Jar Jar Binks. Invoke the name to any hardcore Star Wars fan and then step back to see the explosion. No one is neutral. The actor who brought the goofy Gungan character to life, Ahmed Best, had a number of highs and lows attached to his role. Opinions on the character ran hot after his Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace debut 25 years ago.

Ahmed Best, who unwittingly portrayed the most reviled "Star Wars" character ever, is finally speaking up — and defending himself.

Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best opened up about how the backlash he received for Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace kept him from wanting to work for years following the 1999 release. In a conversation with People in honor of the 25th anniversary of the first installment in the Star Wars prequels,

In a wide-ranging interview with PEOPLE, Ahmed Best looks back on the making of 'The Phantom Menace' for its 25th anniversary

Recalling the huge backlash he got over his portrayal of the clumsy alien, Ahmed Best says he was frozen out of Hollywood amid the hate he got for how he played Jar Jar Binks in ‘Star Wars: Episode I’.

Even though to most, Jar Jar represents an annoying comic relief side character, to Ahmed Best, the character paved the way for modern entertainment. Hear him out, this makes sense!! Best told The New York Times that “Jar Jar represents the possibility that whatever you got in your head,