Yes, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Actually Voiced Paddington Bear
As the acting president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is actively inspiring the world with his courageous response to the ongoing Russian invasion. But what you may not realize is that he had a very different career before shifting to the political stage and becoming one of the heroes of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Zelenskyy was elected to the presidency in 2019 in Ukraine, according to Today. Before that he worked as a comedian and an actor. The publication notes that he appeared on a show called Servant of the People immediately before breaking into politics. The New York Post reports that he even played a teacher on the show who suddenly became president of Ukraine.
His resume also includes an appearance on Ukraine's Dancing With the Stars.
While his political career has closely mirrored his character's rise in Servant of the People, another role in Zelenskyy's acting career has attracted quite a bit of attention recently. That would be his voice acting work for the Paddington films.
Hugh Bonneville, the actor who played Mr. Henry Brown in 2014's Paddington and 2017's Paddington 2, confirmed that Zelenskyy voiced the titular bear in the Ukrainian version of the films.
"Speaking for myself, thank you, President Zelenskiy," Bonneville wrote on Twitter. Check out his full tweet below:
Bonneville shared a YouTube video that offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Zelenskyy recording several scenes for the second film.
“Hello to my darling friends. I, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will lend my voice to the wonderful, charismatic, friendly bear Paddington,” Zelenskyy says in the clip, according to a translation provided by Variety.
The actor-turned-politician also notes that the film is for the "whole family" and guaranteed to leave viewers in a "fantastic mood."
You can check out the adorable clip below:
Ben Whishaw voiced Paddington Bear in the English language version of both films. He reprised the role in a TV series called The Adventures of Paddington, according to his profile on IDMb.