Comedian takes centre stage in Ukraine's presidential race

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian actor and candidate in the upcoming presidential election, smiles as he waits backstage of a comedy show at a concert hall in Kiev, Ukraine February 22, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV (Reuters) - In a popular Ukrainian TV series, comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy plays a president who is scrupulously honest and outwits crooked lawmakers and shadowy businessmen who try to stand in his way.

Zelenskiy's character in the show "Servant of the People" is loved by Ukrainians fed up with how their country has been governed since independence in 1991. Now they have the chance to turn fantasy into reality in presidential elections on March 31.