Landslide election victory thrusts Ukrainian comedian into limelight

Ukrainian presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy reacts following the announcement of the first exit poll in a presidential election at his campaign headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine April 21, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

KIEV (Reuters) - In a popular Ukrainian TV series, comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy played 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" was loved by Ukrainians fed up with how their country had been governed since independence in 1991.