Yesterday afternoon the 91st Academy Award nominations were revealed live from Los Angeles. And Bohemian Rhapsody’s Malek is among the nominees for Best Actor after his incredible performance as Freddie Mercury. But it turns out the 37-year-old didn’t even know the Oscar nominations were out that day. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Malek said: “I didn’t realise it was today, because I try never to ask anybody when these moments are.”
Malek continued: “I’m in Paris working…. Then the telephone started fluttering away, and it’s a beautiful snowy day, so there’s something quite magical the way it’s happening.
“It’s just something you never expect to happen. It’s like a distant dream that actors have and hope for to some degree.
“But it’s never really felt in the realm of possibilities — it’s a pretty joyous occasion to say the least.”
Asked if it felt possible after his Golden Globes win, Malek admitted it was still shocking.
The actor added: “I guess at that point, you start to consider it. I’m always so thankful that I get to be a working actor.
“The percentage of people who get to do this is so small that getting accolades like this seems so distant always, whether you’ve received awards in the past or not.
“But I think perhaps after getting the Globe, it seemed more attainable — but there’s something about hearing the words that you’re an Oscar-nominated actor that are still going to be incredibly shocking. It’s a profoundly humbling moment for me.”