When it comes to gripping espionage thrillers, Rami Malek has cracked the code.
As the star and producer of 20th Century Studios’ The Amateur (in theaters Friday), the Academy Award®-winning actor wanted to put an unexpected twist on the genre. Audiences are used to seeing sleek, highly trained spies leap into action, but his character — unassuming, revenge-driven everyman Charlie Heller — is the polar opposite.
A brilliant but timid CIA decoder, Charlie doesn’t have any experience in the field. But when his wife (Emmy® Award winner Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terrorist attack — and his supervisors refuse to take action — he takes matters into his own hands.
“Being underestimated is an element that delivers us some of the funniest moments in the film,” Malek explained. “I think that’s what so gratifying for the audience, that no one expects anything out of this human being and yet he outwits them moment to moment.”
As Charlie embarks on a dangerous global mission to track down those responsible for his wife’s death, he must also navigate grief while confronting a world far outside his expertise.
“He’s at least one step ahead, and if he’s not, he’s even more resourceful,” Malek said of his character. “It’s as if his brain operates on an exponentially higher level when he’s thrust into corners where really anyone might not be able to paint themselves out of. But it’s that element of surprise, it’s that element of perhaps people not being as aggressive as they would otherwise be in tracking down this individual. They lack belief in him and having someone lack of sense of belief in you can ultimately be one of your most powerful assets.”
James Hawes directs The Amateur from a screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, based on the 1981 novel by Robert Littell. Malek — who produced the film with Hutch Parker, Dan Wilson, and Joel B. Michaels, with JJ Hook serving as an executive producer — said he was most interested in showing Charlie’s emotional journey in his quest to avenge his late wife.
“Once I connect with a certain idea — a piece of material, something that I find might challenge the way we look at human beings, look at ourselves, identify with characters in cinema, and [offer] a unique, fresh take on this genre — I thought it could be an extraordinary challenge,” Malek said.
In addition to Malek and Brosnahan, The Amateur also stars BAFTA winner Caitríona Balfe, Emmy Award winner Jon Bernthal, Golden Globe® winner Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Emmy Award winner Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, and Danny Sapani, with Academy Award nominee Laurence Fishburne.
The Amateur is now playing exclusively in theaters nationwide.
