Entertainment Movies Historical Movies 'Bohemian Rhapsody': See the Cast Side-by-Side with the Real Rockers They Play in the Film "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" It's a bit of both, really — check out the actors who portray the Queen musicians in the biopic about the iconic British band and its enigmatic lead singer By Ale Russian Ale Russian Ale Russian is a contributing writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023. Her work has appeared in Women's World, First For Women, Biography.com and the Chicago Sun-Times. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 19, 2022 11:56AM EDT Close From left: Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Joseph Mazzello and Rami Malek. Photo: Alex Bailey/Twentieth Century Fox In the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello and Gwilym Lee portray the four members of the rock band Queen, which took the world by storm with their anthemic tunes. The group got its start in London in the 1970s, forming after vocalist Freddie Mercury joined up with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, already a fan of theirs from their band, Smile. They were later joined by bassist John Deacon and eventually topped the charts with their experimental sound and string of hits. Their music video for “Bohemian Rhapsody” — created years before MTV even existed — became as iconic as the song itself. The band received a resurgence of popularity after the release of the blockbuster film, which grossed more than $900 million worldwide and won four Oscars, including Best Actor for Malek. Below, see the Bohemian Rhapsody actors alongside the masterful musicians they portray in the film. 01 of 06 Freddie Mercury and Rami Malek Freddie Mercury and Rami Malek. Phil Dent/Redferns; Alex Bailey/Twentieth Century Fox The highlight of the lead-up to this movie was getting to glimpse at just how much Malek looked like Mercury. From Mercury's recreated looks to his swagger, Malek transforms into the legendary rock star and nails several performance scenes. Not to mention the immaculately recreated mustache and fake teeth. For his embodiment of Queen's frontman in all his charismatic glory, Malek won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film. 02 of 06 Brian May and Gwilym Lee Rob Verhorst/Redferns; Alex Bailey/Twentieth Century Fox Brian May, Queen's lead guitarist, was close with Mercury. Played by Gwilym Lee, May was one of the original members of the band that Mercury joined and eventually became Queen. "I think about Freddie all the time, really. There certainly isn't a day where I don't have some sort of thought about him," he said in a 2011 Telegraph interview. "I have been to the extremes, where I have found it very painful, and I couldn't talk about him. But I don't feel that anymore. He's part of our lives, still, in a very real way." 03 of 06 Roger Taylor and Ben Hardy Michael Putland/Getty; Alex Bailey/Twentieth Century Fox Roger Taylor was also part of the original band, then called Smile, which Mercury later joined. After seeing them play a few times and becoming a fan, Mercury linked up with Taylor and May for what would ultimately become Queen. The drummer has gone on to have a successful solo and collaborative career after Mercury's death and still performs with May in Queen's current lineup. 04 of 06 John Deacon and Joseph Mazzello Michael Putland/Getty; Alex Bailey/Twentieth Century Fox The man behind Queen's hit "Another One Bites the Dust," bass guitarist John Deacon played with the band up until Mercury's death. He later retired in 1997 from the music industry and hasn't taken part in any other reunion projects May and Taylor have done. He was also the last member of Queen to join the band. 05 of 06 Mary Austin and Lucy Boynton Monitor Picture Library/Photoshot/Getty; Alex Bailey/Twentieth Century Fox Boynton plays an important part in the movie and Mercury's life as Mary Austin. The two became engaged in 1973 and continued their relationship until a few years later when Mercury came out to Austin as bisexual. The two stayed intimately close, and she helped care for him when he died in 1991. "All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary, but it's simply impossible," Mercury said in a 1985 interview. "The only friend I've got is Mary, and I don't want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage. We believe in each other, that's enough for me." 06 of 06 John Reid and Aidan Gillen Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; 20th Century Fox Gillen portrays John Reid, who became Queen's manager in 1975. Reid represented Elton John at the time and then worked on behalf of the band. Queen parted ways with Reid in 1978 after the band said they wanted to manage themselves, according to Reid in the documentary Days of Our Lives.