Rami Malek’s 15 Best Movies And TV Shows

The best Rami Malek movies and TV shows reveal how versatile the Mr. Robot star truly is, and demonstrate his unique ability to stand out in ensemble casts no matter how well-known those he’s sharing a screen with are. Whether it’s appearing alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Robbie Williams, or Denzel Washington, Malek has proved time and time again that he simply cannot fade into the background, and this has ensured his career has gone from strength to strength.

Born in 1981 in California, Rami Malek’s career began in 2004 when he appeared in an episode of Gilmore Girls. From there, he had single-episode appearances in the likes of Over There and Medium, with his first prominent appearance being a recurring role in the sitcom The War At Home. However, everything changed when Malek landed the part of Pharoah Ahkmenrah in 2006’s Night at the Museum. Since then, the actor has steadily cemented himself as a household name, and the best Rami Malek movies and TV shows make it easy to see why.

15

Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus (2014)

Rami Malek Plays Seneschal Higginbottom

Spike Lee is one of the most interesting American directors of all time, always exploring various genres in his films with a lens often focused on social issues. Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is another intriguing addition to his filmography, as it is a horror movie focusing on a wealthy anthropologist who is stabbed by an Ancient African dagger and turned into a vampire. The movie deals with issues of addiction, class, and race, all against a backdrop of unnerving tension that feels like a mood piece more than a coherent film at times.

Rami Malek does an admirable job fitting in with the rest of the eclectic cast of Da Sweet Blood of Jesus as he plays Seneschal Higginbottom, the devoted butler to Stephen Tyrone Williams’ Dr. Hess Greene. His performance in the film is actually one of the funniest, channeling a lot of his energy from A Night at the Museum, where he got his first big breakthrough as an actor. Malek understood what Spike Lee was going for and nailed it.

14

The Legend Of Korra (2012)

Rami Malek Plays Tahno

The Legend of Korra

Release Date

2012 – 2014-00-00

Showrunner

Bryan Konietzko

Directors

Joaquim Dos Santos

Writers

Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko

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Having to follow up Avatar: The Last Airbender is no easy task, but The Legend of Korra does a pretty great job of taking the franchise in a much-needed, interesting new direction. This time around, the series focuses on the hot-headed Korra, the Avatar who has air-bending left to master. While it isn’t as focused on a single end-point throughout the series as The Last Airbender did with Aang and Ozai, The Legend of Korra introduces some pretty incredible new benders and villains, making it a worthy addition to that universe.

Related

Sure, Avatar: The Last Airbender Is Better Than Korra, But The Sequel Has It Beat In One Way

While The Last Airbender is a better written story than its sequel, there is one big area it doesn’t quite match up to it.

Rami Malek doesn’t have a massive role in the series as he only appears for a few episodes to voice Tahno, a professional bender who is the captain of the White Falls Wolfbats, the four-time reigning champs. Arrogant and slimy, Tahno made a worthy antagonist for the episodes he appeared in, especially during their bending matches, where he would often cheat to win games. Rami Malek’s voice work as Tahno is perfect.

13

Oppenheimer (2023)

Rami Malek Plays David L. Hill

Oppenheimer

9/10

Release Date

July 21, 2023

Runtime

150 Minutes

Director Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was one of the cinematic highlights of 2023, and featured one of the most star-studded casts in recent memory. The biopic focused on the life of Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist widely credited with developing the world’s first nuclear weapon. Among the many famous faces in the Oppenheimer cast was Rami Malek, who played real-life physicist David L. Hill.

David L. Hill was one of the principal collaborators with Oppenheimer during the Manhattan Project, which meant that Malek got plenty of screen time compared to several other known actors in the wider Oppenheimer cast. While far from his most prominent role, Oppenheimer still stands among the best Rami Malek movies, and his involvement is an important milestone that demonstrates just how far his career has come since he first appeared on-screen in a single episode of Gilmore Girls in 2004.

