Volodymyr Zelensky: from TV series to presidency to war. The metamorphoses of a celebrity politician

This article analyses Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership through the prism of celebrity politics. While his global prominence followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, his celebrity status long predates his political career, rooted in years as a comedian, actor and media producer. The article examines how this pre-existing media persona informed both his election campaign and his subsequent presidential communication. Drawing on an empirical analysis of his Instagram activity (2019–2023), it considers three phases of his leadership: the 2019 campaign, the pre-invasion presidency and wartime leadership. The study shows how Zelensky blends entertainment and politics, and how his status has evolved from that of a national celebrity to that of a global symbol, shaped by the post-Soviet media environment and longer traditions of dissent. It argues that Zelensky’s case illustrates how celebrity politics can function as a resource for mobilising support and pursuing specific political objectives.