Rami Malek Says He Was Once Racially Profiled by LAPD, Thought He Would Go to Jail
Rami Malek opened up about his experiences with racism and recalled a situation where he said that he was racially profiled by the Los Angeles Police Department.
If you were unaware, the 43-year-old Bohemian Rhapsody is Egyptian and grew up in Los Angeles.
In a new interview, Rami said that he is “white passing” but had “distinctive features.” He added that growing up he “definitely didn’t fit in.”
Later in the interview, he described a run-in with the LAPD where he thought that he would be arrested simply because of the way that he looked.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I got thrown on the bonnet of an LAPD cop car because someone had robbed a liquor store and stolen a woman’s bag,” he told The Guardian. “They said the [thief] was of Latin descent and, ‘You fit the description.’ I remember how hot that engine was, they must have been racing over there and it was almost burning my hands.”
Rami‘s story continued: “My friend, who was Caucasian, was clever enough to go, ‘Actually, sir, he’s 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 did not provide any additional details on the situation, but we’ll update you if we learn more.