Actor Gwilym Lee, who plays Queen guitarist Brian May in the upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, revealed that hand doubles had been ready to cover for the stars when scenes involved playing instruments, but they were never needed.

He revealed the story in a new behind-the-scenes clip, in which he can be seen seated opposite May while they both play guitars during the making of the movie. The film opens on Nov. 2, following a premiere in London on Oct. 23.

You can watch the clip below.

“We all worked really hard to master our instruments as best we could,” Lee said. “I’d played a little bit of guitar before, but nothing on this level. It was a new skill to try and learn lead guitar. Brian’s been a really supportive presence for me.”

He added that the "production always had a hand double to play our instruments. But we haven’t used them, and I’m quite happy about that.”

“I showed him a few licks and he got very into it," May noted. "I find myself looking at the edits [and] I do kinda believe he’s me.”

Queen bandmate Roger Taylor offered actor Ben Hardy similar support. “I taught him a few visual tricks,” the drummer said. “Learning how to play the drums does take years.” May asked, “Really?” Taylor replied, “Yeah!” “The four guys who play us are phenomenal,” May continued. “They completely lived it, they became us. It just sends shivers up your spine.”

Rami Malek, who's buzzing with Oscar talk for his portrayal of Mercury, admitted that there were "moments when I said, ‘No, that’s never gonna happen.’ But ultimately, we pulled it off.”

 

 

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