Patience, determination and a dose of star quality have propelled Oscar-winning Rami Malek to the pinnacle of his profession
AIR
WORDS: ALICE VINCENT
T
he film Bohemian Rhapsody was so challenging, so overdue, in its birth that it’s quite surprising it ever made it to the silver screen at all. With respect to securing the new prominence of its star, Rami Malek, the movie (a foot-stomping bio based on British rock champions Queen) was well worth the wait. Egyptian-American actor Malek wore fake teeth and a liberal cloak of “darlings” to portray Freddie Mercury – and awards judges have gone gaga. A Best Actor gong from BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) was followed by the most coveted prize of all – Best Actor recognition, at the 91st Academy Awards in February. Malek will be particularly well-known to a British audience, but probably only those who’ve found themselves bingeing on Mr Robot, the Amazon Prime-distributed cyberthriller that made Malek so famous in his native America that he came up with a quip for the strangers who repeatedly asked him,
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