• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

First look at Rami Malek as Freddy Mercury

sphagnum said:
Iranian and Egyptian are preeeeetty far removed from each other. Just because they are both politically in the Middle East doesn't mean they're related as a people. Iranians are much closer to northern Indians.

That said he looks spot on.
Click to expand...

No offense but what are you talking about? Greece is closer to Libya than it is to France, does that mean Greece is more African than European?

They are related as far as its obvious, they are both brown people, from the Middle East who lived in the West, with Muslim names. I don't think you know what you are talking about at all if you don't think such people identify with each other. Don't know at all what you are talking about.

I thinks its weird to discount that, and to imply white European Christians would be an equally related choice. Because if you're not implying that, whats your point?
 
Shadowhelper said:
No offense but what are you talking about? Greece is closer to Libya than it is to France, does that mean Greece is more African than European?

They are related as far as its obvious, they are both brown people, from the Middle East who lived in the West, with Muslim names. I don't think you know what you are talking about at all if you don't think such people identify with each other. Don't know at all what you are talking about.

I thinks its weird to discount that, and to imply white European Christians would be an equally related choice. Because if you're not implying that, whats your point?
Click to expand...

I think the thing is more that in some contexts it can be a bit dicey to conflate Iranian heritage with Arab heritage (edit: And then I feel dumb because Rami's actually of Copt descent). Admittedly said context tends to be closer to the Middle East itself than the West because of the regional politics that have played out for centuries, but it is something to bear in mind.

Edit:
But yes, better than what some of the alternatives may have been.
 
Shadowhelper said:
No offense but what are you talking about? Greece is closer to Libya than it is to France, does that mean Greece is more African than European?

They are related as far as its obvious, they are both brown people, from the Middle East who lived in the West, with Muslim names. I don't think you know what you are talking about at all if you don't think such people identify with each other. Don't know at all what you are talking about.

I thinks its weird to discount that, and to imply white European Christians would be an equally related choice. Because if you're not implying that, whats your point?
Click to expand...

Huh? I'm just saying that "Middle Eastern" is a really broad thing to categorize people as and that Egyptians and Iranians are not related except in the same way that all humans are distantly related. Meanwhile Iranians and northern Indians are directly related. Freddie Mercury was only Middle Eastern in the sense that Parsis are Iranic and the country of Iran is in the Middle East, but culturally his actual family was from South Asia, and he lived in India specifically. So if we were trying to get someone to play him who was most accurate, Malek is still a ways off, though preferable to an English white guy or whatever playing him.

I didn't even say anything about wanting a "European Christian" to play him so I don't know where you got that.
 
louiedog said:
tumblr_nxpk35Zraw1ul7hzjo1_500.gif


gif needs a mustache
Click to expand...

Huh, I can't believe after all this time I never noticed that dudebro Josh was played by Rami Malek.
 
In the case that you haven't watched Mr. Robot, Malek is a fucking great actor. Was was deserved in winning the Best Actor Emmy this year too.
 
Malek is a gods gift to Hollywood. He might be our generation's Eli Wallach. I want him as a lead in a Gilgamesh epic. I think it's time someone made a high budget Gilgamesh movie.
 
The Argus said:
Yeah, and as mentioned he dropped out. During his Howard Stern interview he mentioned wanting it be a gritty and true documentary (with the massive parties where little people walked around with silver plates loaded with cocaine on their head), and the remaining Queen members wanted it family friendly. They also wanted Freddy to die in the middle, with the rest of the movie about them pulling it together and letting the show go on. Meh.
Click to expand...
As great as rami looks, I really think sasha would have been perfect for the role and would have probably propelled his career. This is of course if he got his way and got to portray Freddie as he was and not the watered-down bullshit May is selling.

I appreciate queen have been going on longer without Freddie but no one gives a shit about you teaming up with anastasia to butcher one of your classics or any of the other stuff you have done. The film clearly should be a thorough look at Freddies life, the band and his death. Anything else just takes away from his importance.
 
Really curious to see him in action. I've only seen a few things with Malik, but his acting style seems very subdued.
 
Is Freddies life half as interesting as his talent?

To this day I am still blown by his vocals. He can make any lyrics, no matter how simple, sound amazing.
 
If I can see Raimi Malek sing/lipsynch Ogre Battle it'll be all worth it.

(and Was it all Worth it)


((neither things will likely happen))

:(
 
Chojin said:
If I can see Raimi Malek sing/lipsynch Ogre Battle it'll be all worth it.

(and Was it all Worth it)


((neither things will likely happen))

:(
Click to expand...

Both songs most people don't mention when they think of Queen. Right now, personally, I'm gravitating towards the entirety of The Miracle & Innuendo. Both great albums. Invisible Man is killer. Not that that matters with this movie since it will only go to Live Aid.
 
Eh, I'll wait to see him in action. That pic looks ridiculously altered.
 
Shadowhelper said:
No offense but what are you talking about? Greece is closer to Libya than it is to France, does that mean Greece is more African than European?

They are related as far as its obvious, they are both brown people, from the Middle East who lived in the West, with Muslim names. I don't think you know what you are talking about at all if you don't think such people identify with each other. Don't know at all what you are talking about.

I thinks its weird to discount that, and to imply white European Christians would be an equally related choice. Because if you're not implying that, whats your point?
Click to expand...

