Michael Jackson was the “King of Pop.” But he nearly became the King of Acting Flops. The singer reportedly told Star Wars mastermind George Lucas that he wanted to play goofy Gungan Jar Jar Binks, one of the most despised characters in film history, in the franchise’s 1999 blockbuster, Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Ahmed Best, who voiced and provided motion capture for the Binks character, explained Jackson’s interest in an interview with Vice.
The casting probably worked out better for Jackson in the long run: Jar Jar was panned by critics after Phantom Menace hit theaters, inspiring fan vitriol that hasn’t dimmed 16 years later.
