New Delhi: With the Russian invasion of Ukraine dominating the news cycle across the world, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky finds himself at centre of all attention. While all eyes are on him as the world is eager to see how he takes on a nuclear power Russia’s might, the leader’s past career as an entertainer only adds more curiosity about him.
President Zelensky, also spelt Zelenskyy, was an actor and comedian before he joined politics, contested the presidential election and won it with a overwhelming majority in 2019.
In 2015, he played Ukraine's president on a TV show, Sluga Naroda (Servant of the People), and it was a massive hit. It is said that it was this role that gave Zelensky the roadmap to Mariinskyi Palace, the residence of the Ukraine president.
An interesting fact has now come to light about his entertainment career — that he was the voice of the cute bear, Paddington, in the hit 2014 film’s Ukrainian version.
And prior to that, he participated in the Ukraine’s version of Dancing With the Stars in 2006, and reportedly won the show.
While not many believed this initially, Twitter did its thing and the confirmation came from someone who was part of the film.
Check out the tweets:
StudioCanal, which produced Paddington and its 2017 sequel Paddington 2, also confirmed that Zelensky is the Peruvian bear's voice in the Ukrainian version of the animation film, according to Hollywood Reporter.
In fact, the report said, Zelensky voiced the bear in both Paddington and Paddington 2.