‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ actor Rami Malek has hit back at critics who have suggested the upcoming film shies away from discussing Freddie Mercury’s sexuality and AIDS diagnosis.
Rami stars as the Queen frontman in the biopic, the trailer for which dropped earlier this year.
However, some were disappointed when the trailer made no references to the singer’s sexuality or illness, but did show him in a romantic exchange with a woman.
Rami has now insisted people have been too quick to judge the film, discussing the subject in an interview with Attitude magazine.
“It’s a shame that people are making remarks after a minute teaser where you just wanna see the music,” he said. “It’s difficult.”
He continued: “First, let me say that I don’t think the film shies away from his sexuality or his all-consuming disease, which is obviously AIDS. I don’t know how you could avoid any of that, or if anyone would ever want to. It’s a bit absurd that anyone’s judging this from a minute trailer.”
Revealing how ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ portrays Freddie’s battle with AIDS, Rami explained: “The film needed to approach it in a delicate manner. You can’t shy away from it.
“It was an important moment to have in the film, one that ultimately is very sad but also empowering in a way. It shows you just how resilient human beings can be and how much we rely on the strength of our friends and family to get us through tough times.”
He added: “This pandemic is still very much a horrific threat to so many people in the world. It exists as a reality for so many that I think it would be a shame not to address it.”
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ has been a long time in the making, with various behind-the-scenes swaps of both its leading man and its director, with filmmaker Bryan Singer fired from the project towards the end of last year.
Read Rami’s full interview in the new issue of Attitude magazine.
