Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody (Custom cover by Sportskeeda/Original image via Netflix)

"I put them in my mouth" — When Rami Malek revealed the struggles he had gone through to accomplish his role as Freddie Mercury

Modified Apr 19, 2025 06:39 GMT

Rami Malek first gained recognition in Hollywood for his portrayal of the computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the TV series Mr. Robot. While still working on the show, he was cast as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody.

To make his portrayal of Mercury as authentic as possible, Malek trained with a dialect coach, a movement coach, and took singing and piano lessons. During an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on October 30, 2018, he opened up about how putting on an extra set of teeth helped improve his posture.

"I have these teeth that I wear. And the first time I put them in my mouth, I was incredibly insecure. And then I found myself compensating. I just started sitting up straight and being more elegant. And he had the best posture. And you start to think, 'Oh, these are the reasons he is who he is.'"

Rami Malek also revealed that Freddie Mercury's legendary 1985 Live Aid concert performance was the first scene he shot for the movie. He explained that the producers thought it would be a great way to start.

Malek felt he must have done a good job when he received the call sheet for the second day. He even likened it to winning an Oscar. Ironically, his performance in the movie did win him the Oscar for Best Actor, in addition to numerous other accolades.

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Rami Malek on the role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody

Freddie Mercury performing at the Wembley Arena in 1984 (Image via Getty)

Freddie Mercury, born Farrokh Bulsara, was a British singer and songwriter who gained global fame as the lead singer and pianist of the rock band Queen. He is often considered one of the greatest musicians of his generation.

As explained in the movie, Mercury had four extra incisors at birth. This pushed his upper teeth into an extreme overbite and gave his voice extra resonance.

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According to a BBC interview published on October 23, 2018, Rami Malek had his set of teeth made months before the movie's filming began so that he could practice talking and singing with them. He would wear the set in between takes during the filming of Mr. Robot.

In the same BBC interview, Malek also opened up about the parts of Mercury he refused to let go of, even after completing Bohemian Rhapsody.

"I think just his spirit. This refusal to be stereotyped, this refusal to conform. He's a revolutionary, I think, because I don't think he ever allowed himself to be marginalised or segregated into one particular group," he said.

He continued:

"He essentially did what we as a collective society are all aspiring to do at the very moment - which is to not be labelled, to be as authentic as we possibly can without anybody trying to put us in a particular box."

Malek pointed out that when Mercury rebelled against being stereotyped, he was chastised for it. However, that certainly did not stop the musician from being the most authentic version of himself.

Also read: What role does Rami Malek play in The Amateur? Character role explored

Bohemian Rhapsody is available to stream on fuboTV with a subscription and on FXNow for free.

About the author

Ankita Shaw is an Entertainment Writer at Sportskeeda. While she has a Bachelor's degree in Physiology, her interest in films, television shows, and books has propelled her into the world of entertainment journalism.

With a passion for storytelling, she has worked as a writer for the digital publication TheThings and served as a full-time Entertainment News Writer at Animated Times, accumulating over one and a half years of experience. As an entertainment reporter, she enjoys reading and writing about the personal experiences of celebrities, with a particular emphasis on their human side beyond fame, wealth, and glamour.

Outside of her professional commitments, she is an aficionado of compelling narratives and enjoys watching films across diverse genres. In music, her favorite is the British-Irish boyband One Direction. She is fascinated by their creative output, which evokes joy and positivity through themes such as self-discovery, heartbreak, and love.

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