Before achieving global fame and winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury, Rami Malek found himself in an absurd situation. The police detained the future star, claiming he resembled a suspect who had robbed a store.
Malek, an American of Egyptian descent, was in his early twenties at the time. The officers forced him onto the scorching hood of a patrol car. The reason? His “matching” appearance: they were looking for a Latino man who had robbed a liquor store and stolen a woman’s handbag.
"They said the thief was Latino, and I matched the description. I remember the hot engine burning my hands," the actor told The Guardian in an interview.
But even after this explanation, Malek wasn’t immediately released. He spent some time in the patrol car, reflecting on how fragile freedom can be:
"I was sitting in the car laughing. The situation was dangerous, but the absurdity of it all made me burst into nervous laughter. I could have ended up in prison for something I didn’t do."
For Rami, this wasn’t the only time his appearance made people suspicious. As he himself admitted, he was often stopped for additional questioning at airport customs.
Whenever the actor tried to enter a new country, his name would trigger alarm bells for security officers. But now, things have changed:
"Now customs officers say, 'Isn’t this the guy from Bohemian Rhapsody? Let him through,'" the actor remarked with irony.
