Rami Malek Is Still Not Sure About This Acting Thing
The “Mr. Robot” star on the road from high school debate class to the Golden Globes, failed auditions and all.
With his mesmeric energy and intense eyes, Rami Malek is a unique screen star. He appeared in small but distinctive parts in films like The Master and prestige TV like the miniseries “The Pacific” — where even producer Steven Spielberg took note of his magnetism — before USA’s “Mr. Robot” made the most of an unusual talent. On the show, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe, Malek plays the troubled hacker Elliot Alderson, whose air of mystery suits Malek perfectly. For the Royals portfolio, we paired him with Kit Harington, another largely unknown star who burst into stardom on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
What was the first thing you auditioned for as an actor? I think it was a play, The Miracle Worker, about Hellen Keller.
Is there a male part in that? Oh, I was in high school or something. It was a very small part. But I got it.
Did you love being on stage? I did. I still love being on stage. There’s a thrill to that that never goes away. It always feels different, and the response you get from the audience is just so visceral. With film and TV, you have to wait to see what people think. And right there, that connection with an audience is like nothing else.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Los Angeles.
Did you do the circuit of the drama festivals doing scenes? No, I didn’t. Even growing up in Los Angeles, I never thought about doing that. I never thought about being an actor when I was a kid. I lived in the Valley, and I don’t think I even went over the hill, into Hollywood or Beverly Hills, until I was in high school. I didn’t even know it existed as far as I was concerned. It was the Valley, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys — that’s all I knew. I did grow up real close to Encino, but I thought that was L.A. for a long time. I guess I was pretty sheltered.
No, that’s normal. I was on the West Side and I didn’t know the Valley. I feel like I learned the Valley from Paul Thomas Anderson movies. Yeah. I did The Master with him. I was with Phil [Seymour Hoffman], with Joaquin [Phoenix].That was one of the most special moments of my life, working with Phil, and of course Paul. Paul always chastises me because I ended up moving to the West Side, and Paul thinks I’ve lost my Valley street cred.
So when did you decide, Okay, this is what I’m going to do? Ah, I’m still deciding. [Laughs] I think I’m still deciding if I want to do this for the rest of my life. You know, I saw this older woman, like a grandmother, in a TV show the other night. And I wondered, Is she still auditioning for that part? That’s a thought I was thinking. What does that feel like after all of those years of working and having so much respect to audition?
Tough. I don’t know. Yeah.
Well, you probably don’t have to audition now? Oh, I will always have to audition, I feel, because the the projects that I want to do are so competitive. And I don’t mind auditioning because I get to test myself in the room. There’s something that happens when you’re in the room, and you try something out, and you know you have the ability to do it in front of the camera when the time comes. So you feel like you have that in your pocket already.
Some people love auditioning because it’s their chance to act, you know, like if they’re not having a lot of success. You have a lot of success. But I’ve talked to actors who kind of enjoyed it because it was their 10 minute a day or whatever when they got to do a character.
What was the best audition you did where you didn’t get the part? Man. I really liked my audition for Jimmy Darmody, in “Boardwalk Empire.” That ended going to Michael Pitt, but it’s Michael Pitt. I can’t be too upset about that.
Do you wear different outfits for auditions, like girls do? Or do guys not do that? I’m generally a white t-shirt and jeans type of guy, you know, let the people behind the camera use their imagination.
What was the moment where you went, “Okay mom and dad, I’m going to be an actor”? My folks were the types who wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor. But I’ll tell you this: I went into debate in high school to do when I thought I might be a politician or a lawyer. And I was no good at debating, but they had this dramatic interpretation, and I could do that. I had a teacher who saw that in me, and he said do this play. And it was a one-man play, Zooman and the Sign, by Charles Fuller. And I remember being like 12 years old, and I picked it up, and it read, “My name is Zooman. I’m from the bottom.” And that line just hit me. And then the way I said it hit me. I was like, Who the heck were you right there? [Laughs]
And then I ended up doing that in the competition, and my mom and dad came to see me. And I saw something happen in their faces. Like, Oh, he might be able to do something with this. It was a real emotional movement that made me feel like this could be the thing.
