His deep, slightly drawling voice is recognisable among a thousand. “It’s a kind of magic” Freddie Mercury, aka Rami Malek, is calling me via Zoom. Unfortunately, it’s a call with only sound on — no video. But I can imagine his friendly face with his big expressive eyes on the other side of the screen. Elliot Alderson, the Hacker in Mr Robot, would have certainly managed to activate the image. Has he just woken up? Is he still in his pyjamas or in a bathrobe? Is he quarantining with Lucy Boynton, his on-screen partner in Bohemian Rhapsody and in real life? Malek is discretion incarnate, barely featuring on social media, preferring to play it “vintage”. He’s even been dubbed “the anti-celebrity” by journalists.
Interviewing the actor is a revelation in itself. He speaks cautiously, leaving big pauses between each question. He reflects. For this great reader, who also likes to write letters in fountain pen, each word has meaning. Much like each of his carefully chosen roles, the process is carried out without haste. Since 2004, Malek has taken on characters without once losing himself.
This story is from the October 2020 edition of ELLE Singapore.
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This story is from the October 2020 edition of ELLE Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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