Rami Malek Checks Photographer's Camera on Red Carpet

Rami Malek took a unique approach to posing for photos on the red carpet at The Man I Love premiere, held during the Toronto International Film Festival. Malek paused his photos with co-star Tom Sturridge to inspect a photographer's camera.

The actor, 45, was seen lifting his sunglasses to get a closer look at the photograph before rejoining Sturridge, 40, to continue posing. Malek wore a bold blue patterned shirt layered under a navy velvet blazer and black trousers, while Sturridge opted for a classic black suit with a white shirt, black tie, and sunglasses.

The film, The Man I Love, is set in late 1980s New York and centers on Jimmy George, portrayed by Malek, a Downtown performance artist living with AIDS who faces a potentially final great role.

Malek had previously expressed reservations about playing a gay man in the new drama, given his Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury, who died from AIDS-related complications. "When I read the script, I said, 'I can't do this. There's too many similarities. It could be problematic,'" Malek stated at a press conference. Despite initial fear, he questioned what he was afraid of, whether it was the similarities, the singing, or the historical period. He ultimately trusted director Ira Sachs, believing he was in "extraordinary hands" to push him. Malek also noted that while Mercury and his character share similarities, they are also "worlds apart" and "radically different figures."

Sachs described casting Malek as Jimmy George, stating the role required someone with "mystery, potential for the unexpected, but also truly a star quality," as a universe revolves around the character in the film. Malek expressed his admiration for Sachs's unique perspective and voice, hoping the film introduces more people to his work. The actor considered the role of Jimmy a "very big risk worth taking," describing the film as being about "people who create and what that costs."

The Man I Love premiered at the 79th Annual Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or and Queer Palm. Following its screening, the film received an eight-minute standing ovation, an event Malek became emotional about. Sachs reflected that the film is about "what we can bring to each other through art, through love, through pain, through memory."

The cast of The Man I Love also includes Tom Sturridge, Luther Ford, Rebecca Hall, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The film's premise describes it as following "an artist [who] experiences a precious window between sickness and mortality - a time when beauty and love remain within reach."