Oscar-winning actorRami Malekhas detailed an incident that saw him being racially profiled by the Los Angeles Police Department. He shared his recollection of the experience during a conversation withThe Guardianwhile discussing his identity and growing up and working in the entertainment industry as an Egyptian man. Although it is unknown when the incident took place, Malek says that police once handcuffed him after being mistakenly taken for a robbery suspect.
“I got thrown on the bonnet of an LAPD cop car because someone had robbed a liquor store and stolen a woman’s bag. They said the [thief] was of Latin descent and, ‘You fit the description.’ I remember how hot that engine was, they must have been racing over there and it was almost burning my hands. My friend, who was Caucasian, was clever enough to go, ‘Actually, sir, he’s Egyptian. Not Latin.’ I remember laughing on the cop car, thinking, ‘OK, this is a very precarious situation. I may well be going to jail for something I’ve not done.'”
Malek grew up in Los Angeles’ Sherman Oaks community with his parents, who had migrated to the United States from Cairo with his older sister (Malek and his twin brother were born in California). Expanding on what that meant for his upbringing, theMr. Robotactor shares that while his father adapted to aspects of American culture, there were parts he was not open to:
“…there was also a definite … I won’t say alienating yourself from certain aspects of the culture, but definitely not accepting them.”
“I don’t know how you ever get over that. I’m what’s called ‘white passing,’ but I have very distinctive features, and we definitely didn’t fit in.”
Rami Malek Says the American Dream has “Flipped”
Immigration has been a polarizing topicin the United States. A presidential debate between now-President Donald Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris was filled with talks about immigration policies (and of course, Trump’s bizarre claim about immigrants eating domestic pets in Ohio). Noting Barack Obama’s journey to the White House (after reading the former President’sThe Audacity of Hope and Dreams from My Father), Malek shares:
“The idea that a man with a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas could become president of the United States, it was one of the most hopeful moments from the story of the American dream. That’s been flipped on its head. I always look at situations like this and just hope that it brings out the absolute best in us.
And, yeah, at times I do feel a bit sad that [my parents] had to make this extraordinary pilgrimage to America to investigate the possibilities. And now [my mother is] dealing with, perhaps, a certain sense of repression that they may not have known had they not moved. If that makes sense.”
In 2019, Malek earned the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury inBohemian Rhapsody; he made history as the first category winner of Egyptian heritage. A successful career has impacted Malek’s life when it comes to navigating issues of race and ethnicity. Malek said that his name would often attract the attention of airport security. Nowadays, things are different, and the actor says that while “there might be a moment,” they’ll let him through after recognizing he’s the “guy from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.'”
Rami Malek’s 15 Best Movies, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
This is the Rotten Tomatoes ranking of films starring Rami Malek, the guy who made us believe Freddie Mercury was alive again.
AlongsideBohemian Rhapsody, Malek is best known for his Emmy Award-winning work onMr. Robot, which concluded in 2019. Starting on January 21, Malek will headline a production ofOedipusat London’s Old Vic Theatre, which runs until March 29. On April 11,The Amateur, a thriller based on the novel of the same name by Robert Littel, will land in theaters;Malek stars alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, and Jon Bernthal.
The Amateur
The Amateur: Following a personal tragedy in a London terrorist attack, a CIA cryptographer confronts internal agency conflicts and coerces his superiors into training him to pursue the perpetrators himself. Released in 2025, the film explores themes of vengeance and bureaucratic impasse.
