Rami Malek thinks Freddie Mercury was a "revolutionary".
The 37-year-old actor plays the late singer in the Bryan Singer-directed drama ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and Rami has revealed his admiration of the Queen star, who died in 1991 from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.
He said: "Freddie Mercury defied every obstacle, every stereotype, every convention to become the man he wanted to be. And he inspired other people to become their most authentic selves. I consider him a revolutionary.
"It’s very difficult to be gay or bisexual in the Zoroastrian culture that he came from. It’s inconceivable, in fact. To have that sense of conflict and yet to have an ownership of himself to say, ‘F**k off?’ "
Despite starring in the much-hyped new movie, Rami actually spent years trying to establish himself in Hollywood and didn’t land his first paid role until he was 22.
But Rami feels that landing a small part on ‘Gilmore Girls’ in 2004 has proven to be a career-shaping moment.
He told The Irish Times newspaper: "People say to me, don’t ever change, but this has been a very slow burn.
"My first play was at 14. My first paid job was at 22. If my head was going to turn, it would have turned by now. I kept stuffing envelopes with my headshot and resume. I took them everywhere and if anybody looked in any way producorial, they were getting one in a delivery bag or a pizza box."
But Rami recalled how his role on the comedy-drama series changed his outlook on life.
He said: "I was still bussing tables when I got my first cheque. And I looked at it and thought: maybe I don’t have to shine 200 pieces of cutlery every night."
Rami Malek hails Freddie Mercury as a ‘revolutionary’
