Hollywood actors paid tribute to Ukraine at Sunday night’s Screen Actors Association Awards, highlighting Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s roots in the entertainment industry.
“The president of Ukraine was a comedian,” said actor Brian Cox, receiving an award. “He was a great comedian and we should respect him and it was great to be in the presidency.”
Actress Jessica Chastain said during her speech “my heart is with [those] who are fighting for their safety and freedom,” and TV presenter Greta Lee walked the red carpet in a blue and yellow dress, in colors of Ukrainian flags.
Mr. Zelensky received widespread praise on the Internet for his calm leadership during the invasion. With its growing popularity online, footage from Mr. Zelensky’s TV show, as well as other productions, including a brilliant take on the 2006 Ukrainian series Dancing with the Stars, went viral on Twitter.
A tweet from British actor Hugh Bonneville, who identified Mr. Zelensky as the voice of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian version of the film, also went viral.
