Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the most popular movies of 2018. It’s a movie named after the popular song of the group but the movie is about singer Freddie Mercury, who was best known as the lead vocalist of the British rock band. «It follows the singer’s life from the formation of the band up to their 1985 Live Aid performance at the original Wembley Stadium.» (Wikipédia).
Rami Malek, who played Freddie Mercury, won the Oscar for Best Actor so it is safe to say this movie was loved by many. However, the movie about Queen and Freddie was not 100% accurate and before and during filming, there was a lot of drama. Here are all the juicy details.
28. Freddie wasn’t supposed to be played by Rami
Sacha Baron Cohen was supposed to play Freddie Mercury. He left the project because of creative differences.
Freddie did have a real love for cats. He owned 10 cats and when he was on the road, he would call to talk to his cats because he missed them.
27. Fletcher got robbed
Bryan Singer was the original director of the movie but he got fired from Fox a few weeks before the end of filming because he wanted a filming hiatus since his mother was very sick. Fox replaced Singer with Dexter Fletcher for the last two weeks but Fletcher never got any credit for finishing the movie. Yikes.
26. ‘Fake Bono’ appears in the movie
Did you notice Bono from U2 during the lead-up to the Live Aid show when Freddie enters the stage at Wembley Stadium? No, it’s not the actual Bono but the actor does look a lot like him!
25. Yes, he actually was that obsessed with cats
24. Rami got the part because of his jawline
Rami thinks he only got the part because he had a similar jawline to Freddie.
23. The Live Aid Concert was shot first
Even though this is the last scene of the movie, it was filmed first.
22. The timeline of Freddie’s AIDS diagnosis
In the movie, Freddie is diagnosed with AIDS before the Live Aid Concert but in reality, he was diagnosed after the show.
21. Malek worked with a movement coach
Rami worked with a movement coach to really get into character.
20. Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton are dating IRL
Lucy Boynton plays Freddie’s love interest. He was with this woman for six years and they even got engaged. Most people didn’t know he was bisexual and not gay.
19. Two voices
Rami is not the best singer in the world so when you hear him sing in the movie, it is actually a blend of Rami, a singer named Marc Martel and Mercury himself.
18. Freddie wasn’t the only Queen member to go solo
Freddie wasn’t the only one to go solo. Drummer Roger Taylor also produced two solo albums.
17. Malek’s fake teeth
Freddie Mercury has very noticeable teeth and Rami had trouble acting and kissing with the teeth. He actually kept the teeth after the end of the movie!
16. They used the real Queen costumes
Many of the costumes Rami wore were Freddie’s real clothes.
15. What really happened between Queen and John Reid
The movie dramatized Reid’s split with the band. In reality, the break-up was pretty peaceful.
14. Malek and Freddie’s sister are now friends
Malek spoke to Freddie’s sister, Kashmira Cooke, to know more things about the singer. Even if the movie is done, they still hang out together.
13. Ray Foster never existed
Mike Myers plays the producer Ray Foster, who never existed. He is a kind of amalgam of all of the people who told Queen they would never get radios to play Bohemian Rhapsody.
12. How the band members met
In the movie, Freddie meets his bandmates when he attends a Smile show but many authorized biographies say Mercury already knew them because they shared an apartment together.
11. Freddie and Mary’s relationship
In the movie, Freddie meets Mary at the Smile concert but in real life, they met while she was working as a receptionist at a clothing store.
10. When Freddie met Jim Hutton
Freddie met Jim Hutton at a London club called Heaven in the 80s but in the movie, Freddie meets him at a wild party at his home.
9. The band members who contributed to the movie
Brian May and Roger Taylor were the only two band members who actively contributed to the creation of the film.
8. Director Brian Singer was difficult to work with
Bryan Singer was fired because he would show up late (or not show up at all), he would pick fights and annoyed Rami a lot.
7. Other drama with Brian Singer
The director is known to be a sexual predator. Men have been accusing him of sexual assault since 1997.
6. The real Paul Prenter
The real Paul Prenter was fired because he threw a huge party at Freddie’s house and the house was trashed. None of the other Queen members like Paul and they all thought he was a bad influence on Freddie.
5. 70s moustache
In the movie, Freddie sports a thick moustache and shorter hair when Brian teaches his bandmates the handclapping portion of “We Will Rock You” but in reality, he had long hair and no moustache when the actual recording of the song took place.
4. The breakup
The movie made it seem as though Freddie broke up the band but in reality, all four members of Queen agreed that they needed a break.
3. When the band got back together
The band only got together 8 weeks before the Wembley Stadium performance. The movie got this wrong too!
2. Rami actually played the piano
In the movie, Freddie plays for Mary the Bohemian Rhapsody piano intro and Rami actually learned it by heart so he could play it.
1. When Freddie revealed he was HIV-positive
Freddie didn’t reveal he was HIV-positive to his bandmates at the live Aid London concert in real life. It still remains a mystery the date or time of when he contracted the illness.
Source: Postfun
