It seems that Queen guitarist Brian May is a massive fan of Bohemian Rhapsody, claiming that Rami Malek deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury.
Earlier this month, the long-awaited Queen biopic – Bohemian Rhapsody – hit theatres. Focusing on the band’s success, as well as the life and legacy of their iconic frontman, it stars Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, with his performance receiving widespread acclaim from critics.
Now, it seems that even Queen guitarist Brian May – who served as a creative and musical consultant on the film – agrees, explaining that the actor deserves an Academy Award.
As The Irish Examiner reports, the 71-year-old guitarist believes that Rami Malek is on track for the industry’s highest honour.
“He’s incredible,” May explained. “Without doubt he’ll be on the nominations list for an Oscar and well deserved as well.”
“He inhabited Freddie to the point where we even started to think of him as Freddie. Really remarkable.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Brian May thanked the public for embracing the film – which has seen it become a hot contender for being the highest grossing musical biopic – despite a relatively poor critical performance.
“We’ve lived with this project for nine years and it’s incredible to see it doing so well,” May states. “It came out to shitty reviews, as some of our work has before, but the public has embraced it magnificently.”
“Everybody gave 200%, from the actors and technicians to the production team and hair and make up, everyone. You don’t get any lukewarm responses. The guy who plays me should be getting awards all over.”
While the critical reviews for the film haven’t exactly been overwhelmingly positive, it’s beginning to look as though Rami Malek could indeed be on track to receive some love from the industry when award season rolls around.
Check out Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’:
