Brian May’s Kids Thought His Voice Was Dubbed Over Gwilym Lee in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
Brian May is one of the greatest rock guitarists in the music industry – a man who has made history on numerous occasions and is still performing to this day. As a founding member of the rock band Queen, May rose to fame in the ’70s, co-writing songs like “We Will Rock You,” “Hammer to Fall,” and “I Want It All.”
Ever since, he’s been a major cultural icon, immortalized in the 2018 musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. In a 2021 interview, May revealed his thoughts on Gwilym Lee, the actor who played May in the biopic – noting that Lee’s performance was so uncannily accurate that he even fooled May’s children.
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ tells the story of the rock band Queen
Released in 2018, Bohemian Rhapsody focused on the inception and evolution of Queen, the rock band that became known for stadium-rocking anthems and iconic rock gems.
Although Rami Malek’s award-winning performance as lead singer Freddie Mercury was the role that received the lion’s share of critical attention, all the actors cast in the film did an incredible job of inhabiting the rockers that they portrayed.
Gwilym Lee played May, in a tour-de-force performance that not only impressed fans and critics but May’s own family. In an August 2021 interview with Radio X, May opened up about Lee’s performance, revealing that the actor really nailed his unique vocal intonations and speech cadence, and admitting that even May’s kids were fooled by the way that Lee played him onscreen.
What did Brian May say about Gwilym Lee’s performance in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’?
In his interview with Radio X, May admitted that he thinks Lee is an “extraordinary actor.” The rock icon noted “I was a little nervous to have someone playing me on the screen. It’s not an easy thing to contemplate…as soon as I met Gwilym, I realized he was to the job and more.”
May explained that he spent time with Lee, showing him how he plays some of his signature riffs and noting that he could see Lee absorbing his playing style. “What I didn’t realize was that he was absorbing me as a character as well,” May said.
“He was absorbing my voice, my body language, my whole kind of presence. So much so that when I showed it to my kids, the rushes of Bohemian Rhapsody, they thought that I’d done his voice – they said ‘he’s really good isn’t he dad, but obviously you did the voice, right?'”
May again praised Lee’s work as “amazing,” saying that the two remain good friends to this day.
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ became a hugely popular music biopic
Bohemian Rhapsody was a sensation when it was first released, garnering numerous awards and accolades – including four Academy Awards, according to IMDb. While some critics pointed out a number of inaccuracies when it came to Mercury’s notoriously controversial personal life, fans were convinced that when it came to music biopics, Bohemian Rhapsody was the one to beat.
To this day, the film remains one of the most popular rock biopics ever made – thanks in no small part to the intense, emotional performances by every member of the cast.
Clearly, May and his kids were not only convinced by Lee’s performance as the guitar legend but were totally enamored of his process, as well. If a sequel to the hit biopic ever comes about, there’s no doubt that Lee would be the go-to to reprise his role as May.
