Back when Bohemian Rhapsody was first announced in 2010,
Ali G and Borat comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was the first choice to play Queen legend Freddie Mercury in his biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
“(He) didn't take Freddie seriously enough.” Between Sacha Baron Cohen leaving the project and the eventual hiring of Rami Malek, the Freddie Mercury role was also offered to British actor Sam Riley, who had already done the rock biopic thing, playing tragic Joy Division singer Ian Curtis in Control.
Stanley Tucci shares a throwback picture where he looks EXACTLY like Freddie Mercury.
A Night At The Opera was an utter masterpiece and featured Bohemian Rhapsody, a six-minute experience that would become one of the biggest songs of all time. But Freddie “almost rejected the song” at the time, unsure of its worth, before later saying the single prompted a new era for the already hugely-popular band.
Adam Lambert wasn't confident of playing Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Adam Lambert didn't play Freddie Mercury in 'Bohemian Rhapsody' because he doesn't feel he could accurately recreate the late singer on screen.
Rami himself has revealed that he is lip-syncing, but it's not just Freddie's voice that we hear. "It is an amalgamation of a few voices," he told the Metro US. "But predominantly it is my hope and the hope of everyone that we will hear as much Freddie as possible. I think that is the goal for all of us."
With a study friendship spanning 15 years, fellow singer Peter Straker was Mercury's best buddy. The West End star had bonded over the 1970s and survived it all. As Mercury's star soared, their friendship never faltered. Straker scored leading roles in musicals such as The Rocky Horror Show, Tommy and Hair.
Freddie Mercury's jaw size had to be larger than normal to begin with to allow his extra teeth to fit into a normal arch form,” he added. It turns out that Freddie's voice didn't arise from extra teeth or a big mouth, but from his use of a body part that's usually not accessed – the so-called “false” vocal cords.
Three years after Freddie's death, Jim published a book about his time with the singer titled Mercury and Me. He worked as Freddie's gardener after moving into the singer's Kensington mansion, and preferred to stay away from the rock and roll lifestyle.
With his farewell look straight at the camera as the song ends, Mercury whispers "I still love you", directed to his fans, which are his last words on camera. Director of the video Rudi Dolezal comments, "AIDS was never a topic. We never discussed it. He didn't want to talk about it.
4. Freddie Mercury – US$50 million. A cultural icon and the most famous face of all the members of Queen past and present, Mercury amassed a considerable fortune, thought to be worth US$50 million by the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Since the band actually helped contribute to the film, it seems that they've always been pro-Bohemian Rhapsody. Brian May, the Queen guitarist who was involved in the production, raved about the cast and crew, particularly Rami.
Rami Malek's vocals are in the film, but they're part of an assortment of different voices. The voice we hear as Freddie Mercury's in "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a mix of Malek and Mercury's vocals alongside those of Marc Martel, a singer famed for his impressive covers of Queen songs (via Metro).
That's precisely the mountain that Adam Lambert had to climb when joining Queen, replacing the one and only Freddie Mercury.
But it's Mariah Carey who takes the prize for the largest vocal range of all. She can reach a low F2 and hit an unbelievable G7, a note that dolphins would envy, and that only some dogs can hear.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY by Queen
But let's face it, Bohemian Rhapsody is just impossible to sing by yourself because of those multiple voices that are essential to the song. So, we recommend you take some friends with you, grab the mic, and just bring it on.
Based on the findings, Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose has demonstrated the greatest vocal range in studio. Mariah Carey comes in second, followed by Prince, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Christina Aguilera and David Bowie.
Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin were so close, that at one stage Freddie asked her to marry him, and he also left her half of his £75 million estate, including the £25 million Georgian mansion in Kensington.
He was a friend and he was a genius. I really loved him. If I could have one last conversation with anyone in my life, it's got to be Freddie. I was literally on my way to see him, less than half a mile away, when they rang me in my car and told me he had gone.
The following day (November 24, 1991), Freddie Mercury died at the age of 45 at his home in Kensington. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. His close friend, Dave Clark of The Dave Clark Five, was with him at his bedside when he died.
Rami Malek is wearing a wig in every single scene of Bohemian Rhapsody while Joseph Mazello, who plays John Deacon, had five different wigs throughout shooting. He also has his own hair permed, which, at the time, he didn't realise would be quite so 'permanent'.
Rami Malek, who plays late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, had to learn the piano for the first time in his life, apply prosthetic teeth, mimic an iconic falsetto voice, and capture a distinctly flamboyant stage presence.
MALEK: No. I'd never played a piano, never touched a piano. I had to learn the guitar, as well, for "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," which didn't make it into the film.