"In a different relationship now": a star from "Servant of the People" revealed how Zelenskyi has changed, with whom he co-starred in the famous series.

Actor Serhii Kalantai, who co-starred with Volodymyr Zelenskyi in "Servant of the People," a series produced by Zelensky and now the President of Ukraine, shared details from the set of the series. Serhii Kalantai played the role of the head of the IMF, Otto Adelweinsteiner, in the TV series.

The actor admits that when he met Volodymyr Zelenskyi at the Franko Theater years after the filming, he was "hesitant to hug him." Kalantai talked about this in an interview with OBOZREVATEL.

Reflecting on the filming of "Servant of the People," Serhii Kalantai revealed that he discovered Zelenskyi's talents as an actor and a manager: "First of all, he impressed me as a talented actor. While preparing for the final scene, he held the text in his hands briefly and then, without any hesitation or need for a prompter, he recited it in front of the camera, which was quite long. We didn't need to do many takes of the final monologue. The second impression I got was when, during filming, he received a phone call informing him that one of the actors had been drinking, and the next day we had to shoot at a location for which we had paid a lot of money. He apologized to us, stepped aside, and with just a few calls on his cell phone, he managed to resolve the situation, quickly sorting everything out. It was at that moment that I realized he was a great organizer."

"I've heard various theories suggesting that the storyline of the show was devised years ago to help Zelenskyi become president, but these are just rumors. I cannot confirm if they are true or not. What I can say is that, during the filming, I found him to be a great colleague and a highly effective organizer. 'Servant of the People' was produced with genuine sincerity, and it's a commendable piece of work. In terms of production quality, it met European standards."

Years later, Kalantai had the opportunity to meet Zelenskyi once again. He recalled, "I have very fond memories of the time when I knew Volodymyr Oleksandrovych as Volodia. When he awarded me the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine on the stage of the Franko Theater, I was somewhat hesitant to embrace him. Nonetheless, we exchanged knowing glances, and shook hands - it was a different dynamic, and that's perfectly understandable."

Read the full interview with Serhii Kalantai on OBOZREVATEL, available on Sunday, October 8.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL reported on Oksana Bairak, a convicted human trafficker, who is secretly shooting a melodrama in Russia using a false identity and involving actors from Ukraine.

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