12

The Pacific (2010)

Rami Malek Plays Corporal Merriel “Snafu” Shelton

The Pacific

Release Date

2010 – 2010-00-00

Network

HBO Max

Directors

David Nutter

Writers

David Nutter

The 2020 miniseries The Pacific is an important one among the best Rami Malek movies and TV shows for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates his skills when playing real historical figures, as his character, Merriel Shelton, was (like the majority of those in The Pacific), a real soldier who served in WW2. More importantly, though, Malek’s performance in The Pacific perfectly illustrates his ability to shine through even when part of an ensemble cast stacked with other incredibly talented actors

Despite being part of a case that includes the likes of Jon Bernthal, James Badge Dale, Annie Parisse, and other small-screen veterans known for their performance skills, Rami Malek still stands out in the wide ensemble of names in The Pacific. He brings an intensity to the role of Merriel Shelton that many of his other best movies and TV shows don’t have too, making it essential viewing for Rami Malek fans who have yet to see Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ follow-up to the universally acclaimed Band of Brothers.

11

BoJack Horseman (2017-2018)

Rami Malek Plays Flip McVicker

BoJack Horseman

10/10

Release Date

2014 – 2020-00-00

Network

Netflix

Showrunner

Raphael Bob-Waksberg

Directors

Raphael Bob-Waksberg

Writers

Raphael Bob-Waksberg

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Following a washed-up sitcom star who happens to be an anthropomorphic horse, BoJack Horseman is one of the best modern animated shows out there, and considered by many to be one of the best of all time. The series is brilliant from start to finish, as it balances so many contrasting emotions by often being hilarious but heartbreaking and melancholic, all at the same time. It’s a strange premise that uses it fully to its advantage and excels in virtually every way, especially when it comes to its character work.

Rami Malek gets a few more episodes to shine and show off his voice-acting talent compared to his limited role in The Legend of Korra, and he takes full advantage of it as Flip McVicker, an eccentric and pretentious writer and director, who is often at odds with BoJack Horseman, and even abuses him at times on the set. Rami Malek doesn’t have a ton of voice-acting roles to his name, but every time he does, he is incredible in them, understanding how to perfectly use his voice to make his characters distinct from others in the show.

10

Short Term 12 (2013)

Rami Malek Plays Nate

Short Term 12

Release Date

August 23, 2013

Runtime

96 minutes

Director

Destin Cretton

Writers

Destin Cretton

Written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi, Spider-Man: Brand New Day), based on his own experiences, Short Term 12 is a masterful film that revolves around a young supervisor and her daily duties at a group home for troubled teens. What makes Short Term 12 so great is the empathy it has for every one of its characters, as it tenderly explores who they are. It’s profound, emotionally resonant, and a statement from a then-up-and-coming filmmaker that still remains one of Cretton’s best projects.

While Brie Larson is the true star of Short Term 12, Rami Malek is also great in the movie as Nate, a new worker at the group home, who finds himself way over his head about what the job would actually entail. It’s a rather small role in the grand scheme of the movie, but Malek still gives Nate a lot of depth through his physical acting, one of the more underrated aspects of him as an actor.

9

The Master (2012)

Rami Malek Plays Clark Massey

The Master

9/10

Release Date

September 14, 2012

Runtime

137 minutes

2012’s The Master is a psychological thriller from director Paul Thomas Anderson, and while it’s not the most widely known title among the best Rami Malek movies, it contains one of the strongest performances of his filmography. Set during the aftermath of WW2, The Master follows a struggling Navy veteran who finds himself indoctrinated in a cult known as The Cause. Rami Malek plays Clark Massey, one of the followers of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Lancaster Dodd, the cult leader.

As always seems to be the case when the actor appears in ensemble casts featuring actors who (especially at the time) were much more widely recognized, Rami Malek never fades into the background during his scenes in The Master. Even though he shares a screen with the likes of Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, or fellow up-and-comers of the time like Jesse Plemons, Malek’s performance ensures Massey is a memorable character. The energy he brings to Massey is extraordinary, and it’s easy to see how The Master helped pave the way for his more recent films in which he had more prominent roles.

8

Buster’s Mal Heart (2016)

Rami Malek Plays Jonah Cueyati

Buster’s Mal Heart

Release Date

May 28, 2017

Runtime

96 minutes

Director

Sarah Adina Smith

Producers

Dan Cogan, Wendy Ettinger, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Mynette Louie, Travis Stevens, Julie Parker Benello

Buster’s Mal Heart has a significant place among the best Rami Malek movies, as it’s one of the first feature films in which he led the cast. The 2016 mystery thriller comes from writer-director Sarah Adina Smith, and tells the story of a hotel concierge who suffers a psychological breakdown and leaves his former life to become a mountain man. This character is Malek’s Jonah, who in his new life has become the titular Buster.

