Egyptian-American actor Rami Malek won Best Actor at the Oscars for his performance as Queen’s Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Reuters reports. Shouting out to his parents in his acceptance speech, Malek said: “We made a film about a gay man, an immigrant, who lived his life just unapologetically himself. … I am a first-generation American, and my story is being written right now.” The Los Angeles native, who is neither a singer nor dancer, took extensive movement, voice and music lessons to portray the Queen frontman. Malek’s Egyptian relatives were eager to share their excitement with Reuters, which quoted his cousin describing the moment as “like watching Egypt score to win the cup.”

Still a chance for WaPo to troll Egypt: Despite the cheer and pride coming with Malek’s win, The Washington Post used it as an opportunity to pose the question of whether the achievement would have been possible in Egypt, highlighting Malek’s portrayal as the openly gay Freddie Mercury as being potential grounds for persecution in his ancestral homeland.