18 Things You Probably Didn't Know About 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Star Rami Malek
From playing a cute pharaoh to the legendary Freddie Mercury, the Egyptian actor has come a long way.
By Samantha Khor — 15 Nov 2018, 07:52 PM
It was the year 2006. In one of cinema's most dramatic reveals, a creepy mummy in Night at the Museum ripped off its dusty ol' bandages to reveal... this cutie patootie:
That guy is Rami Malek.
Fast forward to today, the 37-year-old actor is generating serious Oscar buzz for absolutely nailing his portrayal of legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Now that the whole world knows what I've known all along (that he's amazing and should be protected at all costs), here's a starter course for you to get to know the Egyptian actor:
1. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Rami Said Malek is a first generation American of Egyptian (and "one-eighth Greek") ancestry
Rami's late father, who was a tour guide in Cairo before immigrating to the US, went door-to-door selling insurance while his mother worked as an accountant.
In an interview with The National, Rami revealed that his parents did not want him to become an actor, preferring that he pursue a career in law or medicine instead to "achieve a good financial and social status".
"But because I am crazy and stubborn, as they would say, I chose to study fine arts and theatre," he said.
Here's Rami with his mother at the 2016 Golden Globes:
2. He has a twin brother named Sami
Yep, there are two of them. And yes, they've definitely gotten up to some double trouble hijinks in their youth.
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Rami said he once pretended to be his brother - who is four minutes younger - when the latter had to perform a Greek monologue for the extra credit he needed to graduate. In case you're wondering, they got away with it. :p
Rami also has an older sister who is an ER doctor in Washington DC.
3. He grew up speaking Arabic
In fact, Rami spoke Arabic at home until the age of four, although he is no longer as fluent in his first language. If you're wondering how he sounds speaking Arabic, here's a video:
5. Rami struggled to book acting gigs when he first started out in Hollywood, so he picked up part-time jobs delivering pizza and making shawarma and falafel sandwiches
Rami's also worked his first summer job as a caterer's assistant... in which he served a bunch of doctors lasagna he'd scooped up off the hospital floor after dropping one of the trays, according to a dubiously crazy story he told Jimmy Fallon.
6. He landed his first ever acting gig in 2004 as a guest star in hit TV show Gilmore Girls
Amongst other TV appearances, Rami also had a recurring role in the eighth season of 24 as a suicide bomber in 2010.
In the same year, the young actor received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Corporal Merriell "Snafu" Shelton on The Pacific, a World War II mini-series co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
Rami Malek (left) in The Pacific, filming a scene with co-star Joe Mazello (right), who also plays Queen bassist John Deacon in 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
Image via HBO / The Boston Globe7. Rami hit the big leagues when he was cast as the lead of critically-acclaimed TV show Mr. Robot, which he won an Emmy for in 2016
The actor became the first non-white actor in 18 years to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, beating top names like House of Cards' Kevin Spacey and Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk.
His performance as Elliot Alderson also earned him a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series as well as nominations for a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Just for kicks, here's a GIF of Rami doing the robot dance:
8. You've probably seen him as an Egyptian vampire in the very popular YA adaptation The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
He has also appeared in movies you might be familiar with, like 2011's Larry Crowne (alongside Tom Hanks), 2012's Battleship (starring Liam Neeson), 2014's Need for Speed, and the 2017 remake of Papillon.
9. Or maybe you've seen (and heard) him as an animated character in the PS4 horror game Until Dawn
Rami has also lent his voice to Tahno in Legend of Korra and voiced recurring character Flip McVicker in BoJack Horseman.
11. If you think he looks like pop star Bruno Mars, you're definitely not alone. In fact, Rami himself is well aware of his celebrity doppelgänger:
15. The smol bean once ignored an e-mail from Robert Downey Jr. because he thought someone was just messing with him
16. He kept his Freddie Mercury dentures from Bohemian Rhapsody... and had it cast in gold
17. He doesn’t really have much of a social media presence, although you can follow him on Twitter (for occasional updates) and Instagram (for annual selfies)
18. So, what's next for Rami?
In addition to making his final appearance as Elliot in the final season of Mr. Robot, he will also be voicing a gorilla named Chee-Chee in The Voyage of Doctor Doolittle, starring RDJ in the titular role.
Catch Rami Malek as legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, currently playing in cinemas nationwide
If you've already seen the movie, here's why some parts may have seemed confusing or jarring to you:
