Rachel Bilson Says Rami Malek Asked Her To Take Down Throwback Photo Of Them

Rachel Bilson recalled her teenage friendship with Rami Malek on the podcast, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and Monica Padma, on Monday. The actress recalled the awkward moment when Malek asked her to take down a throwback photo she posted of them in 2019.

“Rami was a good friend of mine,” she told Shepard. “We were [in] the same crew. We did The Crucible together senior year, we were the leads in it together – all these things.”

Both actors attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif. as part of the graduating class of 1999. Around the time Malek was about to be nominated for a 2019 Oscar award, Bilson shared a photo of the pair on their senior trip to New York City in support.

“Obviously, he gets super famous and he’s always been extremely talented… even in high school,” Bilson said. “I had posted a throwback of us from our senior trip to New York. We’re super nerdy… just the dorkiest picture of the both of us. But I throw it up, ’cause it’s funny, and I think it’s so important to be able to make fun of yourself.”

Bilson said she received a message from Malek on Instagram a few weeks after posting the photo that said, “I would really appreciate if you take that down. I’m a really private person.”

Bilson said she removed the photo and messaged him back encouragement ahead of the Oscars, but never heard back from Malek.

“I never hear anything back, which is fine,” she said. “I was super bummed because he was always so nice, and we were good friends”

Malek went on to win an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.