Following the second round of the presidential election in Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky is leading by a large margin. Colleagues from many countries, including the presidents of the United States and France, as well as the German chancellor, congratulated him on his victory.
Zelensky came into politics not so long ago. For the first time, his political views became the subject of wide discussion during the “euromaidan” (he then spoke to protesters). Then Zelensky began to support the Ukrainian security officials, and at the end of 2018 he announced his intention to run for president.
But first, the public recognized Vladimir Zelensky as a comedian, showman and producer.
The future president began his career in KVN - he was the captain of the 95th Quarter team and played in the Highest League, and then began creating a television show (including the rating Evening Quarter). Much of what Zelensky did was a political one: in Ukraine his animated series “Fairy Rus” was popular in Ukraine, which interpreted the events taking place in the country through the prism of “ancient times”.
Zelensky wrote screenplays for films and produced them. Almost all the paintings he has worked on are comedies, but there are also dramas in his track record. So, Zelensky is listed among producers of dramas "I'll be there" and "Champions from the gateway."
In 2004, Zelensky starred in the mini-series "Casanova Unwillingly", thereby starting a film actor career. For "Casanova" followed by about fifteen more projects.
- © Frame from the film “Love in the big city-2”
"Love in the big city" - 1, 2, 3 (dentist Igor)
Vladimir Zelensky became even more recognizable after the release of the picture “Love in the big city”, where he played one of the central roles. The production of the tape was directed by Marius Weisberg (who later shot most of the pictures with Zelensky), and the actor’s partners on the set were Aleksey Chadov, Vera Brezhneva, Anastasia Zadorozhnaya, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Ville Haapasalo and Philip Kirkorov.
The plot of the film is built around the adventures of three friends - Artyom, Igor and Ole (Saunas) - living and working in the United States. Igor is a dentist, Ole works as a fitness instructor, and Artyom conducts excursions in New York. Friends are accustomed to a rather dissolute way of life, but everything changes after their acquaintance at one of the parties with St. Valentine (Kirkorov). The patron saint of lovers deprives the heroes of the ability to have promiscuous sexual relations, and only one can cure young people - love.
With a budget of $ 3.5 million, the film was able to collect cash in Russia at more than $ 9 million, and the continuation of the picture was not long in coming.
The sequel to the romantic comedy devoted to a new stage of relations. Three friends find themselves in a difficult situation - being on a tourist trip in Bangkok, they visit a local temple and touch one of the statues, which, according to legend, treats infertility. Now the characters are doomed to conceive a child at the very first sex. Artyom, Igor and Ole understand that they are not ready for fatherhood, so they decide to temporarily refrain from intimacy, which offends their companions.
In the Russian box office, the film collected a little more than the first part - $ 10 million. The third part of “Love” earned almost $ 16 million, although its audience accepted the worst of it.
- © A still from the movie “Office Romance. Nowadays"
"Love affair at work. Our time "(financial analyst Anatoly Novoseltsev)
The next notable TV project with the participation of Zelensky was a remake of Eldar Ryazanov's “Office Romance”.
Almost half a century ago, Ryazanov, in collaboration with Emil Braginsky, wrote the play “Colleagues”, after which he later shot the comedy “Office Romance” with Alisa Freindlich and Andrei Myagkov in the lead roles. The rights to the screening of the Ryazanov play were acquired from the director himself in the mid-1990s by director Alexander Atanesyan. Subsequently, they were bought by Leopolis studio.
In the new adaptation of the play “Colleagues”, Zelensky played the role of Novoseltsev, and Svetlana Khodchenkova played Kalugin. Marat Basharov, Anastasia Zavorotnyuk, Pavel Volya, Alik Smekhova and Ivan Okhlobystin also took part in the filming. The original plot and images of the characters have undergone some changes - this is how Vadik (Will) came to replace Vera's secretary.
The audience perceived the adaptation of the Soviet classics with understandable skepticism. Nevertheless, the total fees paintings exceeded $ 14.5 million.
- © Shot from the film “8 first dates”
"8 first dates" and "8 new dates" (vet Nikita)
In the wake of the success of romantic comedies, Zelensky began work on another similar picture - “8 first dates”. This time, the Russian actress Oksana Akinshina became his partner on the set.
In the center of the plot is the relationship between the TV star Vera and the veterinarian Nikita. Both heroes succeeded both in career and in personal life: Vera is going to marry professional tennis player Konstantin (Denis Nikiforov), and Nikita intends to legalize relations with her beloved Ilona.
Acquaintance of the main characters occurs under strange circumstances - Vera and Nikita wake up in the same bed. Having explained this development as a consequence of the party, the heroes leave, but the next day they wake up together again. This unusual situation is repeated again and again.
In the second part - “8 new dates” - Vera and Nikita wake up with other people after a quarrel. New partners meet all their requirements in the course of a dispute with each other, but the spouses understand that they want to return everything to their places.
The roles in the films were also performed by Yekaterina Varnava, Mikhail Galustyan, Polina Maksimova and Denis Nikiforov. Cameo was entrusted to the “City 312” musical group, to the singer Soso Pavliashvili and the leader of the “Leningrad” group Sergey Shnurov.
- © Shot from the TV series "Servant of the People 3"
"Servant of the People" (history teacher Vasily, who suddenly became president)
The main film project in Zelensky’s career was the series “Servant of the People” about the history teacher Vasily Goloborodko, who unexpectedly chose the path of a politician.
Goloborodko becomes widely known when an unusual video with his participation appears on the Internet. In the video, the teacher, without any equivocation, expresses an opinion on the state of affairs in the country. Yielding to the entreaties of the students, he nominates his candidacy for the presidency of the state and succeeds.
The production of the series is engaged in the studio "Quarter-95". The director's chair was taken by the director of the projects “My Fair Nanny” and “Who is the Boss in the House?” Alexey Kiryushchenko.
The comedy project gained wide popularity in Ukraine, after which it was decided to start shooting the second season. Its premiere took place in December 2016.
In the second season, becoming president Goloborodko, in order to stabilize the economic situation in the country, should receive financial assistance from the IMF. However, the reforms proposed as the main condition for the loan turn out to be a failure. Then Goloborodko decides to resign, but leaves no intention to run again.
In 2017, the show's rights to the show were sold to Netflix, and in March 2019, the premiere of the third season of the television project took place on 1 + 1.
- © Scene from the film “I, You, He, She”
“I, you, he, she” (Professor Maxim)
The picture “I, you, he, she” became Zelensky's debut work as a director of full-length cinema. Zelensky divided the director's chair with David Dodson (“8 first dates”) and played the main role in the film. For the production, again, answered "Quarter-95."
According to the plot, spouses Max and Yana who overcame the boundary at 10 years of marriage decide to leave. However, the judge, not having heard weighty arguments for divorce, gives the spouses a month to reconcile. Then Maxim and Yana indulge in all grave, allowing themselves all that they have limited themselves for ten years.
According to Ukrainian media, in the first weeks of the rental, the film managed to collect an amount of 70.5 million hryvnia ($ 2.6 million).