London: Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek opened up about experiencing racial profiling in the US, revealing he was once ‘thrown’ onto the hood of a police car after being mistaken for a robbery suspect in California.
The Egyptian American actor, known for his roles in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘The Little Things’, recounted the incident during an interview with British news outlet ‘The Guardian’.
“I got thrown on the bonnet of an LAPD cop car because someone had robbed a liquor store and stolen a woman’s bag. They said the thief was of Latin descent and ‘You fit the description’. I remember how hot that engine was - it was almost burning my hands,” Malek said.
A friend accompanying the actor informed the officers that Malek was actually Egyptian, not Latin. “I remember laughing on the cop car, thinking, ‘OK, this is a very precarious situation. I may well be going to jail for something I’ve not done,’” he added.
The 43-year-old actor, who grew up outside of Los Angeles as the son of Egyptian immigrant parents, also reflected on issues of identity and othering he has faced in the US. “I don’t know how you ever get over that. I’m what’s called ‘white-passing’, but I have very distinctive features and we definitely didn’t fit in,” Malek said.
Malek’s next project is an action thriller, titled ‘The Amateur’.