Capturing a larger-than-life personality like Freddie Mercury on celluloid

Charismatic and irresistibly charming, Malek brings to life Mercury in the most surreal manner, brilliantly fusing arduous beginnings at home

Freddie Mercury was the rock star: a maverick talent with the voice of a Michael Jackson and the spirit of a Tina Turner. His flamboyance triggered the most sublime rock and roll theatre. His personal life was complex, and widely written about and discussed, yet no one really knew the real story. He had a zany sense of style, and when he crooned and grooved, the audience was often transported to a musical stratosphere few knew existed. The guy was more than a pop icon; he was a deity.

Playing such characters on screen can be gruelling. You are constantly