Wow. So what was your first big part that you did get? I’d say my first big part that I really, really loved was playing Snafu in The Pacific, and that was produced by [Tom] Hanks and [Steven] Spielberg. That was a life changer. I just immersed myself in it. I remember going into that audition, and afterwards Tom had written a typed letter to the producer saying, you know, “This guy’s got haunting eyes.” And I was like, Great. At least my odd-looking eyes are compelling enough to get a call back from Tom.
That’s pretty cool. Yeah. I remember my final audition. You know, usually those auditions you have a young person behind the camera filming you. But this one was quite up there in age. And I’m doing the scene, and halfway through it I go, Holy shit. That’s Steven Spielberg holding the camera. So I was like, It’s now or never. Don’t blow this. Do not blow this.
Did you scream when you got that part? I was screaming. I think I still scream every time I get a phone call when I get a job I want.
When you got “Mr. Robot,” what happened? Screaming. I didn’t think I was going to get it. I don’t know why, but…
Now the show’s taken on this huge life of its own. I bet you can’t walk down the street now. Some lady stopped me the other day and said, “Oh, I love your show, and I’m showing it to all of my students. And I go, “Great!” I love teachers. And she goes, “I love robots.”
[Laughs] Do you know a lot about robots? No. [Laughs] That title did kind of throw me off when I read it.
It’s a great title, though, because it’s very mysterious. And you’re a mysterious character. More than just a mysterious character.
A mysterious person. We’ll see… We’ll see how long I can remain mysterious.
What were the Golden Globes like, when you won? It’s this feeling of euphoria that comes over you. I guess that’s why people get so touchy-feely. It’s like ecstasy.
Ecstasy is like one long award show. I guess if you go there and you don’t win, just pop a pill of ecstasy.
The 2016 Royals: Priyanka Chopra, Cindy Crawford, Chris Evans, Kanye West and More
Priyanka Chopra wears Burberry XO Barneys New York dress. Beauty: Burberry.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus wears Carolina Herrera dress; Pomellato earrings. Beauty: Nars.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Francelle. Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Irina Shayk wears Prada dress, harness, corset, belt, charm, agenda, tights, and shoes; Bulgari ring. Beauty: L’Oréal Paris.
Halle Berry wears Versace gown; Pasquale Bruni ring. Beauty: Revlon.
Hair by Castillo; by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY; Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Elle Fanning wears Gucci gown; Bulgari earrings; Dior Fine Jewelry rings; Marc Jacobs shoes. Beauty: Gucci.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi for Chanel;Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Jodie Foster wears Giorgio Armani dress; Harry Winston earrings; Mish New York cuff. Beauty: Giorgio Armani.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Kanye West wears Yeezy Season 3 hoodie and pants. Grooming: Clinique.
Hair by Ibn Jasper at Frank Reps. Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Chris Evans wears Berluti tuxedo; Simon Miller shirt; Tiffany & Co. watch. Grooming: Giorgio Armani.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Kit Harington wears Hermès suit; Vince hoodie; Boss T-shirt. Grooming: Aramis.
Grooming for Harington by Johnny Hernandez at Fierro Agency. Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Ethan Hawke wears Louis Vuitton coat; Simon Miller T-shirt; AMI Alexandre Mattiussi trousers; Church’s shoes. Grooming: Dior Homme.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi for Chanel; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Rami Malek wears No. 21 sweater; Prada pants, socks, and shoes. Grooming: Chanel.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY. Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
New Royalty: Television “When I was a teenager, I was a tomboy and had scars on my legs. But then I taught myself to take care of my body and my hair. It takes time, but if I can do it, anybody can. Today, my legs sell 12 or 15 products in my part of the world.”
Alexander McQueen jacket and dress; La Perla bra and shorts; Harry Winston ring.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Television “I don’t approach my work from a gender point of view. If people are talented, be they men or women or transgender, I’m into it. I want to play ball, and I want to play hard. And if you can do that with me, then we’re going to get along great.”
