Bohemian Rhapsody: Queen stars reveal Rami Malek captured 'secret' side of Freddie Mercury

Everyone remembers Freddie Mercury, but only a few people really knew him. The critics have slammed the late singer’s biopic for not tackling the darker aspects of his life, but the two Queen icons have hit back. They reveal why Malek’s performance is so special and why the movie portrays the Freddie they knew and loved so well. In fact, May and Taylor believe the media itself often overlooked what truly made their friend and bandmade so great.

In a major interview with Flicks and the City, May said: “Rami absolutely blew us away the first time we met him. We saw Freddie in him, we could sense his passion.

“We all felt we wanted to portray Freddie’s humanity, to portray him as a human being, as a musician. It had to be truthful and not too indulgent. And I think Freddie would say number one it had to be entertaining.

“I love the way Rami has captured not only Freddie’s great powers and ebullience but also the sensitive side, the vulnerability of Freddie, of which there was a lot. He came from very small beginnings.”

Taylor also pointed out how Mercury’s showmanship often distracted many people from his incredible talent.

He said: “I think what a lot of people think about Freddie, and the media go, ‘Oh he was flamboyant, whatever,’ and they remember him for other things and they forget he was a brilliant musician.

“I think the film does pay attention to the fact that Freddie was a great, great musician.”

Taylor also paid tribute to Malek’s remarkable way of bringing every aspect of Mercury to life so vividly: “The speaking, the timbre, the tone of the whole range of his voice is pretty spot on.”

Audiences have responded, with the movie already grossing more than half a billion dollars at the global box office.

Malek’s phenomenal performance has been recognised with a lead actor nomination for the 2019 Golden Globes and an Oscar nod is looking almost certain to follow.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEWS HERE