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Rami Malek is opening up about the significance of becoming the first actor of Egyptian descent to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, describing it as one of the greatest achievements of his life because of the hope it represents to immigrants and people who often feel unseen around the world.
Speaking ahead of the world premiere of The Man I Love at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, Malek joined director Ira Sachs for a Kering Women in Motion Talk where he reflected on his career, his emotional connection to the moment and the impact his Oscar victory continues to have globally.
Malek admitted that even after years in Hollywood, attending Cannes still feels surreal to him.
“I never get used to these moments,” he said. “Cannes is not something I ever, ever expected. The fact we’re here right now is something I’m trying to savor. It feels a bit surreal.”
The actor stars in “The Man I Love,” a deeply emotional drama directed by Sachs and co written with longtime collaborator Mauricio Zacharias. The film is set in New York City during the late 1980s and follows Jimmy, a theater artist played by Malek, as he confronts his mortality after receiving an AIDS diagnosis. The movie also stars Tom Sturridge, Rebecca Hall and Ebon Moss Bachrach.
Malek praised Sachs for helping him deliver one of the most personal performances of his career, saying the director created an environment built on trust and artistic understanding.
“Ira is an actor’s director,” Malek explained. “We believed in each other.”
He continued by praising the filmmaker’s body of work and the emotional intimacy found in his films.
“What a unique artist that we can all cherish,” Malek said. “These are timeless films that Ira has put into the world. They will live on and we’ll go back to them for feelings that certain aspects of cinema don’t give us. There’s great intimacy and empathy.”
“The Man I Love” also marks another major queer role for Malek following his Oscar winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. His performance in the film earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and cemented his place in Hollywood history.
Reflecting on that achievement, Malek said the moment carried meaning far beyond personal success because it resonated with immigrants and families like his own.
“It’s one of the greatest achievements because of the hope it’s imbued in so many people all over the world, especially where my family is from in Egypt,” he said.
Malek added that people everywhere understand the emotional weight that comes with feeling like an immigrant or outsider, and that being able to inspire others through his success fills him with immense pride.
“All over the world, I think people can relate to what it feels like to be an immigrant,” he said. “To be able to connect to that accomplishment in some way and hopefully inspire anyone fills me with some sense of pride that is greater even than doing the work itself.”
“The Man I Love” is scheduled to premiere in competition at Cannes on May 20, with many already anticipating another powerful performance from Malek as he continues to take on emotionally layered and socially resonant roles.
