Bohemian Rhapsody’s oscar-winning actor Rami Malek recently opened up about a shocking incident from his past when he was arrested in Los Angeles by the police for a robbery to which he had no connection. The 43-year old was mistaken to be involved in a liquor store robbery merely due to the way he was misrepresented during profiling by police officers at that time.
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Rami Malek recounted a racially profiling incident he experienced while growing up in Los Angeles, according to The Guardian. The Oscar winner revealed that he was pulled over by police after a robberyโฆ pic.twitter.com/7RBVZaDfj8
โ PopBuzzRecap (@PopBuzzRecap) January 19, 2025
Speaking to The Guardian, Malek, who is of Egyptian descent, narrated the ordeal. He said that the officers thought he was the suspect, a man of Latin descent. Despite the vast difference in their appearances, Malek found himself in a terrifying situation. “I got thrown on the bonnet of an LAPD cop car because someone had robbed a liquor store and stolen a woman’s bag,” he said.
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He described the arrest vividly, recalling the physical discomfort and emotional stress of the moment. “I remember how hot that engine was; they must have been racing over there, and it was almost burning my hands,” Malek shared. He admitted that the experience left him fearing he might go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.
Thankfully, Malek’s Caucasian friend, who was there at the time, intervened. His swift thinking helped calm the situation down. “He was smart enough to tell the officers, ‘Actually, sir, he’s Egyptian. Not Latin,'” Malek said. While relieved, he couldn’t help but laugh nervously at the situation’s absurdity. “I remember thinking, ‘This is a very precarious situation. I may well be going to jail for something I’ve not done.'”
Reflecting on his upbringing in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Malek spoke about his family’s challenges after immigrating to the U.S. in 1978. He revealed that his father struggled to adapt to certain aspects of American culture. Malek, who identifies as “white-passing,” said, “I have very distinctive features, and we didn’t fit in.”
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He was candid about how his heritage influenced him and his career choices. Casting him as a villain in Bond 25 and the film No Time to Die, director Cary Fukunaga asked him at the beginning not to perpetuate a traditional terrorist attached to his views or religion for the role he was assigned. “I said, ‘We cannot define him with some act of terrorism reflecting an ideology or a religion. That’s something that I would never do,'” he said.
Malek spoke of his pride in his Egyptian roots, saying, “I am Egyptian. I grew up listening to Egyptian music. I loved Omar Sharif. These are my people, and I feel deeply tied to the culture.” Malek was last seen in Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer. Despite a cameo, he had an impactful role in the film lauded by the critics and the audience.
