There are times when I wake up in the morning and I think, “My God, I wish I wasn’t Freddie Mercury today!” I’m in the public eye whether I like it or not, but I don’t want everything I do to be made public. I’m a Virgo. I’m like Greta Garbo; I want to be left alone. I am a bit reclusive, but it’s not a calculated thing. I don’t want to shatter the illusion that has been created on stage. I have to choose between shutting myself away to keep everyone guessing, or trying to be myself. Sometimes I like to be alone and shut myself off with my friends, but I’d hate to be on a desert island. I would loathe that. I do like people around me, but I like them in my environment. I’ve got all my friends that come to me and maybe it’s a very selfish thing to do, but it’s a wonderful treat for me. People are the main thing, but I have to be surrounded by something, even if it’s just objet d’art. So, I collect a lot, and my whole house is filled with beautiful Japanese art and antiques. That’s also why I want lots of fish, and lots of cats. I suppose it’s a sort of shy outlook.
Freddie Mercury
