It’s easy to see why Liam Neeson was hurt by the treatment of Ahmed Best following the “Phantom Menace” premiere. Not only was Best just doing his job as an actor, but he helped change the course of film history as the first motion-captured character to star alongside live-action actors. Fortunately, fans who grew up with the prequels have come to embrace the actor as a beloved figure within the franchise, leading to his return in later Star Wars media.
Most notably, he appeared in “The Mandalorian” Season 3 as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, who skillfully protects Grogu during the Order 66 attack. Best created the character for the 2020 YouTube game series “Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge.” When “Mandalorian” producers Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Rick Famuyiwa approached Best about bringing Kelleran to the hit Disney+ series, he was initially hesitant. “Honestly, I had to think about it,” the actor told StarWars.com. “I’ve been in the Star Wars world for such a long time, and my story is such a rollercoaster ride of emotions. So coming back to Star Wars wasn’t an easy decision for me. It wasn’t something I could have immediately said yes to.”
Not wanting to make his comeback bigger than the mythology at hand, Best’s worries were alleviated thanks to the show’s supportive team, adding, “I was still nervous, but it was really Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and being with them, that made me want to come back.” Despite what even the harshest critics threw at him, the Force has always been with Best, and fans anticipate his positive future within the Star Wars saga.
