“They handed me a lightsaber”: Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni Were in on Giving One Horribly Overhated Star Wars Legend His Time to Shine
Ahmed Best revealed how Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni eased his nervousness about his epic Star Wars return in The Mandalorian.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni launched a new era of the Star Wars universe with The Mandalorian, the first live-action series in the franchise. The series also introduced several new elements that have become fan-favorite additions to the galaxy far, far away. One of these additions is the introduction of Jedi Knight, Kelleran Beq.
The fourth episode of season 3 revealed how Beq was responsible for saving Grogu from the Jedi purge. Moreover, the episode also saw the reintroduction of actor Ahmed Best into the franchise, following the unnecessary hate he received for playing Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy. Best was grateful to Favreau and Filoni for making him shine on his return and here is what he had to say.
Ahmed Best Revealed How Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni Made Him Shine on His Star Wars Return
Actor Ahmed Best was heavily criticized for his role as Jar Jar Binks in George Lucas’ prequel trilogy of Star Wars movies. After receiving hate for years, Best got to redeem himself among the fanbase when he played Kelleran Beq in the third season of The Mandalorian.
During an interview with the official Star Wars website, Best broke down his return to the galaxy far, far away and credited Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni for making it possible. He 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.
Best explained that it wasn’t until he attended a costume test and Favreau and Filoni saw him in the Jedi robes for the first time, that he was convinced about his return to the space opera saga.
Furthermore, Best did not want his return to overshadow the overall story, which made him skeptical about accepting the role. However, the actor stated that spending time with Favreau and Filoni eased his nervousness and the duo handing him a lightsaber proved that his return would be a spectacular moment.
Ahmed Best Talked About the Most Exciting Part of His Star Wars Return
In the same interview, Best also discussed the most exciting aspect of returning to the space opera franchise. Best revealed that he was excited to wield a lightsaber during his portrayal of Beq, primarily because he always wanted to be in a fight scene with the weapon.
I’ve always, always, always wanted to do a lightsaber fight. And even in this one, it’s just like, one-tenth of one percent of what I can do. But I was like, let me get it out there!
Best made the above statement, expressing his eagerness to be a part of a lightsaber duel, which is one of the franchise’s most popular elements.
Irrespective of the hate he received during the prequels, Best added that he remained proud of his time in the galaxy far, far away. The actor noted that the franchise had since expanded into different mediums allowing for new storytelling opportunities. Hence, he hoped that his return would mark a new beginning for his association with the franchise.
