Throwback: When Rami Malek Revealed His Immigrant Roots Helped Him Transform Into Freddie Mercury For Bohemian Rhapsody
Rami Malek once claimed that growing up, he never imagined he would have the opportunity to play a major role since the characters on TV did not look like him.
The actor, who gained popularity on the television series Mr Robot, revealed that because of his immigrant background, he was able to relate to Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie that helped him win his first Best Actor Oscar.
Mercury, whose true name was Farrokh Bulsara, was a Parsi who was raised in India before moving to Britain with his family, whereas Malek’s family hails from Egypt.
Malek added, “I grew up in a world where I never thought I was going to play the lead on ‘Mr Robot’ because I never saw anyone in a lead role that looked like me. I never thought that I could possibly play Freddie Mercury until I realised his name was Farrokh Bulsara, and that is the most powerful message that was sent to me from the beginning.”
The 37-year-old actor stated that upon learning of Mercury’s immigration background, he came to the realization that the legendary rock artist had experienced identity struggles similar to his own.
Malek added, “He was having trouble identifying himself. He was able to declare, “Hey, I see you,” to everyone because of all of the goodness, passion, and fire that burned inside of him. It is not about belonging to a certain place, race, or appearance. anything at all. All of us are human. And pardon me for saying this, but together, we are all the winners.”
Rami Malek was born in Torrance, California, to parents Said Malek and Nelly Abdel-Malek, who immigrated from Egypt. In 1978, his father, who worked as a tour guide and travel agent, developed a keen interest in Western tourists, leading the family, including Rami’s older sister, to leave Cairo. They settled in the San Fernando Valley after relocating to Sherman Oaks.
Bohemian Rhapsody was brought to life by producer Jim Beach, who manages both Graham King and Queen, and was directed by Bryan Singer, based on a screenplay by Anthony McCarten. The film features supporting roles from Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Tom Hollander, and Mike Myers.
British singer and composer Freddie Mercury was born to Parsi-Indian parents. Throughout his career, the frontman of Queen experimented with rock, pop, and opera, producing some very classic vocal performances.
He went on to become one of the best singers in rock history, scoring singles such as Radio Ga Ga, The Great Pretender, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Freddie Mercury, a colorful character, passed away from HIV in 1991.
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