Volodymyr Zelensky: From ex-comedian to ‘war president’

Volodymyr Zelensky is in the tumultuous phase of his presidency. He is helming the affairs of Ukraine when Russia has launched an all-out assault on his territory.

He is one of those people who became president solely based on his popularity as an actor and a comedian. The 44-year-old doesn’t have any prior experience in the field of brinkmanship, unlike his predecessors.

Now, he is facing the prospect of a war with Russia, which has one of the largest armies in the world.

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An inborn comedian

Born in the central city of Kryvyi Rih to Jewish parents, Volodymyr Zelensky graduated from Kyiv National Economic University with a law degree. However, it was comedy that turned out to be his calling.

As a young man, he regularly participated in a competitive team comedy show on Russian TV. In 2003, he co-founded a successful TV production company named after his comedy team, Kvartal 95.

The company produced shows for Ukraine's 1+1 network, whose controversial billionaire owner, Ihor Kolomoisky, would later back Zelensky's presidential bid.

Until the mid-2010s, his career in TV and films, such as Love in the Big City (2009) and Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon (2012), was his main focus.

Servant of the People

The year 2014 marked a turning point, not only for Zelensky’s career, but also for Ukraine.

In that year, Ukraine’s pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted after months of protests. Russia later seized Crimea and backed separatists in the east in a war against Ukraine that continues to this day.

A year after that, the Zelensky-starrer Servant of the People premiered in Ukraine and made him an instant celebrity.

The 44-year-old portrayed a character called Vasiliy Goloborodko, a foul-mouthed school teacher who becomes the president after one of his studentsfilms his rant against corruption and posts it online.

The comedy show became a huge hit just as it resonated with the people when the country was going through a series of crises, marked by corruption and the aftereffects of Crimea annexation.

Path to the presidency

After having spent a considerable amount of time serving as the president in reel life, Zelensky decided to take the political plunge in 2019.

Zelensky decided to take on then president and businessman Petro Poroshenko in the presidential election.

According to the BBC, Zelensky avoided discussing serious issues during his election campaign and relied on posting light-hearted comic videos on social media as part of his canvassing plan.

Despite all that, he managed to win over the Ukrainians with his charm and defeated Petro Poroshenko in a runoff by winning more than 70 per cent of the vote.

Now, he is facing off against Vladimir Putin, a seasoned politician and former KGB spy.

In a televised address to the nation, Zelensky vowed to fight against Russia and assured his citizens that they were prepared to fend off any kind of aggression.

(With contributions from agencies)