Who Is The Actor That Plays Brian May In Bohemian Rhapsody?

Bohemian Rhapsody was met with a warm reception following its 2018 release. The Academy Award-winning film depicted the meteoric rise of the chart-topping British rock band Queen and the life and struggles of their eccentric lead singer, Freddie Mercury. Rami Malek starred in the film as Mercury, along with Gwilym Lee, who played the group's lead guitarist Brian May. They each received praise for their portrayals in the film, with Malek winning an Academy Award for Best Actor and Lee earning a nomination for a SAG Award, along with the rest of the cast.

"My first introduction to Queen was through my older brother actually," Lee told uDiscover Music, sharing a memory of listening to their cassettes with his brother while growing up in London. At the age of 11, Lee landed his first on-screen role and worked his way up, starring in 2010's The Tourist alongside Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. 

By then, the UK native was already a classically trained thespian who studied at Cardiff University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His stage work landed him roles in Shakespearean plays like Hamlet and Richard III, as well the Royal National Theatre's production of the Greek tragedy Oedipus. Along with his role in Bohemian Rhapsody, Lee is also recognized for his portrayal in the British television series Midsomer Murders, Fresh Meat, and Land Girls. Since appearing in Bohemian Rhapsody, Lee's star has only risen.

Gwilym Lee is one actor who proudly boasts his work on his Instagram page. Labeling himself as a "London based pretender," a majority of the actor's posts highlight his onscreen roles. "What you lookin at??," he captioned one still image from a scene of Hulu's The Great, where he plays the role of Grigor. He shared his excitement after he and the cast were nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. "Look at my stupid face! That's how chuffed I am to be a part of the brilliantly talented and supremely funny cast of @thegreathulu that has been nominated for a @sagawards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series," captioned a selfie holding his nomination certificate. "We get a nice certificate and everything." 

He has used his platform to share posts motivating his fellow Brits to register to vote, as well as sharing his love for sports. As far as his personal and private life, he does a good job of keeping it just that: personal and private. With his role of Brian May being one of his most beloved thus far, Lee doesn't shy away from honoring the memory of Queen whenever he can. "I was on the road – but how could I resist stopping off to pay homage to Freddie in Montreux," he captioned a photo in front of Freddie Mercury's statue. It's not hard to guess why.