• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Michael Jackson wanted to play Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

July 24, 2015 by Luke Owen

Well, that was a headline I never thought I would write.

While it does sound like something you would read in a trashy tabloid, this is a story that has come from the mouth of Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. In an interview with Vice, the actor revealed details about some comments he made on a Reddit AMA last year about the King of Pop being in line for the role of the hated Star Wars character.

“That’s what George told me,” the actor said of Michael Jackson’s proposed casting. “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. My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don’t think he wanted that.”

Jar Jar Binks is perhaps the most hated character in the Star Wars universe, but that hasn’t bothered Best. “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,” he added. “I can’t take that personally.”

Would you have liked to have seen The King of Pop as Jar Jar Binks?

Originally published July 24, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.

Filed Under: Luke Owen, Movies, News Tagged With: Ahmed Best, Michael Jackson, Star Wars, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Robin of Sherwood: Still the quintessential take on the Robin Hood legend

9 Characters (And Their Roles) We Need In Marvel Rivals

How Will Quentin Tarantino Bow Out?

7 Great Body Switch Movies You Might Have Missed

The Bourne Difference: The Major Book vs Movie Changes

Die Hard on a Shoestring: The Low Budget Die Hard Clones

Peeping Tom: A Voyeuristic Masterpiece of the Slasher Subgenre

10 Great Movies About Making Movies

The Essential Man vs. AI Movies

The Craziest Takashi Miike Movies

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

Top Stories:

Movie Review – The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025)

Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow will soar in 2027

Movie Review – The Long Walk (2025)

Comic Book Review – Star Trek: Voyager – Homecoming #1

The Essential Indiana Jones Rip Off Movies of the 1980s

Movie Review – Honey Don’t! (2025)

7 Great 90s Thrillers From First-Time Directors

Movie Review – The Cut (2025)

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

Ranking Bad E.T. Rip-Offs From Worst to Watchable

The Films Quentin Tarantino Wrote But Didn’t Direct

10 Essential Action Movies from 2005

Essential Gothic Horror Movies To Scare You Senseless

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket