Egyptians hail new ‘Pharaoh’ Malek
Social media full of praise for best actor
CAIRO: Egyptians hailed Rami Malek as a new “Pharaoh” after he won the best actor Oscar for his performance as rock singer Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Malek, an American of Egyptian origin, received the award on Sunday for his portrayal of the gay icon and lead singer of iconic British band Queen.
On social media, Egyptians highlighted a quote from his Oscar acceptance speech: “I am the son of immigrants from Egypt.”
Malek’s family are Coptic Christians from the Upper Egypt province of Minya.
Their “entire village was up until 5 o’clock in the morning” to watch the Oscars ceremony, said 24-year old Fady Essam, Malek’s cousin.
“We called his mother to congratulate her
and urged her to bring him to Egypt to hold a huge celebration for him.”
Egypt’s Immigration Minister Nabila Makram also congratulated Malek for his Oscar win.
Social media was filled with praise on trending hashtags carrying Malek’s name in Arabic and English, while many hailed Egypt’s new “Pharaoh”.
Grappling with a tattered economy and a crackdown on dissent, Egyptians often take comfort from compatriots who make it on the international stage.
One example is Liverpool star striker Mohamed Salah, who was born and raised in a Nile Delta village, and is adored by millions at home.