One of our new favorite actors premiered his film Bohemian Rhapsody in Mid-September at a prestigious hotel in Paris.
Bohemian Rhapsody film depicts the life of the legendary Freddie Mercury from the very beginning. A boy who was an immigrant bullied as child in the United Kingdom, who discovered his artistic talent, fell in love, and became part of an international band Queen, all whilst battling his own personal issues.
Even though the end of Freddie’s life might have been dramatic and unpleasant due to his fatal HIV disease, the film (and the singer’s biography), beams with positive and inspirational lessons. After all, Mercury will always be the man behind the anthem of hope “We are the champions.”
The screening was followed by a Q&A session where the very talented Malek (who is of Egyptian origins) was ready to discuss the process behind filming and portraying the character of an icon of his generation, Mr. Freddie Mercury.
How special is the song Bohemian Rhapsody to you?
I love this song! I think all of us in the cast agree collectively that it's our all time favorite piece. Another one I love is Don’t stop me now, and I was begging the writers to put in the film.
How long did it take you to prepare for Freddie's character?
I was told that this is my role almost two years ago, but I never quiet believed it because there was no studio involved and the lead actor was easily changeable. So I had two options either to prepare in advance or wait, but I decided to fly myself to London and started singing and piano lessons and choreography. I think my enthusiasm might have encouraged something to get the ball rolling, and this paid off because I felt confident when we officially started the project.
How did you immerse yourself in the 80s era?
I think our costumes played a strong role in the transformation. I have never worn costumes like that before as they required a lot of time during the fitting process. I remember spending countless hours in hair and makeup and I got to spend a lot of time being Freddie behind the scenes.
Which part of Freddie's life did you enjoy playing the most?
I liked all of them, there was not one side to Freddie because it's not so black or white. He is all at once and many things, a rich complicated being with a lot of deepness. But to be honest, being on stage as Freddie is the most fun you can have
What was it like working with Bryan Singer as a director?
It was nice to have Bryan present there from the very beginning and giving us support. I remember during my casting he started to smile and nod and that meant a lot to me.
There was some criticism that the HIV and the homosexuality aspects were not approached enough, what are your thoughts about it?
It was a hype from an article published months ago, the film was judged from a 1-minute teaser. Clearly we didn't make the movie to focus on the sad chapter, it was rather a celebration of Freddie as we gently and elegantly touched on these subjects.