Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has found global fame following his defiance of the Russian invasion amid reports he’s top of the Kremlin’s hit list.
The 44-year-old president is loathed in Moscow for his pro-Europe, pro-NATO stance and photos of him defiantly wearing a soldier’s uniform and refusing to leave Kyiv as the Russian encircle the capital have now gone global.
Such his popularity and his heroism since the invasion there’s even been talk that Hollywood could make a movie of his life.
The father of two, who’s Jewish and a decedent of Holocaust survivors, had no political experience before landing Ukraine’s top job in 2019 and prior to that had made a living as comic, actor and screenwriter that made him a household name in the Ukraine and a millionaire.
Zelensky with his wife Olena and their two children who are aged nine and 17.
Now some of his former triumphs have resurfaced on social media and include everything from a 2006 appearance on the Ukrainian version of Dancing With The Stars and news he was the voice used to dub the lead character in the 2014’s kids flick Paddington.
Check out some of the Zelensky’s achievements below:
Dancing with the Stars
In 2006, a then 28-year-old Zelensky won the first series of Ukraine’s answer to Strictly Come Dancing: Dancing with the Stars.
Footage of the president busting his moves has now resurfaced on Twitter with many praising his fancy footwork.
so apparently Zelenskyy won the Ukrainian version of Dancing with the Stars in 2006 and the tape is even better than whatever you’re imagining pic.twitter.com/L1gnKD2ISr
— Kat Abu (@abughazalehkat) February 27, 2022
Paddington
In 2014, Zelensky was chosen to voice the lead character, Paddington, in the mega kids flick Paddington for the local Ukrainian version.
Until today I had no idea who provided the voice of @paddingtonbear in Ukraine. Speaking for myself, thank you, President Zelenskiy. #PaddingtonBear https://t.co/5VaMi201Fs
— Hugh Bonneville 🇺🇦 (@hughbon) February 27, 2022
Acting as president on a satirical TV show
In one of the greater ironies, in 2015 – before his move to actual politics – Zelensky starred in a locally made comedy show called Servant of the People where he played a teacher who finds national fame for sledging the government and ultimately becomes president.
Apparently, his TV appearance is what encouraged Zelensky’s move into politics and in 2018 he formed a political party called, funnily enough, Servant of the People.
The following year he was elected as the country’s president beating the incumbent, Petro Poroshenko, with nearly 73 per cent of the vote to Poroshenko’s 25 per cent.
Playing a piano with his penis
During his time as a stand-up comic, part of Zelensky’s routine was to play a piano with his genitals. Now video of the skit has resurfaced from an unknown date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2VOV-V9KQM&feature=youtu.be
While his impressive dance moves can also be seen in this skit that’s also resurfaced.
Putin is getting humiliated by a man who did a Beyoncé-style dance in leather pants and heels.
Legend. pic.twitter.com/AgXfjUDQHo— Troy Dougall (@DougallTroy) February 27, 2022
The first lady is a Vogue cover star
Zelensky met his now wife, Olena, at university where she trained as an architect and Zelensky was a then budding comedian and law student. Olena would later become a writer for the comedy troupe that made him famous.
Although less keen on public appearances than her husband, Olena has been a champion of Ukrainian fashion designers and even appeared on the cover of the local edition of Vogue in 2020.
