Although the movie Bohemian Rhapsody didn’t do well in the box office, actor Rami Malek is still being praised for his portrayal of Queen’s frontman Freddie Mercury.

The video showing the side by side comparisons of the two stars has gone viral and it is clear how much preparation Malek put into preparing for his role in the movie. Malek says he studied Mercury’s mannerisms  and spend hundreds of hours watching videos leading up to the filming of the show. He says he watched videos of Mercury at least 1,500 times to perfect his actions.

Clearly his work paid off and the video footage shows a comparison of Malek and Queen at a concert at Wembley Stadium. When the video starts playing, it is easy to see how hard he worked at the role. Malek says that they tried to get each gesture perfect down to every single move he made.

He admits that things don’t always match up perfectly and he felt like a bit of authenticity was lost trying to nail every single move. But he says he tried his best to keep things alive and in the moment.

Malek says he also worked with a movement coach to learn the moves and walk that Mercury had. In addition to watching videos of Mercury, he also watched videos of those that inspired him such as David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix.

He says it wasn’t just the moves that attempted to make the movie authentic. They also tried to replicate his kimonos and costumes, some of which they even had reprinted to match the original.

Clearly their efforts paid off and people that have seen the video say that they hope Malek’s performance gets an Oscar nomination. The video has went viral for all the right reasons and his dedication is commendable.

Although directors thought he finally got the perfect take, Malek says he was never completely satisfied with how it turned out. The actor says he kept wanting to add different things, although he was clearly worn out.

Malek says he has never devoted himself to anything as much as he did this role. Check out his incredible performance in the video below and be sure to share it with your family and friends.