Actor who played Jar Jar Binks reveals backlash made him consider suicide

He played one of the most mocked characters in cinema history – and now, almost 20 years later, Ahmed Best admits that the reaction he felt after playing Jar Jar Binks in the film Star Wars the prequels led him to consider suicide.

In an emotional tweet posted Tuesday, Best, 44, opened up about one of his darkest days by sharing a photo of himself with his son, revisiting the place where he contemplated suicide.

The actor did not name the Star Wars films explicitly, but his first major film role (as Jar Jar in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace) was released 19 years ago, in 1999.

“The next year, for 20 years, I faced a media backlash that still affects my career today,” Best tweeted, captioning a photo of him and his son looking out on a bridge.

“This is where I almost ended my life,” he continued. “It’s still difficult to talk about it. I survived and now this little guy is my gift to survival.

Last July, Best opened up about how he managed to overcome the public’s negative reaction to Jar Jar.

Many had criticized the character for being too caricatured, slamming Star Wars creator George Lucas for inserting him into the story just to sell toys. Sites like JarJarMustDie.com were launched, while fan forums spent years mocking the character.

At the time, Best was only 25 years old. “I received death threats on the Internet,” he said. Wired. “I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘You destroyed my childhood.’ That’s hard for a 25-year-old to hear.”

“There were a lot of tears, there was a lot of pain, there were a lot of things that I had to deal with,” Best added. “Everyone kept going. Everyone worked. Everyone was accepted by the times.

RELATED VIDEO: Can You Guess Lupita Nyong’o’s Favorite Character in Star Wars Franchise?

As difficult as it was, Best remained true to character. He reprized it in a few of the franchise’s animated shows, including The Clone Wars. And he continued to produce On site with Ahmed Besta series on starwars.com in which he chats with various members of the cast and crew.

“There are so many levels to Jar Jar that people didn’t watch because everyone was ready to be angry,” Best said. Wired while thinking about the character. “There’s a heart to Jar Jar that people don’t really understand.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).