The rise of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky who took the internet by storm after rejecting US offer for evacuation following the Russian invasion of his country is stranger than fiction. Until 2019, Zelensky was an actor known for his various comedic roles in movies and television shows, including one in which he played the president of Ukraine, before actually becoming one.
In his most popular role, he starred as the president of Ukraine in the hit 2015 series ‘Servant of the People.’ The story follows a school teacher who becomes president. He also voiced the character of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian versions of the movies and starred in a Ukrainian version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ – which he won.
Many people have been sharing clips of his old roles, before the comedian actor became a politician. Zelensky was elected as President of Ukraine in 2019.
In one scene from ‘Servant of the People’, Zelensky’s character gets a call from Angela Merkle announcing that Ukraine has been approved to join the European Union (EU), as fountains go off behind him at the good news. On Monday, Ukraine applied for membership to the EU, amid ongoing bombing from Russia.
I can’t wrap my mind around the existence of this clip. pic.twitter.com/1XvBYWlMxg
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) March 2, 2022
A clip of Zelensky in Ukraine’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ has also gone viral, with the president donning many different outfits.
President Zelensky once appeared earlier in his life on Ukraine's version of Strictly Come Dancing, 2006, which he went on to win! This man is rapidly becoming a much loved, world hero.
🙂👏🙂 pic.twitter.com/YKm3fPCKmC— Sherlock Holmes (@Baskerville448) February 27, 2022
“So let me understand this correctly, President Zelensky is a dancer, an actor, a comedian, a voice actor as well as a badass leader, an attorney and a loving compassionate family man? What an amazing human” said one commentator on Twitter.
So let me understand this correctly, President Zelensky is a dancer, an actor, a comedian, a voice actor as well as a badass leader, an attorney and a loving compassionate family man? What an amazing human.
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) February 28, 2022
BBC reporter Megha Mohan shared a compilation video of Volodymyr Zelensky’s rise to the presidency.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a former actor who played a teacher whose viral rant against corruption thrusts him into the office of presidency.
Profile: Zelensky: The comedian president who is rising to the moment via @prestofurioso https://t.co/yaB1ybb2lu pic.twitter.com/k14vDGIzLB
— Megha Mohan (@meghamohan) February 26, 2022
Regrettably, the Ukrainian president’s past has added to the wave of fake news disseminated online about the Russian attack on Ukraine. Recently, a fake video of Vladimir Putin was circulated in Pakistan, erroneously translating the Russian president as calling Prime Minister Imran Khan a ‘brave man’ for ‘resisting Western pressure’.
