The role that helped change the trajectory of Rami Malek's acting career was from a series that's been dubbed as 'better than Breaking Bad'.
From playing a Bond villain, to winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury - Malek has clearly achieved 'superstar' status over the last decade.
But if it wasn't for his TV performance as computer hacker Elliot Alderson, he may not have got himself a seat at the big table.
The techno-noir cult thriller, titled Mr. Robot, follows the story of Elliot Alderson, a cyber-security engineer who becomes a hacker by night.
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“Elliot, a brilliant but highly unstable young cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker, becomes a key figure in a complex game of global dominance when he and his shadowy allies try to take down the corrupt corporation he works for,” reads the synopsis.
It was first released in 2015 and lasted for four seasons, up until 2019.
Taking to X (Twitter) one fan branded it ‘better than Breaking Bad’, which is certainly a bold statement to make.
“Just finished rewatching MR ROBOT cuz this might be the greatest show ever created on this fkin planet cuz I wanna rewatch it over again & again," they wrote.
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"Man it’s even better than Breaking Bad, Sam Esmail and Rami Malek just take a bow. What geniuses. Fkin nailed it. Whaaaata masterpiece.”
And another fan said: “This show demands multiple viewing tbh I’m out of words to describe the writing, it was next level.
“Mr Robot is still playing in my head. Pure acting masterclass from all the cast and crew. Elliot will forever be my fav character.”
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The complex lead role as an unhinged drug-addicted/mentally unstable computer hacker no doubt helped pave the way for his unbelievable success.
Pre-production for Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) began in July 2017, as Malek picked up the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Mr Robot.
"I play a young man who is, like so many of us, profoundly alienated," he said during his acceptance speech. "I want to honor the Elliots. There's a little bit of Elliot in all of us."
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And Bohemian Rhapsody went on to become the highest-grossing musical biopics of all time.
"I think about what it would have been like to tell little bubba Rami that one day this might happen to him, and I think his curly-haired mind would have been blown. That kid was struggling with his identity," he said during his Oscar-winning speech, adding that for anyone struggling with that, 'we made a film about a gay man and an immigrant who was unapologetically himself'.
"[It's] proof we're longing for stories like this. Part of my story is being written right now, and I could not be more grateful."
All four seasons of Mr Robot are available to stream on ITVX now.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity
Anish Vij