Feature
Egyptian Americans in Hollywood
Rami Malek and May Calamawy connect Egyptian American identity with Hollywood and global screen culture.
Issue · 26 / GOLD
KRTK
Rami
Malek
"Actor. He won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody, the first actor of Egyptian heritage to win in that category, and an Emmy for Mr. Robot. His parents, Said Malek, a travel agent and tour guide, and Nelly Abdel-Malek, an accountant, left Cairo in 1978 with his older sister. The family is Coptic Orthodox. He has an identical twin brother, Sami. He spoke Egyptian Arabic at home until the age of four, and his father would wake him at night to talk on the phone with the family's Arabic-speaking relatives in Samalut."
Cairolive · 26 / GOLD
Photo: Harald Krichel, via Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons file pageCC BY-SA 4.0
Issue · 26 / GOLD
KRTK
Rami
Malek
"Actor. He won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody, the first actor of Egyptian heritage to win in that category, and an Emmy for Mr. Robot. His parents, Said Malek, a travel agent and tour guide, and Nelly Abdel-Malek, an accountant, left Cairo in 1978 with his older sister. The family is Coptic Orthodox. He has an identical twin brother, Sami. He spoke Egyptian Arabic at home until the age of four, and his father would wake him at night to talk on the phone with the family's Arabic-speaking relatives in Samalut."
Cairolive · 26 / GOLD
Photo: Harald Krichel, via Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons file pageCC BY-SA 4.0
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Rami Malek
About
Actor. He won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody, the first actor of Egyptian heritage to win in that category, and an Emmy for Mr. Robot. His parents, Said Malek, a travel agent and tour guide, and Nelly Abdel-Malek, an accountant, left Cairo in 1978 with his older sister. The family is Coptic Orthodox. He has an identical twin brother, Sami. He spoke Egyptian Arabic at home until the age of four, and his father would wake him at night to talk on the phone with the family's Arabic-speaking relatives in Samalut.
Featured Press
Articles & Media
Expertise
Technical
ActingCharacter StudyFilm PerformanceTelevision PerformanceVoice and Dialect Work
Education
Education
University of Evansville
Achievements
Academy Award for Best Actor, Bohemian Rhapsody (2019)
Learn morePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Mr. Robot
Learn moreFamous For
Mr. Robot
Completed2015
Lead role as Elliot Alderson in the USA Network drama, earning a Primetime Emmy Award and international recognition.
View projectBohemian Rhapsody
Completed2018
Portrayed Freddie Mercury in the Queen biographical film, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor.
View projectNo Time to Die
Completed2021
Played Safin in the James Bond film, extending his film work into global franchise cinema.
View projectAffiliated with
More News & Media
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The New York Times
Rami Malek: On Being Egyptian American in Hollywood
2020-02
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MGM Studios
No Time to Die: Behind the Villain
2021-09
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20th Century Studios
Bohemian Rhapsody: Official Film Trailer
2018-09
🎬
20th Century Studios
The Little America: Freddie Mercury Behind the Scenes
2018-10
🎬
Netflix
Night at the Museum: The Series
2022-11
📰
The Hollywood Reporter
The Master: A Deep Performance Study
2023-03
What people say about Rami Malek
Working with Rami changed how I think about character. He brings a depth that is rare and unmistakably his own, Egyptian, complex, and quietly fearless.
Sam Esmailcollaborator
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Rami Malek