Many Americans have never heard the name Volodymyr Zelenskyy until very recently. Although Zelenskyy made brief headlines in 2019, in association with a certain scandal, even then most of the headlines focused on the other party involved and the name Zelenskyy didn’t have much sticking power in the consciousness of U.S. audiences. However, current events have brought a heightened awareness of the man who’s leading Ukraine through the most challenging crisis ever faced by any country.

Today, the United States along with the rest of the world knows the name Volodymyr Zelenskyy: the comedian whose “joke” presidency became a powerful force for freedom and a global symbol of democracy.

FROM ACTOR TO WARTIME PRESIDENT

Zelenskyy’s unprecedented election came about just three years ago, in 2019, when the actor and comedian proved that life imitates art. He came to the election with zero political experience, though he was already a household name throughout Ukraine due to his long-running, popular comedy television show called Servant of the People in which he plays a school teacher who is unexpectedly elected present of Ukraine. The vote that followed his candidacy announcement was a record landslide in favor of Zelenskyy, transforming his TV character into a real-life role that many believed he was unprepared to play.