Oscar de la Renta dress; La Perla bra.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Francelle; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Superhero “In the 6th grade, I played the supporting lead in a play called “Crazy Camp.” I ended up dating one of the more popular girls as a result. The second the play was over, she dumped me. So, at a young age, I learned the power of getting a good role.”
Melet Mercantile T-shirt; Rag & Bone Standard Issue jeans.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Superhero “In Doctor Strange, I play Baron Karl Mordo, the first person to introduce Dr. Stephen Strange into a mystical, weird, and wonderful world. Mordo can transport between dimensions, and I studied quantum physics to understand the science behind his powers. Personally, I would rather be able to make myself invisible.”
Burberry jacket and trousers; Prada sweater.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Model “I hadn’t planned to be a model, but I went to beauty school and was discovered there. My big break was in 2007: the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Being Russian, I never imagined my career would involve swimsuits—I was raised with snow, and warm coats sounded a bit better to me. A swimsuit model has to stay in shape all the time. I love food, even though people think models don’t eat.”
Miu Miu dress, stole, and stockings; ring from Stephen Russell, New York.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Model “I grew up in a small town in Illinois, and I didn’t even know that modeling was a real job. My dad thought that ‘model’ was a nice word for prostitute. I did, however, have Calvin Klein jeans, and I knew about Brooke Shields and Seventeen magazine. That was my introduction to fashion.”
Stella McCartney dress; Curriculum Vitae bra.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Fashion “I have eight older sisters, so I started thinking about fashion when I was very young. I would customize clothes on my best girlfriend—putting together a man’s shirt with a Victorian dress. And, being a classic Leo, I would always give my opinion to my sisters. I would watch them put on makeup, and I’d tell them what I thought, which wasn’t always welcome. Of course, now they all wear my clothes. They are obsessed.”
Tisci’s own Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci sweater.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Fashion “I didn’t mind putting my name on underwear. Jockey had its name on the waistband, so why shouldn’t I? My daughter, Marci, said in an interview that it was strange to have sex with men who had my name on their underwear. I told her, ‘That’s not funny.’ But it is funny—just not when it’s your daughter.”
Klein’s own clothing.
Hair by Thom Priano for R+Co at Garren New York; Makeup by Régine Thorre; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Superhero “The costume for Supergirl is cute, but it’s difficult to put on. It’s not a one-person job: There’s a bodice on top of which muscles are added, because ain’t no way that I am that muscular. And the cape is its own special thing. The costume lives under lock and key. If I wanted to wear it for Halloween, I’d have to stage a mission to steal it.”
Valentino dress; Tiffany & Co. necklace.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi for Chanel; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Superhero “I loved being Catwoman. I was a gymnast growing up, so I got to use all of those skills for the role. I hated cats going into it, but I learned about the psychology of them—and I came out of that movie a die-hard cat lover.”
Alexandre Vauthier dress.
Hair by Castillo; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicures by Honey at Exposure NY.
Set design by Philipp Haemmerle.
Classic Royalty: Television “On Game of Thrones, there were a couple of weeks when it looked like I was going to die. I thought, Maybe this is it. Then I found out I wasn’t going to die, so I had to keep this massive secret from everybody. I did tell my parents, though: ‘All right, Mom and Dad, you’re in on this now.’ They then went about lying to everyone. They relished it, I think. They’re quite dramatic, my parents.”
Derek Rose pajama set.
Grooming by Johnny Hernandez at Fierro Agency; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Television “I am a troublemaker, for sure. I have a pretty cool scene coming up in Mr. Robot, and I’ve already talked to my makeup artist about bringing something that is not going to go over too well with the costume department: blood. A lot of blood. Our costumes are one-of-a-kind, so I could get into a lot of trouble. But you’ve got to take some risks in life.”
Prada pants, socks, and shoes.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Renaissance Woman “My parents always encouraged us to do what we believed in. There’s a funny interview from when I was 5 or 6 years old: My dad is interviewing me, and my mom walks in and says, ‘You are Wonder Woman.’ That’s one of my most vivid childhood memories.”
