A hilarious video of Volodymyr Zelensky, filmed before he entered politics, has re-emerged on social media – showing that even then, he was not a fan of Vladimir Putin.
In 2015, the current Ukrainian president – who was once a successful actor – created and starred in the satirical series, Servant of the People. The show – which now seems somewhat prophetic – features Zelensky as Vasily Petrovych Goloborodko, who becomes the country’s president after a covertly recorded video of him working as a school teacher goes viral on YouTube.
Fast forward four years, and Zelensky himself became president after running for election as the leader of the political party named after the TV series, defeating Petro Poroshenko with an impressive 73% of the vote.
Now, a clip from Zelensky’s series has been shared on TikTok, where he delivers a message to his Russian adversary, Vladimir Putin. Actress Kelli Hollis shared the clip, leading her to wonder: “Was this his audition clip?”
In the scene, Zelensky – playing Goloborodko – receives a call from Germany’s then Chancellor, Angela Merkel, congratulating him on “allowing his country to join the European Union”. A delighted Goloborodko replies: “Oh wow, I am so happy. Thank you very much. All the Ukrainians, all of our country were waiting for this for so much time.”
The video contains explicit language. Viewer discretion is recommended.
However, the moment is ruined when Merkel realises she has called the wrong leader. “Ukrainians?” she asks. “I’m so sorry, my mistake. I was calling Montenegro.”
A disheartened Goloborodko responds: “Montenegro? I see. My congratulations yes, to Montenegro. Bye bye.” As he continues his walk towards the government headquarters, Goloborodko can’t contain his frustration and exclaims: “F***! F***ing Putin!”
The viral clip sparked a flurry of reactions from hundreds of TikTok users, with one jokingly suggesting: “Imagine if that was the reason Putin invaded, all because of him saying that in the episode.” Another praised his performance as “Oscar worthy.”
A third commented on Zelensky’s attire amidst recent criticism for being unsuitably dressed, noting: “So he does own a suit then!” A fourth TikTok slammed Donald Trump’s earlier career, adding: “Trump is a glorified actor too… reality tv star and a bad business man.” Whilst a fifth reminisced: “I really enjoyed watching this series of President Zelensky.”
When Zelensky’s election victory was announced in 2019, he appeared on stage to the theme tune of Servant of the People. Three years later, as war erupted in Ukraine, the show experienced a surge in demand and popularity, leading to global broadcasting rights being sought.
In the US, Netflix secured the rights to air the first series in March 2022, with the subsequent two series released two months later.
