The actor who plays Freddie Mercury says the film is more than it's unceremoniously fired former director.
Rami Malek is standing behind Bohemian Rhapsody.
In a new interview, the Oscar-nominated actor, who portrays Freddie Mercury in the massively popular Queen tribute film, addressed the controversy surrounding director Bryan Singer's involvement with the movie given the accusations of sexual assault against him -- all of which Singer has vehemently denied. The filmmaker was fired from Bohemian Rhapsody in late 2017 over reported tension with Malek, a claim Singer has also denied.
"As far as I knew, I was considered before Bryan was even attached. So I had my head down preparing for this for about a year ahead of time, and I never really looked up," the 37-year-old actor told the Los Angeles Times. "I didn’t know much about Bryan. I think that the allegations and things were, believe it or not, honestly something I was not aware of, and that is what it is."
"Perhaps that was Freddie himself doing it, because we wanted to make a product that was worthy of him. Who knows?" Malek continued. "I’m just proud that this cast and crew collectively raised their game and we depended on one another. It was a testament to everyone’s spirit and courage and skill. And one thing I will say about everyone — almost everyone — we never gave up."
Nonetheless, Singer's name remains in the credits of the movie. Malek went on to explain why he believes viewers can still enjoy the rock'n'roll biopic.
"I think they can understand that Bryan Singer was fired from the film. And that can be something that they can look at from a perspective of understanding why they can appreciate the film," he reasoned. "And as far as I’m concerned, I never want to take away from Freddie’s story. I think that puts a button on it in a number of ways."
Meanwhile, the controversy around the movie has not stopped the acclaim for Malek's performance. In addition to scoring the Best Actor in a Drama award at the Golden Globes, Malek is nominated for Best Actor at this year's Oscars on Feb. 24, in a race that is widely predicted to be between himself and Vice star Christian Bale.
Watch the video below for everything you didn't know about Rami Malek.
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