Volodymyr Zelensky has become one of the most significant names and faces in the world since Russia’s invasion of his homeland Ukraine on February 24.
Now, season one of his hit show, Servant Of The People, is available for all to enjoy on Channel4 's All4.
An icon of resistance and resilience, the former comedian was the one sitting in the president’s chair when Vladimir Putin ’s tanks rolled over the border of independent Ukraine.
He has inspired not just his own country but the rest of the world, becoming the face of defiance, bravery and hope. These days, he is thought to spend much of his time underground dodging Putin's assassination squads.
Now, as the war rages in the east of the country, Zelensky faces a new problem: how to win an attritional war against an enemy with a far bigger military.
But it wasn’t always like this for him. Less than five years ago, he spent his time at comedy clubs and TV sets as a star of the screen and stage rather than the figurehead of a bloody and desperate war effort.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s acting and comedy career
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was born to a working-class Jewish family in 1978.
His hometown Kryvyi Rih became a tough place following the fall of the Soviet Union, something he has called a “city of bandits”.
To get out, he joined a comedy troupe called Kvartal 95, which translates to District 95 in English.
The troupe would go on to be very successful, producing a range of romantic comedies, often with Zelensky starring.
The future president even did the voiceover for the Ukrainian equivalents of Paddington Bear and Dancing With The Stars.
However, of his notable collection of works, at the top of the list is a show called Servant Of The People.
President Zelensky and Servant Of The People
Servant Of The People first aired in 2015, centred on a strange idea that has gone on to eerily mirror real-life events that have played out in Zelensky’s life.
At the core of the show’s story is a teacher (Zelensky) who accidentally inspires the nation when his rant in class is filmed by one of his students and put on YouTube.
He rages against corruption in the country and his speech goes viral shortly before an election takes place. Inspired by the honesty of the humble teacher, the people of Ukraine vote him into the presidency.
The show was hugely popular in both Ukraine and Russia.
In a bizarre case of life imitating art, Zelensky used the show’s success to springboard his own political career and in 2019 put a clip on YouTube announcing his plans to run for the country's presidency.
During the election, he didn’t do the usual campaign activities like debates or rallies. He didn't even really describe what the platform he was running on.
Instead, he kept doing his touring comedy show. Often very rude, it laughed at politics and even managed to fill the biggest concert hall in Kyiv to its brim.
According to TIME , when he was asked backstage at the show what his plan was for foreign policy were he to get elected he said: “We’ll figure it out.”
In the show’s third season he saves the country from ruin (we won’t spoil it for you). It was released entirely a few days before the election. When the country went to the polls, almost 75% of voters voted in favour of him, clearing up in most regions - even those that historically looked east towards Russia.
Now in power, his party took the name Servant Of The People. It was the first in the country’s history to hold both the legislature and executive branches of government.
Season one of Servant Of The People season one is currently available on All4.
