We are the champions — or at least, Rami Malek is. The actor has officially taken the Golden Globe for for Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
“My heart is pounding out of my chest right now,” Malek said while accepting the award. “Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for this incredible recognition.”
Malek also thanked the band: “To Queen. To Brian May, to you, to Roger Taylor, for ensuring that authenticity and inclusivity existed in the music and the world. Thank you to Freddie Mercury for giving me the joy of a lifetime. I love you, you beautiful man. This is for and because of you, gorgeous.”
The actor did not thank the film’s original director, Bryan Singer, who was fired partyway through production and replaced by Dexter Fletcher. That setback notwithstanding, the film has proved to be a box office hit, becoming the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.
After his nomination, Malek took the time to share his thoughts with EW: “It’s great to be recognized in this way,” he said. “It’s been so many years in the process and to have it culminate in not only myself but the film being recognized is such a tremendous honor and speaks to the level of work that everyone who was a part of this film brought to it. It was a troop of people who were dedicated and committed on such a high level. I’m so proud of all of them. It’s so special. I’m in London, so I may even be able to share this with the band tonight. We’re getting on the phone, me and Roger Taylor and Brian May and will try and figure something out because I’d like to take them out for a drink.”
Malek beat out fellow nominees Willem Dafoe (At Eternity’s Gate), Lucas Hedges (Boy Erased), Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born), and John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman).
Related content:
- Golden Globe nominations 2019: See the full list
- How Rami Malek became Freddie Mercury in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody
- Mixed Bohemian Rhapsody reactions praise Rami Malek’s Freddie Mercury as ‘fantastic’
