There is no doubt Freddie would have roared with laughter at the thought a film of his life would be summed up as “dwarves, cocaine and buggery.” No doubt the disgruntled fans who complained the movie glossed over the more extreme parts of his life would also have approved. But what so many fans (and critics) failed to understand is that Bohemian Rhapsody was never intended to be that sort of story. There is definitely a place for a warts and (dwarves) and all depiction of the grittier side of his tale but Bohemian Rhapsody never set out to be that film, nor should it be judged against that. Except one man wanted it to be that and more. May and Taylor reveal what happened.
In a new interview with Mojo magazine, the Queen icons give an in-depth retrospective look at their career and the making of all the music across the decades – and the recent film.
Taylor opens up about what happened when Sacha Baron Cohen was originally in talks to play Freddie: “It would have been a completely different film. Sacha wanted dwarves with cocaine on their heads… and buggery (laughs). My God!
“We wanted it to be a family film, something everybody could see.
“It went through 17 scripts.”
May has spoken very bluntly about the problems with the actor and Cohen’s later accusations.
May told Classic Rock website Louder Sounds: “Sacha became an ar*e. We had some nice times with Sacha kicking around ideas but he went off and told untruths about what happened.
“Why would he go away and say that we didn’t want to make a gritty film? Are we the kind of people who have ever ducked from the truth? I don’t think so.”
QUEEN STARS REVEAL WHY BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY CHANGED THE FACTS “WE TOOK LIBERTIES”
We decided he wasn’t right for the role for very good reasons, which will become apparent if you watch what he’s done recently. It’s obvious that it wasn’t going to work, him playing Freddie. It wouldn’t suspend your disbelief.”
“That was a near-disaster. I think we realised just in time what a disaster that was going to be. And it actually wasn’t rocket science to figure that out. But yeah, that’s one of the rocks that we nearly hit.”
MOJO JULY ISSUE IS OUT NOW