Bohemian Rhapsody: Brian May reveals why Freddie Mercury could NOT have been a movie star

Rami Malek’s Bohemian Rhapsody has been a box office smash making over $550 million worldwide on a budget of $52 million.

Despite mixed reviews, the film has been nominated for a Golden Globe while the Freddie Mercury star has received a nod himself.

In a recent interview with Classic Rock, Queen guitarist May was adamant that Freddie himself couldn’t have been a movie star as well as a rock star, like Elvis Presley or David Bowie.

The 71-year-old legend said: “No. He didn’t have the patience.”

May continued: “He was offered a residency in the West End at one point, and he said: ‘Yeah, I’ll do it. How many shows a week?’

“They said: ‘Eight.’ And he said: ‘I’ll do a couple.’ He didn’t like repeating stuff.

“Patience was not one of Freddie’s virtues.

“I think he would have found it difficult turning up every day on the set. I don’t think that would have lasted long [laughs].”

In the same interview, May said Sacha Baron Cohen’s Freddie Mercury would have been a disaster.

The Borat star was originally signed on before leaving the project over what is thought to be creative differences.

May said: “Well, that was a near-disaster. I think we realised just in time what a disaster that was going to be.

“And it actually wasn’t rocket science to figure that out. But yeah, that’s one of the rocks that we nearly hit.”

May continued: “I think we were all nervous in the beginning when the casting process was going on.

“Because yes, that’s a real tough thing to contemplate – somebody playing the part of you.

“The guy who plays me, Gwilym Lee, I spent a lot of time with him, so he understood me. He’d be picking up my mannerisms and what makes me tick.

“So when Freddie and me are in the studio, confronting each other, it’s very real. Some of it was improvised, but they did it with the knowledge that they understood us from the inside out.”