Ahead of tomorrow’s (Tuesday September 28) flashy world premiere of new Bond flick No Time To Die, actor Rami Malek was spotted outside a swanky London hotel on Monday.
The Oscar winner, who plays villain Lyutsifer Safin, was seen by the Corinthia Hotel with a member of the film’s team, as he worked on the 007 movie’s promotion campaign.
Malek was dressed in smart navy trousers and a red sweater, which he paired with a black belt and black shoes.
The star also sported black sunglasses and a white surgical mask as he negotiated his vehicle’s door.
The 40-year-old, who attracted wide acclaim for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, also earned an Emmy Award for his role as computer hacker Elliot Alderson in Mr Robot.
He is joined in No Time To Die’s starry cast by the likes of Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes and, of course, Daniel Craig in his fifth and final outing as Ian Fleming’s suave operative.
No Time To Die’s casting director revealed to Metro.co.uk that Malek had been offered his role in the movie in an unusual way, after being approached at a party.
Casting director Debbie McWilliams explained that she’d had difficulty getting in touch with the actor through his agent, after hearing that Bond bosses were ‘very keen to cast somebody younger, to appeal to a younger audience, and somebody who is just that bit different’.
Spotting him at an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences party following an early Bohemian Rhapsody screening, McWilliams decided to take things into her own hands.
She recalled: ‘I just marched up to him and I said, “Hello, we’ve been trying to contact you for the James Bond film, has anybody been in touch?” And he went, “Hold on a minute”, and was on his phone within seconds, and was in our office the next day.’
A lesson to us all that party networking is sometimes worth it.
The casting professional also explained that Malek didn’t even have to audition, as everyone ‘knew he was they guy’.
No Time To Die is released in UK cinemas on Friday September 30.
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