Rami Malek is a Copt, who are Christian.
 
Shadowhelper said:
Yeah, that is sad.

Yes, I was a bit mistaken about Indian origin, its pure Middle Eastern. While is name is indeed FAROUK BALSOUR, He is Irani, which is the Iranian diaspora, so you he is of only Middle Eastern origin, and not Indian, even more reason to stick to another actor of Middle Eastern origin.

I am ecstatic they didn't go settle on the racist decision to give the role to a white person, or a white European.

While a Iranian actor would've been ideal, Rami Malek will do. I hope he has the acting chops to do him justice.
Click to expand...

Hm? He's Parsi, who I think do tend to identify as Indian, as they've been in India for a thousand years. Also, I think Iranis are a different group.
 
Shadowhelper said:
They are related as far as its obvious, they are both brown people, from the Middle East who lived in the West, with Muslim names.
Click to expand...

Splitting hairs here, but Farrokh isn't a Muslim name, it's a Persian name. Freddie Mercury's family was Zoroastrian. He's also not from the Middle East, he's from South Asia (where his family was from) and Africa (where he was born).
 
L Thammy said:
Splitting hairs here, but Farrokh isn't a Muslim name, it's a Persian name. Freddie Mercury's family was Zoroastrian. He's also not from the Middle East, he's from South Asia (where his family was from) and Africa (where he was born).
Click to expand...

Zoroastrians are Persian, they are Iranian.
 
L Thammy said:
Splitting hairs here, but Farrokh isn't a Muslim name, it's a Persian name. Freddie Mercury's family was Zoroastrian. He's also not from the Middle East, he's from South Asia (where his family was from) and Africa (where he was born).
Click to expand...
You're just making shit up now.
Faroukh is an arabic name. It means Redeemer.
 
-Plasma Reus- said:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farooq
Also shows the different spellings.

The thing about the Islamic world is that the same names are used. The same words as well. All over the world. Sometimes, words are co-opted from the labguage. But the fact remains the word/name originates from the Arabic language.
Click to expand...

If you're going to use that list. The different spellings listed are "Farouk, Faruqi Farook, Faruk, Faroeq, Faruq, or Farouq, or Farooqi, Farooqui".

Freddy Mercury's birth name is Farrokh Bulsara. Farrokh is not listed.
 
L Thammy said:
If you're going to use that list. The different spellings listed are "Farouk, Faruqi Farook, Faruk, Faroeq, Faruq, or Farouq, or Farooqi, Farooqui".

Freddy Mercury's birth name is Farrokh Bulsara. Farrokh is not listed.
Click to expand...
This is like saying Jon isn't the same as john, though.
 
L Thammy said:
The names don't even mean the same thing.
Click to expand...
The spelling you're showing, is the Persian/Arabic spelling being changed to the english one.

For example:
Ahmad being changed to Ahmed to make it anglicised. And then you arguing Ahmed means something else, and isn't derived from Muhammad.

The current day Persian language borrows heavily from Arabic vocabulary. Honestly, it's an Arabic name that has a different meaning in Persian. There's lots of words and names like this, all over the Islamic world.
 
Shadowhelper said:
Yeah, that is sad.

Yes, I was a bit mistaken about Indian origin, its pure Middle Eastern. While is name is indeed FAROUK BALSOUR, He is Irani, which is the Iranian diaspora, so you he is of only Middle Eastern origin, and not Indian, even more reason to stick to another actor of Middle Eastern origin.

I am ecstatic they didn't go settle on the racist decision to give the role to a white person, or a white European.

While a Iranian actor would've been ideal, Rami Malek will do. I hope he has the acting chops to do him justice.
Click to expand...

Not really a Iranian he is a Indian Parsi, many Zoroastrians fled to India when when Alexander the Great defeated the Persian empire and during the Sasanian period.
 
U fuckers know this shit is shopped, right?

That EW pic is shopped to hell and back. I dont think they even started filming for this project.
 
Looks the part, hopefully he sounds the part which is the most important thing.

Shadowhelper said:
No offense but what are you talking about? Greece is closer to Libya than it is to France, does that mean Greece is more African than European?

They are related as far as its obvious, they are both brown people, from the Middle East who lived in the West, with Muslim names. I don't think you know what you are talking about at all if you don't think such people identify with each other. Don't know at all what you are talking about.

I thinks its weird to discount that, and to imply white European Christians would be an equally related choice. Because if you're not implying that, whats your point?
Click to expand...

lol dat agenda
 
Stinkles said:
And he grew up in Zanzibar. Where the current government thinks he was an abomination instead of the place's finest 20th century export.
Click to expand...
I still think someone at Bungie was a Queen fan because of the map names Zanzibar and Headlong in Halo 2.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

First look at Martin Scorsese’s ‘What Happens At Night’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio And Jennifer Lawrence
1
154
DKehoe replied
Blue Eye Samurai - first look at season 2 [Netflix]
15
853
Bartski replied
First look at Nicolas Cage as John Madden and Christian Bale as Al Davis
15
888
EverythingsOverrated replied
Come take a look at Calvin Klein's new advertisement
NSFW  2
80
923
Husky Blue replied
First look at Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling & Mia Goth
2
69
2K
Dirk Benedict replied
Top Bottom