It’s a complex and nuanced role in an equally complex and nuanced film, and suits Rami Malek’s unique talents incredibly well. Buster’s Mal Heart was perhaps the first example of a Malek after the debut of Mr. Robot in 2015 that proved just how capable an actor he truly is, and demonstrated that his ability to lead a cast stretched to the big screen just as well as the small. While it’s not the most well-known film starring Rami Malek, its place among his best movies and TV shows is impossible to deny thanks to the strength of his performance.

7

Papillon (2017)

Rami Malek Plays Lois Dega

Papillon

Release Date

September 7, 2017

Runtime

134 minutes

Director

Michael Noer

Writers

Aaron Guzikowski

Producers

David Koplan, Joshua Maurer, Kevan Van Thompson, Ram Bergman, Terence Chang, Joey McFarland, Roger Corbi

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  Charlie Hunnam

  Henri ‘Papillon’ Charrière

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  Christopher Fairbank

  Jean Castili

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Several of the best Rami Malek find the actor playing real-life individuals, and one of the strongest performances he’s delivered in biopics comes in 2017’s Papillon. The crime-drama biographic comes from director Michael Noer, and adapts the true story of two French criminals – Malek’s Louis Dega and Charlie Hunnam’s Henri “Papillon” Charriere – who managed to escape the infamous Devil’s Island Penal Colony in 1941.

As well as being a gripping and tense film in its own right, Papillon stands out as one of the best Rami Malek movies thanks to his incredible performance as Louis Dega. Sharing so much screen time with Charlie Hunnam was no easy task, as Hunnam has more than proved himself as a scene-stealing presence thanks to his own catalog of outstanding movies and shows. This wasn’t a problem for Rami Malek, however, and he managed to not only hold his own in Papillon, but managed to match Hunnam’s dramatic intensity and elevate Dega’s character to be just as much of a focus as his co-star’s titular escapee.

6

The Little Things (2021)

Rami Malek Plays Jimmy Baxter

The Little Things

6/10

Release Date

January 29, 2021

Runtime

128 minutes

Director

John Lee Hancock

Writers

John Lee Hancock

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By the 2020s, Rami Malek had cemented his reputation as a dependable and solid performer, and was landing roles that placed him in lead roles. Among his more recent projects, 2021’s The Little Things easily stands out as one of the best Rami Malek movies. The gritty neo-noir thriller from director John Lee Hancock sees Malek co-starring alongside the legendary Denzel Washington. The pair play detectives Deke Deacon (Washington) and Jimmy Baxter (Malek), two officers from different organizations who must work together to solve a series of serial murders.

Rami Malek and Denzel Washington have an incredible level of chemistry in The Little Things. Malek brings the over-enthusiasm of a cop recently promoted to lead detective, with Baxter eager to crack his first big case. This works incredibly well with Washington’s Deacon, a grizzled and disillusioned veteran. It’s an incredibly gripping movie overall, and also features one of the best performances in Rami Malek’s career so far.

5

The Amateur (2025)

Rami Malek Plays Charles Heller

The Amateur

7/10

Release Date

April 11, 2025

Director

James Hawes

Writers

Gary Spinelli

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  Rachel Brosnahan

  Uncredited

Featuring a number of twists and turns throughout its complex story, The Amateur revolves around a CIA cryptographer whose wife is killed during a terrorist attack in London. While his bosses will not pursue any sort of action due to conflicting priorities, he takes it upon himself to hunt down his wife’s killers due to his exceptional understanding of the systems he helped build. While it’s a fairly standard revenge story on its surface, the film is surprisingly much more emotionally powerful than anticipated, giving it a lasting impact.

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The latest entry in Rami Malek’s impressive filmography, he takes full control in The Amateur as Charles Heller, showcasing his incredible talent while tapping into a little bit of his Mr. Robot performance. He delivers an emotionally powerful performance in a film that is largely concerned with the complex narrative going on at all times. He’s the best part of The Amateur by far, as it is one of his best performances.

