With the recent release of the box-office-smashing Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, old and new fans alike have had the opportunity to see Freddie Mercury’s vibrant personality come alive on the big screen.
Portrayed by Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody‘s Mercury is larger than life at times. An often flamboyant man with a commanding stage presence and flair for fashion, Mercury naturally had his sassy moments in the movie, which didn’t stray too far from how he was in real life.
To celebrate the rock and roll icon, Billboard takes a look at some of Mr. Fahrenheit’s sassiest moments, in which he proved that he was definitely the Queen of all queens.
He Thinks of Himself as a ‘Musical Prostitute’
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Perhaps one of Mercury’s most famous solo interviews took place in Munich, Germany, in 1984 just before the release of Queen’s The Works album. When asked, “How would you describe yourself as an artist?” Mercury replies, “No, myself as an artist…I’m just a musical prostitute, dear.”
He Has a Very Specific Set of Hobbies
In a break after talking about the bandmembers’ solo ventures during The Works era, the interviewer asked Mercury if he has any hobbies. He cheekily replied, “I have none. I have a lot of sex. Try and get out of that one!”
He Jokes About Hitting Brian May When He Gets on His Nerves
In a 1984 interview with Lisa Robinson, Mercury talked about how difficult it was at times to get along with fellow bandmate and guitarist Brian May. “Every time I’m in the same same room with Brian, within five minutes we sort of start [to fight]. I haven’t hit him yet … but there’s still time!” Mercury said as he laughed at his own joke.
He Calls Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious by the Wrong Name… On Purpose
While Queen recorded their sixth studio album, News of the World, at London’s Wessex Studios, Sex Pistols‘ Sid Vicious appeared in the same studio during the time Queen was there. Vicious called into the room and said, “Have you succeeded in bringing ballet to the masses yet?” Unbothered by the weak insult, Mercury wasted no time coming up with a quick-witted response. “I called Sid Vicious and I called him Simon Ferocious, or something, and he didn’t like it at all. I said, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ He hated the fact that I could even speak like that,” Mercury later recalled of the encounter.
He Refuses to Tie His Own Shoelaces
While Queen got ready backstage before a Houston, Texas, show in 1977, Mercury waited around to be brought his own shoes while May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon are seen readying themselves. When the camera cuts back to Mercury, a staff member is seen fixing his shoelaces in a knot as he relaxes in the chair waiting for the staff member to finish. “Oh no, I never tie my own shoelace, I mean never! It’s just not the thing done in rock and roll, ” Mercury explained.