Robin Williams was “saddened” by smartphone generation, says Rami Malek

The Bohemian Rhapsody star remembers his time spent with the legendary comedian

August 11th 2014 was a sad day in the world of entertainment. It was the day we lost legendary comedian Robin Williams to suicide at the age of 63. Starring in countless classics, Robin Williams was loved and respected by everyone he came into contact with, whether through film or in the flesh. Rami Malek is one of these people. Talking to us while in London promoting his turn as Freddie Mercury in the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, the actor remembers working with Williams on the Night at the Museum trilogy. "I think about Robin a lot, he meant a great deal to me, and still does," he says, before admitting that he could get emotional just talking about him. "He was so present and in the moment." Thinking back to when they were filming Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, which was the last time the two worked together, Malek admits to feeling a little regretful about the whole thing. "I think what was really sad about that shoot was watching everyone on their phones and devices, because I remember the first time I worked with Robin, you just didn’t want to leave his sight," he explains. "Not just because of how great of an entertainer he was, or because of his charisma and charm, there was just something else, a sense of connection that you didn’t want to break, or at least I didn’t. So I was always respectful not to have my phone out around him." Remembering one moment in particular, while everyone else was lost in the digital world engrossed in their phones, according to Malek, Williams snuck off to enjoy something a little more real. "One brilliant moment I’ll never forget is when we were in London shooting at the British Museum," Malek begins. "It was just after a moment where everybody was on their phone and I saw him kind of saddened by it and he went off and was standing all by himself. I slowly walked over to see how he was doing. "He said something to the tune of, 'I can’t believe it,' while he was standing in front of this rock. And I was like, 'What? What’s wrong?' And he said, 'Nothing, it’s not often you get to be alone with the Rosetta Stone.' I looked at him and I was like, wow, this guy is just so beautiful. My mind was blown." Bohemian Rhapsody is in UK cinemas now. https://youtu.be/mP0VHJYFOAU