President Volodymyr Zelensky has gained popularity for his reaction to Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, but he had an entirely different career before that.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has become an internationally recognizable name for his response to Russia’s invasion, but many people are only just discovering his early career work as an actor and comedian. Zelensky’s passionate speeches to Ukrainians and his eagerness to join the fight have inspired many, but others are just as surprised by his pre-political life as an entertainer. Several clips of him appearing in movies, television shows and comedy sketches have gone viral online. Prior to being elected as the president of Ukraine in 2019, Zelensky was involved with the Ukrainian versions of Dancing with the Stars, Paddington, many other comedy movies, and a TV show that proved to be a precursor to his political career. Long before he took office, Zelensky competed in, and in 1997 ultimately won, a TV comedy competition called KVN. From that point he formed his own comedy team called Kvartal 95, which saw him perform on television, and regularly tour across the former Soviet countries including Russia.
