Rami Malek Calls Out Bond 25 Set Rumors as ‘Something That Was Fabricated’
Following his Oscar win for Best Actor earlier this year, Rami Malek dove headfirst back into work thanks to the final season of his USA drama series “Mr. Robot” and his upcoming villain role in Bond 25. The actor is shooting both at the same time, using his weeks off from “Mr. Robot” to head to London for 007, and Malek tells Digital Spy that juggling both “it is very, very taxing.”
The Bond 25 production has been full of drama, starting with Daniel Craig’s on-set injury that required surgery and at least two weeks of physical therapy. Then there was the explosion that injured a crew member and various rumors that the script is being overhauled on a daily basis. Another rumor, alleging director Cary Fukunaga has been skipping out on filming to play video games, has already been dispelled by the filmmaker himself. Many reports claim the Bond 25 set is in chaos, with all of the drama resulting in key scenes between Malek and Craig being removed because they’re unable to be filmed. Malek says this is not the case.
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“The key scenes is something that was fabricated,” Malek said. “But the thing is, Daniel was injured, so they are shooting what they can. I talked to Cary yesterday and the schedule has been altered. I know that. But with a franchise like this, I think they have it together. They have it figured out by now.”
Malek would not reveal any information about his mysterious villain, although he admitted he is feeling the pressure of the role. “I feel a substantial weight on my shoulders,” the actor said. “I mean, Bond is something that we all grow up with. The one thing I have going for me is I played one beloved Brit in Freddie Mercury and I pulled that off, so I feel like I can possibly have a shot at playing the villain in a Bond film.”
One reason Malek felt comfortable taking on the role was because the Bond 25 villain is not tied to a specific religion. The Egyptian-American actor said he would’ve turned down the role had the character been given a specific religious identity.
“Another thing that I discussed with Cary; I said we cannot identify him with any act of terrorism reflecting an ideology or a religion,” Malek said. “That’s not something I would entertain, so if that is why I am your choice then you can count me out. But that was clearly not his vision.”
MGM will open Bond 25 in theaters nationwide April 8, 2020.
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