4

No Time To Die (2021)

Rami Malek Plays Lyutsifer Safin

No Time to Die

6/10

Release Date

October 8, 2021

Runtime

163 Minutes

Director

Cary Fukunaga

Writers

Cary Fukunaga, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns, Neal Purvis

Few cinematic franchises are as widely recognized as the James Bond movies, and this is down not just to the various actors to play 007, but also to the wide range of colorful antagonists the British spy faces. In 2021, it was Rami Malek’s turn to join the alumni of actors who’ve played Bond villains, and he did a fantastic job in No Time To Die as the foe of Daniel Craig’s 007, Lyutcifer Safin.

Rami Malek is a distinctive actor with a unique performance style, and this made him perfect to play a James Bond villain like Lyutsifert Safin. Safin is easily one of the most chilling and unique villains Daniel Craig’s James Bond came up against during the 5 007 movies of his tenure. Rami Malek plays the part of a dark and troubled intellectual genius perfectly, and it’s inarguable that Lyutsifer Safin was the highlight of No Time To Die.

3

Night At The Museum (2006)

Rami Malek Plays Pharaoh Ahkmenrah

Night at the Museum

6/10

Release Date

December 17, 2006

Runtime

108minutes

Director

Shawn Levy

Writers

Shawn Levy

2006’s Night at the Museum was Rami Malek’s first appearance in a feature-length film, and to this day it remains one of his best movies (as do the sequels, 2009’s Battle of the Smithsonian and 2014’s Secret of the Tomb). The Night at the Museum trilogy are beloved by fans, and still discover new ones every day thanks to them being available to stream on Disney+. In the films, Rami Malek plays Pharaoh Ahkmenrah, the Egyptian pharaoh whose curse ensures the exhibits at the museum come to life when night falls.

It’s a testament to Rami Malek’s skills as an actor that, even so early in his career, he was able to stand out in the star-studded Night at the Museum cast. Appearing alongside comedic heavyweights like Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and the legendary late Robin Williams could have ensured he faded into the background. This wasn’t the case, however, and Malek manages to shine in every scene featuring Ahkmenrah, ensuring Night at the Museum will forever be considered one of his best movies.

2

Bohemian Rhapsody (2019)

Rami Malek Plays Freddie Mercury

Bohemian Rhapsody

5/10

Release Date

October 24, 2018

Runtime

2h 14m

Director

Bryan Singer, Dexter Fletcher

Writers

Anthony McCarten, Peter Morgan

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Given that it landed Rami Malek the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actor in 2019, it’s hard to debate that the 2019 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is his best movie. Directed by Bryan Singer, Bohemian Rhapsody focuses on the life of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the legendary rock band Queen, and an important LGBTQ+ icon. Rami Malek plays the inimitable Freddie Mercury himself, and is outstanding in the role.

While the critical response to Bohemian Rhapsody was surprisingly mixed, Rami Malek’s performance as Freddie Mercury received near-universal praise. Whether it was capturing Mercury’s unmatched energy when performing on stage, or the quieter emotional moments surrounding discovering he’d contracted HIV, Malek manages to make every scene in Bohemian Rhapsody poignant, gripping, and – most importantly – a fitting and respectful tribute to Mercury himself.

1

Mr. Robot (2015-2019)

Rami Malek Plays Elliot Alderson

Mr. Robot

8/10

Release Date

2015 – 2019-00-00

Network

USA

Showrunner

Sam Esmail

Directors

Sam Esmail

Writers

Sam Esmail

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  Christian Slater

  Self – Mr. Robot

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  Portia Doubleday

  Self – Tyrell Wellick

While it’s also the role that cemented Rami Malek as a household name, Mr. Robot remains the best TV show or movie performance to date. Playing the lead role of hacker Elliot Alderson landed Malek a string of praise and accolades, including three Golden Globe nominations and a Primetime Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama series. While the slick tech-based thriller stands strong in its own right, it’s Malek’s performance that truly ties the story together.

Rami Malek is, in no uncertain terms, spellbinding as Alderson. His role in Mr. Robot is a complex one too, and one that few actors, even experienced ones, could have pulled off anywhere near as well. Malek manages to capture the nuance of Alderson’s dissociative identity disorder and depression perfectly. Given the strength of his performance, and how gripping the series was across its four seasons, there’s little debate that Mr. Robot is the best Rami Malek TV show or movie.