So, when the Queen guitarist says Sacha Baron Cohen is the best choice to play the band's legendary singer, Freddie Mercury, in an upcoming film about the group, you can pretty much take that to the bank.
In a new interview with the Daily Record, May reveals that Ali G star Sacha has been telling the band for years he was born to play Freddie in the biopic, due to begin filming this year.
"We have resisted making this film for a long time,” says Brian, “and it is only now we feel we have the right people that we have given it the OK. Sacha does seem perfect. If it hadn't been for Sacha pushing and pushing, we wouldn't be at this point. We didn't choose him. He chose us. He is passionate about playing Freddie. For years, he's been saying he is going to do it."
Brian says the rest of Queen have been reluctant to agree to the film, which will have a screenplay by Oscar-winning writer Peter Morgan. He still has mixed feelings.
"Obviously, we go into it with a great amount of enthusiasm,” notes May, “but also a certain amount of caution because Freddie's legacy is very precious and we have a great responsibility not to mess it up. It is more about Freddie than it is about us and that is deliberately so.”
Freddie died of Aids-related pneumonia in 1991 at the age of 45.
Queen are currently celebrating their 40th Anniversary with a series of public exhibitions, tributes, compilations and reissues of their classic catalogue.
Read more of Brian May’s interview at The Daily Record here.
Queen Queen – Hammer To Fall
Live Aid
Wembley Stadium – London, UK - July 13, 1985
See also:
Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody named British Army's favorite song
Queen: Rock In Rio 2011 to pay tribute to Freddie Mercury
Queen: second round of reissues on the way
Guns N’ Roses: Queen’s Brian May talks about his work on Chinese Democracy
Queen: Brian May to receive 2011 Eddy Christiani Award
