Rami Malek is an actor who has been active for almost 20 years. His first TV appearance was in an episode of Gilmore Girls, and in the following years he had several TV, film and theater roles. He gained more recognition with roles in films like Night at the museum and Breaking Dawn part 2and the show Mr Robot earned him an Emmy in 2016 and brought him more fame. He has played a variety of roles, from villains to rock stars to historical figures, and is one of the most talented actors of recent years, constantly giving dedicated performances that epitomize the role he plays. Here are his best performances, ranked.
8/8 Short Term 12 (2013)
In the underrated Short term 12Malek plays Nate, a new employee at a group home for troubled teens. Nate has a hard time adjusting to the job at first, and Malek manages to show Nate’s more hopeful and idealistic nature, and how that clashes with the reality of the house. It’s a small part, but one that he makes important to the film and its portrayal of trauma and healing.
7/8 The Little Things (2021)
The little things is a crime thriller about a series of murders in Los Angeles. As detective Jim Baxter, Malek, alongside Denzel Washington as sheriff’s deputy, lifts the material above his standard murder mystery base. He realistically portrays the detective’s corrupt methods and how he sunk into an obsession with solving cases. He also works well with Washington to build a strong team and add some character to the film.
6/8 Night in the Museum Trilogy (2006-2014)
The Night at the museum trilogy follows Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), security guard at a museum where all the displays magically come to life at night. One such display is the young pharaoh Ahkmenrah, played by Malek in his feature film debut. Malek brings an ancient pharaoh to life, and he becomes both a beloved friend of Larry and an enjoyable part of the series. He makes the most of every scene, and he even gets a bigger arc and emotional moment in the third movie, where he’s reunited with his family.
5/8 Papillon (2017)
Papillon is a remake of the 1973 film about Henri Charrière, a French convict who is wrongfully imprisoned, but escapes with the help of counterfeiter Louis Dega. Malek plays Dega alongside Charlie Hunnam as Henri. Malek captures Dega’s quiet intelligence and makes a suitable partner for Hunnam. Even with his softer nature, Malek shows how valuable Dega is to Henri in the prison breakout plan, bringing real emotion and humanity into their band and into the film.
4/8 No Time to Die (2021)
In No time to die, the recent James Bond film, Malek plays the villainous Safin. He spends the first half of the film taking revenge on Blofeld and Specter for killing his family, and Malek shows all the anger and heartbreak behind the plan. The rest of his plan to steal nanotechnology may have little motive, but Malek still makes Safin a terrifying villain. He feels really dangerous when he kidnaps Bond’s daughter and shoots Bond with infected nanobots. Despite not having the most depth in his villainy, Malek still makes Safin stand out.
3/8 Mal Heart Buster (2016)
Buster’s Mal Heart focuses on the title character, a mountain man named Buster, who is on the run and haunted by visions. We also learn about Buster’s past as Jonah, whose job broke his sanity. The film has a non-linear structure, which makes Malek’s performance even more incredible as the tone of each scene changes wildly, showing Buster and Jonah in their highs and lows. Malek heartbreakingly portrays all the losses and trauma that led to Buster being in his current state.
2/8 Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
In Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic of Queen singer Freddie Mercury, Malek faces the challenge of embodying one of the greatest singers of all time. Fortunately, he gets the opportunity. He captures every bit of Mercury’s bold confidence and heartfelt charisma, along with his quieter moments of solitude. He also has great chemistry with the band, all of which are great. Even Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, speaking to Deadline, said Malek — and the entire cast — really got the band going in a “creepy real” performanceand Malek won a well-deserved Oscar for it.
1/8 Mr. Robot (2015-2019)
The series Mr Robot follows Malek’s Elliot Alderson, a hacker at a security company. Suffering from anxiety and depression, he is recruited by the mysterious (and possibly hallucinated) Mr. Robot, leader of an anti-establishment movement. Malek fully earned his Emmy for his work on the series, which details Elliot’s mental health issues. In an interview with GQMalek said he studied cybersecurity and mental illness in preparation for the role, bringing all that knowledge to Elliot. He was the center of the show throughout the series, fun to watch even during confusing and highly technical episodes. The character felt real, especially when Malek showed all the past trauma and mind-blowing emotional journey that made him who he is.