Chanel Haute Couture dress; Cartier bracelet; Chanel flats.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Renaissance Woman “I don’t think I’m particularly brave. I’m confident in my opinions about making films, but there are tons of things that I’m really just a child about. For instance, I have a fear of picking up the phone and asking someone, ‘Would you like to have lunch with me?’ Little things that other people learned in Adolescence 101 have always scared me.”
Saint Laurent jacket and trousers; Boss turtleneck; (right hand) Repossi ring.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Independent Film “I was 10 years old, going to a small public school in Palestine, Texas, when casting directors came through and asked kids to audition for a movie. The film was The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick. They saw around 10,000 kids, and I ended up getting the role. I’m 19 now, and I have been acting ever since.”
Prada jacket and pants.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi for Chanel;Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Set design by Philipp Haemmerle; Lighting technician: Lars Beaulieu; digital technician: Johnny Vicari; photography assistants: Felix Kim, Javier Villegas; fashion assistants: Ryann Foulke, Dena Giannini, Sam Walker, Anastasya Kolomytseva Anita Lau; hair assistants: Adlena Dignam, jennifer kim, dale delaporte; makeup assistants: Tayler Treadwell, Mariko Hirano, Robert Reyes, Takahiro Okada; set design assistants: Theo Volpatti, Ryan Stenger, Valentin Haemmerle, Matt Solis; special thanks to Highline Stages and Spring Studios, New York.
Classic Royalty: Independent Film “I did Born to Be Blue, the story of Chet Baker’s midlife crisis, because it was something I could relate to. I was 18 when Dead Poets Society came out, and that success didn’t leave me far to go. We all like to feel that we’re growing better and stronger and improving every year of our lives, but when you peak at a young age, you have a long way to fall.”
Jil Sander sweater; AMI Alexandre Mattiussi trousers.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi for Chanel; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Renaissance Man “To me, Will Ferrell is royalty. He is one of my personal gods. I would like Will Ferrell to play me in The Kanye West Story. Can you make that happen?”
Yeezy Season 3 sweatshirt; Hoorsenbuhs necklace.
Hair by Ibn Jasper at Frank Reps; Hair by Ibn Jasper at Frank Reps; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Society “Growing up, we lived in the Waldorf Towers. My classmates used to call my sister, Paris, and me the Eloises of the Waldorf. If there were events in the ballroom, we were always sneaking in and spying on people. We did everything but order room service. Room service was off-limits.”
Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini cape and dress; Nili Lotan dress (underneath); Chopard earrings; Harry Winston necklace; Chanel Fine Jewelry rings; Wolford tights; Miu Miu pumps.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi for Chanel; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Society “I have always loved fashion and was lucky enough to live through the era of great couture designers. In the early ’80s, Azzedine Alaïa took a piece of jersey and draped it on me. He then took chalk and marked out the dress on my body. When I received the finished dress, it was stitched where he had placed the chalk marks. It fit like a glove then. Now it fits more like Spanx.”
RR 331 by Ralph Rucci coat and top; earrings from Stephen Russell, New York; Munnu the Gem Palace bangles; Perrin Paris gloves.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
New Royalty: Independent Film “After The Witch screened at the Sundance Film Festival last year, everything changed really, really quickly. It’s like I went to Sundance and never went back home. Suddenly I was offered all these parts, most of them crazy. But that’s perfect: Crazy people are kind of my thing.”
Giambattista Valli dress; Chopard earrings; Tiffany & Co. rings; Gucci tights.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Aaron de Mey at Art Partner; manicures by Honey at Exposure NY.
Classic Royalty: Independent Film “No script is too weird for me. If it’s superweird, I am all in. My latest film, The Neon Demon, is beyond wacky. There is necrophilia and cannibalism, and I die. When I read the script, I thought, Oh, my God—this is insane and I can’t wait to do it.”
Balenciaga dress and boots; Hemmerle earrings; (right hand) Tiffany & Co. rings; (left hand, from left) Harry Winston ring, Tiffany & Co. ring.
Hair by James Pecis for Oribe Hair Care; Makeup by Fulvia Farolfi for Chanel; Manicure by Honey at Exposure NY.
