Actor Rami Malek, who played Queen’s frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, says he understands the struggle to seek an identity in a world one doesn’t fit in. Bohemian Rhapsody, a biopic on the late singer and the band, explores the rise of the band with a focus on Mercury’s personal life, his sexuality and the way he dealt with his fame.

“I’m a first-generation American. I can understand what it feels like to be different... feel like a fish out of water and struggle to identify who I am in a place where I feel like I didn’t necessarily fit in,” says Malek.

And that is the reason he was attracted towards Bohemian Rhapsody, which was released in India by Fox Star Studios. “I don’t want to do those type of films all the time, but when it presents itself, it’s a nice challenge to test one’s self, like that, and tell that story. I gravitate to history, and an opportunity like this is hard to pass up.”

Malek appreciates the diversity dialogue in Hollywood, but feels there is still a long way to go. “The diversity movement in Hollywood is something that I’m very respectful of. I think we’ve come a long way, but there’s still so much further to go. The Me Too movement has been one of the most unique and special times that the industry has seen. And not just the industry — the world. We have to continue in this direction on all those levels because there are doors that are still not open for people,” he says.