President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has become known as the fearless leader of Ukraine, but before that, he was an actor and comedian. Now, Netflix is bringing back the show he starred in – which is fictional, yet eerily foreshadows his rise to the presidency.
Before assuming office in 2019, Zelenskyy starred in “Servant of the People,” a show about a Ukrainian school teacher who becomes president.
The show began in 2015 and ran for three season, with the last airing in 2019. It aired on the 1+1 channel in Ukraine, with episodes also uploaded to YouTube and in 2017, Netflix. The show was removed from the platform in 2021, but it appears Zelenskyy’s global recognition has prompted Netflix to re-add it.
In “Servant of the People,” high school teacher Vasiliy Petrovich Goloborodko, played by Zelenskyy, goes on a tirade against government corruption. The tirade goes viral on social media, and he finds himself the country’s new president.
Netflix
In real life, Zelenskyy ran on a similar platform, using the show’s name as his party’s name. He ended up defeating former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko in a runoff in 2019, with more than 70% of the vote.
Before his presidency, Zelenskyy had a long career as an entertainer, even winning his country’s version of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2006.
However, he received his global recognition as the fierce leader of his country during Russia’s unprovoked invasion. He has even vowed to stay in Ukraine, despite the danger.
CBS News has reached out to Netflix for more information and is awaiting response.
Christopher Brito contributed to this report.
