"I Remember How Hot That Engine Was": Rami Malek Got Real About Being Racially Profiled By The LAPD

Rami Malek got real about what sounds like a pretty scary situation with the police.

Rami Malek in pinstripe suit with glasses, standing indoors, arms crossed
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In a new interview with the Guardian, the Oscar-winning actor — who is Egyptian — claimed that he was once racially profiled by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Rami Malek in a casual cardigan and sunglasses poses in front of a backdrop with "Giornate degli Autori" text
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“I got thrown on the bonnet of an LAPD cop car because someone had robbed a liquor store and stolen a woman’s bag,” he recalled, before claiming that he was told the suspect was "of Latin descent."

Rami Malek at an event wears a dark suit with a bow tie, posing for photos
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"You fit the description," he remembered the cops saying to him.

Rami Malek in a black shirt stands against a blurred background, looking forward with a slight smile
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"I remember how hot that engine was, they must have been racing over there and it was almost burning my hands,” he said, explaining that he was only released because his "Caucasian" friend "was clever enough to go, ‘Actually, sir, he’s Egyptian. Not Latin.’"

Rami Malek in formal white attire with decorative pins, standing at an event with photographers in the background
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"I remember laughing on the cop car, thinking, ‘OK, this is a very precarious situation. I may well be going to jail for something I’ve not done.’”

Rami Malek in a black suit with a floral lapel pin at a BAFTA event backdrop
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You can read the entire interview here.