Rami Malek's relatives in Egypt celebrate his Oscar victory
Rami Malek's relatives in Egypt huddled around a
TV set at home as if cheering the national soccer team, but they were
celebrating his first best actor Oscar for his role in "Bohemian
Rhapsody."
Rami's 24-year-old cousin, Fadi, said uncles,
aunts and their children had gathered at the family house in the hamlet of
Feltaous in Minya province, 265 km (165 miles) south of Cairo, to watch the
Academy Awards live from Los Angeles.
When Rami's name was announced as best actor, the
family erupted in jubilation, hugging each other and dancing for joy.
"It was like watching Egypt score a goal to
win the cup," Fadi told Reuters by telephone from Feltaous. "It wasn't
a win for the family only, but also for Egypt."
The family called Rami's mother in the United
States to congratulate her on the honour and invite their celebrity cousin to
visit Egypt.
"Auntie Nelly (Rami's mother) said she and
Rami were eager to visit," said Rami, another cousin of Malek, a Los
Angeles native of Egyptian descent.
Malek, 37, had emerged as a favorite for the
Oscar in recent weeks after winning Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and
British BAFTA awards for playing late frontman Freddie Mercury of British rock
band Queen in "Bohemian Rhapsody".
In his acceptance speech, Rami noted that he was
"the son of immigrants from Egypt...I'm a first-generation American and
part of my story is being written right now," he said to applause.
Rami, who is also in his 30s, said Rami's talents
were evident when he visited Egypt as a high school student back in the 1990s
for the first time since his family emigrated to the United States in 1979.
"I did not imagine then that Rami would
become a world famous actor, but he clearly loved acting," Rami said.