Yep, you heard right – Michael Jackson was originally up for the role of annoying, lanky space goof, Jar Jar Binks.
After first appearing in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in 1999, the seven-foot-tall Gungan was almost immediately greeted with a barrage of hate.
Now the actor that played Binks, Ahmed Best, has revealed that the King of Pop wanted to play the role himself.
He told Vice:
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.
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.
I can’t help think that Jar Jar Binks with Michael Jackson’s voice could have been one of the weirdest/funniest things to ever grace the silver screen. I can’t stop picturing it. It’s amazing.
But I guess we’ll never know. ‘I’m Jar Jar Binks, shamon, HEE HEE!’
