And He Played One on TV @openculture
Do we all remember that before he became a real President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy played one on TV? His character was a history teacher who ran for the office of President of Ukraine on the popular TV show Servant of the People. Life imitates art sometimes, and now he’s a really good Chief Executive the world is watching in real time, in amazement, and in appreciation. Notes Open Culture,
Most officials of Zelenskyy’s rank are famous by definition. He had the advantage of already being well-known and well-liked in his homeland, but his performance so far under the harrowing conditions of Putin’s invasion has won him respect across the world. There is now, in addition to the fascination about his rise to power, an equally great fascination about that of Vasyl Holoborodko, the thirty-something history teacher he plays on Servant of the People. This Youtube playlist offers 23 episodes of the show, complete with English subtitles. Give it a watch, and you’ll better understand not just Zelenskyy’s appeal to the Ukrainian people, but that people’s distinctive sense of humor — a vital strategic asset indeed in such trying times.
Note that President Zelenskyy has a law degree from the Kyiv National Economic University, has been the Ukrainian voice of Paddington Bear, and has performed on the Ukrainian version of Dancing With the Stars, (take that, Sean Spicer). He and his partner won, by the way.
