The Rami Malek Story: How The 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Actor Became A Hollywood A-Lister

Quick Links

Rami Malek has become one of Hollywood's biggest stars in recent years, and the Oscar winner has built $20 million from starring in critically acclaimed movies and television shows.

Born to Egyptian immigrant parents, Rami Malek grew interested in theater and acting during high school and decided to pursue it as his career. During the initial years, he faced multiple rejections and small-time acting roles but slowly received recognition after starring in guest roles in television shows. It wasn’t until he starred in the 2006 hit film Night At The Museum that Malek became a known face in Hollywood. Rami Malek has become a household name through his work on the show Mr. Robot and his performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. He receives many prestigious accolades, including an Emmy and an Oscar.

After working hard in Hollywood, Rami Malek has been sweeping awards for his popular performances in movies and television shows for the last few years. From starring as a Pharaoh in Night At The Museum to becoming a bond supervillain, let’s look at how Rami Mark built his $20 million empire.

Struggling For A Hollywood Breakthrough

Rami Malek hails from Torrance, California, where he grew up with his parents, sister, and twin sibling Sami. While attending Notre Dame High School, Malek became a part of the debate team, and while his rhetoric was weak, he impressed everyone with his dramatic interpretations. It was then his teacher saw his ability to perform in theater. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Malek studied drama at the University of Evansville and earned an internship at Eugene O’Neill Theater. Since his dream was to enter show business, he moved to New York to make his aspirations a reality. After performing in several plays, the actor finally moved to Los Angeles to try his luck.

While attending auditions for various roles, Rami Malek made sandwiches and delivered pizzas as part-time jobs. His attempts continued to fail, but casting agent Mara Casey got him a role in an episode of Gilmore Girls in 2004, which helped him gain momentum. A year later, he had small arcs on shows Over There, and Medium before Malek forayed into television. His breakthrough and debut occurred in 2006 with Night At The Museum, where he was cast as ancient pharaoh Ahkmenrah. He starred alongside Ben Stiller and Robin Williams and returned for its subsequent sequels, as noted by Collider.

Gaining Recognition Through Television

Night At The Museum was Rami Malek’s saving grace as he never had to doubt his acting career second again. The actor continued working in television and movies, keeping a balance between his roles. Malek returned to television in 2010 with 24 and starred as a suicide bomber for its eighth season. His other notable TV credits include The Pacific, Alcatraz, Believe, The Legend Of Korra, and Snafu. Malek also had supporting roles in multiple movies, from the science-fiction thriller Battleship to the fantasy romance sequel The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.

Rami Malek still needed to receive his most-recognized role in television which occurred in 2015 when he was cast as the lead in Mr. Robot. The show was a psychological thriller with Malek playing a computer hacker named Elliot. He won an Emmy for Best Lead Actor for the role. For the show's last season, Malek made $1 million per episode, but from his first big paycheck, the actor paid off his student loan, as stated by GQ. His performance in Mr. Robot earned him much praise from critics and fellow actors. It has also led Malek to transform himself for the role of a lifetime.

Awards Galore And A Bright Future

Rami Malek landed prominent roles in movies, but it wasn’t until 2019 that he became Hollywood’s leading man. While a film based on the legendary British band Queen had been in the works since 2010, many cast and production team changes occurred until 2016. Rami Malek snagged the role of the lead Freddie Mercury that year and began training to transform himself. As mentioned by People, Malek inserted fake teeth to perfect Mercury’s voice and practiced with a choreographer to learn the unique moves. His impressive performance made the movie Bohemian Rhapsody a worldwide success after its release in 2018.

The actor did a clean sweep during the award season in 2019, winning the BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, and Oscar for Best Lead Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody. Since his big win, Rami Malek has become a famous face at fashion shows and award ceremonies and has even received notable roles in movies. He lent his voice to Dolittle and portrayed the role of villain Lyutsifer Safin for Daniel Craig’s last adventure as James Bond in No Time To Die in 2021.

Rami Malek has climbed the ladder of success through his hard work and passion for becoming an actor. There was a time when he made small appearances in shows, and now he has become a recipient of many honorable awards. The actor was last seen starring in a supporting role in Amsterdam in 2022 and will be next seen in Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated 2023 film Oppenheimer.

Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Collider, GQ, People