10 of the Best Rami Malek Movies and TV Shows You May Not Have Seen

Most of us know Rami Malek for his stunning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie became a major box office success and received numerous accolades. But did you know that this 37-year-old Oscar winner has played many outstanding roles before making his big cinematic leap?

We at Bright Side have chosen 10 of Rami Malek’s best movies and TV shows, that are definitely worth your attention.

1. Ahkmenrah (Night at the Museum)

The main character, Larry Daley, believes he is destined for something great but his ideas never seem to work out, and he is in a desperate search for a job. That’s why he has accepted to work as a security guard at a Museum, where he unearths a huge discovery. This story takes place in the American Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits mysteriously come to life.

Since an Egyptian curse has been unleashed, all the museum’s animals come to life when the museum closes at night. There, Rami appears as the pharaoh Ahkmenrah. His character will gain a more important role in the third installment Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. There we discover that a magic tablet belonging to his family is corroding, which later causes the exhibits to act unpredictably.

2. Finn (Need for Speed)

Need for Speed, the 2014 movie based on the famous video game series, gave Malek the chance to play Finn, a young member of a group of mechanics who split up after Tobey, the shop owner, gets wrongly jailed.

Tobey, a mechanic, has chosen to race muscle cars in an underground circuit. Upon an unfortunate series of events, he chooses to partner with the rich Dino — but he frames Tobey and the character ends up in jail. Finn, the professional mechanic, rejoins the group when Tobey is released. The mission is to restore a classic and expensive car to pay the workshop’s massive debt and take revenge on his friend who set the trap. Tobey is released after 2 years and the only way to get revenge is to win in a race. However, there is a time-limit, because he needs to escape from a bunch of cops.

3. Elliot Alderson (Mr. Robot)

One of Rami’s most famous roles was as the computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the TV series Mr. Robot (2015—present). Elliot is a young computer security expert who, for various reasons, ends up with a group of hackers called fsociety, whose main purpose is to tear down the banking system through cyberattacks.

Elliott is a very intelligent guy, but he suffers from anxiety problems, identity disorders, and depression. His life takes place in an unstable and confusing way, constantly fighting between what is real and what is only in his head.

This performance earned Malek a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

4. Jonah/Buster (Buster’s Mal Heart)

In the independent film Buster’s Mal Heart (2017), Rami first appears as a strange, long bearded man, nicknamed Buster, who lives in the mountains and runs from the authorities. Later we find out that Buster’s real name is Jonah, he’s a family man and former hotel concierge who suffers from psychological problems.

It is about a mountain man who is on the run from the authorities, and he survives in the cold winter by settling into vacation homes in different communities. He is a radio talk show host, and often has visions where he is lost at sea and has memories of when he was an ordinary, family man. Before his escape, he was a husband and dad. The movie explains the hurt he went through in his life and how he ends up alone in a mountain or the middle of the ocean.

5. Louis Dega (Papillon)

Just before the world premiere of Bohemian Rhapsody, a sneak peek into his acting prowess, later established by him winning an Oscar for his role as a frontman of Queen, Freddy Mercury, the movie Papillon was released in the United States. It’s based on the life of French convict Henri Charrière, nicknamed Papillon, who was imprisoned in 1933 for a crime he did not commit.

During his stay in prison, Papillon meets Louis Dega, played by Malek, a forger who helps him escape from the fearsome Devil Island where the prison is located.

6. Benjamin (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2)

Twilight is a romantic fantasy that was directed by Bill Condon. In the Twilight franchise’s final edition (2012), Rami Malek plays Benjamin, a vampire from the Egyptian coven, who has the ability to manipulate the elements of nature: air, water, earth, and fire.

If you are a Twilight fan, then you likely know he is the vampire who helped out Bella and Edward when the Volturi came for them.

7. Nate (Short Term 12)

In this independent film of 2013, Malek portrays Nate, a college guy who becomes a supervisor at a residence for troubled teenagers. Nate is not someone who has had issues, but according to him, he wants to help other young people who do have them. He comes from an upper middle class family and feels the need to have a cooperative experience with the residents. While there he meets Grace (Brie Larson), who is a young counsellor at this care unit for teenagers, another supervisor who, in addition to taking care of the teenagers, is fighting against her own turbulent past.

8. Merriel “Snafu” Shelton (The Pacific)

This miniseries that aired during 2010, brings us to the intervention of the United States in the Pacific War, based on the memories of 2 marines. Here Rami plays Merriel “Snafu” Shelton, a soldier born in Louisiana, an excitable youngster, a poker genius, but also someone who easily gets confused and lost. His scattered personality leads him to make mistakes and discuss any unfounded topic, especially when he is drunk or upset. The movie is made by creators of the Band of Brothers, and describes all the hardships of the regular man during war.

9. Marcos Al-Zacar (24)

Rami Malek has also appeared in the successful and multi-award-winning series 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland, which aired from 2001 to 2010. It is a serial drama, each episode consisting of one hour and happening in real time. In order to show the “real-world flow” of outcomes, there is a clock which is placed on screen throughout the series. Another unique feature of the show is that it includes a technique that shows more than one scene happening at the same time, called “split screen.”

There, Malek participated as a guest actor for 3 episodes, and embodied Marcos Al-Zacar, a terrorist from the Republic of Kamistan.

10. Kenny (The War at Home)

Rami also landed the role of Kenny in The War at Home series (that aired from 2005-2007). This sitcom follows the experiences of a dysfunctional family, Dave, Vicky, and their three children in New York, who are dealing with ordinary family issues. Because Dave had a father who would frequently pester him, he acted the same way with his family. Vicky is an attractive wife, who is obnoxious and constantly tries to deal with Dave’s behaviour.

Larry, his second oldest child, is a misfit who has emotional outbursts especially with his mother Vicky. Kenny is a young man who is forced to move to his best friend Larry’s house, after telling his parents that he is gay. Dave assumes his son Larry might be gay, but later in the series it is revealed that he isn’t, and that Kenny has a secret crush on him.

This show has 2 seasons in total but it wasn’t renewed for a third one.

Have you seen these movies or series? Which one has impacted you the most? Tell us in the comments!