It is good to be Rami Malek right now. The actor was the lead in Bohemian Rhapsody, one of 2018’s most successful films, for which he won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his performance as Freddie Mercury. On top of that he’s dating his gorgeous co-star. Yet, he might never have gotten the role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody if it weren’t for his breakout role in USA’s Mr. Robot. According to Rami Malek:
This seemed to propel me into a different space. I wouldn't have gotten the role of Freddie Murphy in Bohemian Rhapsody if it wasn't for this show. [I] probably wouldn't have had the type of success I'm seeing in my career right now, so I'm so fortunate to this show, especially for giving me this platform, giving me one of the greatest characters that I could ever play, anyone could ever play.
It’s impossible to know for sure what would have happened, but at least as far as Rami Malek is concerned, his current career success, epitomized by Bohemian Rhapsody, is attributable to his role as Elliot Alderson on Mr. Robot. As he told ET, Sam Esmail’s mind-bending show gave him visibility and a compelling character with whom he could show the world what he was capable of.
Prior to Mr. Robot, Rami Malek had plenty of credits to his name, but he himself wasn’t an established name by any stretch. His roles were mostly on TV shows and his biggest film credits were in the Night at the Museum movies, as well as taking roles in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 and in smaller films like The Master and Short Term 12. Mr. Robot was Rami Malek’s first big starring role and it put him on the map in a way he wasn’t before.
Mr. Robot was a huge hit in its first season and was watercooler TV that had people talking. Rami Malek’s work on the show got people’s attention and it is possible that his presence in a buzzed about TV show put him on the right people’s radar. He believes that eventually snowballed into him landing the role of Freddie Mercury, a role that has changed his life. Sometimes all it takes is that breakthrough performance to get the ball rolling.
Rami Malek’s newfound success isn’t just limited to Bohemian Rhapsody and his award-winning performance as Freddie Mercury; the actor, now a name with a golden statue attached to it, is carrying that good fortune forward. Next year he joins a star-studded voice cast as Chee-Chee, opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s John Doolittle in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle.
The actor also joins one of cinema’s most storied franchises as the villain in the as yet unnamed Bond 25. As Bohemian Rhapsody propels his career into the theatrical realm, Rami Malek will return one last time to the role of Elliot Alderson, to which he credits so much of his success, when Mr. Robot airs its fourth and final season later this year on USA. And of course, there's always the off-chance Bohemian Rhapsody could get a sequel.
We’ll keep you updated on what Rami Malek is working on next and in the meantime, check out our 2019 release schedule to gear up for all of this summer’s biggest movies.
