people who watch the movie then the character doesn’t work. I can’t take that personally.”
