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March 16, 2022 | 10:55am ET

Before Volodymyr Zelensky was elected the President of Ukraine in 2019, he created and starred in a political satire called Servant of the People. Today, March 16th, Netflix has brought back the comedy series to its platform in the United States, making the announcement on the same day he masterfully addressed Congress while seeking aid in his country’s fight against the ongoing Russian invasion.

In Servant of the People, Zelensky portrays a high school teacher named Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko who gets elected president after his rant against government corruption goes viral. The series ran for three seasons, and in a case of life imitating art, directly helped him launch a presidential run in real life.

After his production company Kvartal 95 registered a political party of the same name in March 2018, Zelensky initially denied any plans to enters politics. However, Zelensky announced his candidacy for president of Ukraine nine months later. Running a grassroots campaign, he positioned himself as an anti-establishment figure and won the 2019 election in a landslide by receiving 73% of the vote.

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Prior to launching Servant of the People in 2015, Zelensky was one of Ukraine’s most beloved entertainers. At 17 years old, became a professional comedian, and in 2006, he won the country’s version of Dancing with the Stars. He even voiced Paddington Bear in the dubbed versions of Paddington and Paddington 2.

Over the past several weeks, Zelensky has called upon his on-camera experience to rally Ukrainian citizens and the world against Russia’s invasion of his country. Whether it’s been defiant smartphone videos or press conferences in which he’s directly addressed leaders of global powers, Zelensky has demonstrated courage and political savvy while maintaining a humble approach.