Star Wars Actor Ahmed Best Stands with Amandla Stenberg Amid The Acolyte’s Cancellation
Last week brought the news that Disney+ and Lucasfilm decided not to renew ‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ for a second season. The show, which had a mix of strong supporters and detractors, saw some ‘Star Wars’ enthusiasts actively hoping for its failure. In fact, some even mistakenly targeted another show with the same name on Rotten Tomatoes in their efforts to bring down its ratings.
This week, Amandla Stenberg, a star from ‘The Acolyte,’ spoke up on social media about the cancellation. Stenberg addressed the ‘bigotry and vitriol, prejudice, hatred, and hateful language’ that the cast faced. Unfortunately, this kind of negative reaction is not new to the ‘Star Wars’ community.
Ahmed Best, known for his role as Jar Jar Binks in ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,’ also experienced severe backlash from fans which took a significant emotional toll on him. This backlash led him to consider suicide at one point. Today, Best is showing his support for Stenberg, sharing a message of solidarity on Instagram. His post said, ‘I will always stand in solidarity for artists who give 110% to their work and art. Keep shining queen @amandlastenberg.’
Earlier this year, during the grand opening of Bricks and Minifigs in Pasadena, California, ComicBook caught up with Best. He talked about the political layers within the ‘Star Wars’ films, especially during their releases under the George W. Bush administration. Best highlighted that the dialogue and conflicts within the movies, like Anakin’s line in ‘Sith,’ ‘You’re either with us or against us,’ directly reflect the political climate of the early 2000s.
Best also emphasized the broader implications of the ‘Star Wars’ saga. He stated, ‘All of these movies have very strong political undertones. There is a reason why there is a light and a dark and a journey between them.’ He believes that these stories are not just set ‘in a galaxy far, far away, a long time ago’ but are reflections of our historical cycles.
On a final note, Best expressed that ‘Star Wars’ is more than entertainment; it’s a mythology from which we can learn. He hopes that fans see it as an opportunity to reflect on our nature and aspirations, suggesting, ‘And if there is anything that this May the 4th day should bring to us all, it is the idea that we can actually build these universes and be these people that we want to be, and make the feeling of the Force something real, and something that could move us to be better as human beings.’
It’s clear that the legacy of ‘Star Wars’ continues to be a powerful force both in the world of entertainment and beyond, stirring conversations about culture, politics, and personal growth.
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