Ian McKellen tricked into call with Russian prankster posing as Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ian McKellen was recently pranked into a call with a Russian comedian pretending to be Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Lord of the Rings actor published a statement on Twitter on Wednesday night in which he revealed he accepted an invitation to have "a private discussion" with the politician "some weeks ago", but when he got on the call, it became clear that he had been duped.
"I checked with a couple of contacts in Ukraine who encouraged me to take the call. At the appointed time, I found myself chatting, apparently, with the President of Ukraine," the 83-year-old wrote. "As it soon turned out, it was not Zelensky or any Ukrainian official, but one of a pair of Russians who call themselves comedians. I understand they're popular in Russia, which is surprising because they're jokes aren't funny.
"I played along with things they suggested but was frankly bewildered that they seemed to think I might be in a position to provide substantial aid to Ukraine. Once I realized it was all just a dirty trick, I declined to cooperate any further."
According to Metro, McKellen spoke to one of the pranksters about supporting LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine and asked how he could help the country amid Russia's invasion.
The veteran actor did not reveal the identity of the comedians, however, the incident comes two months after Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling fell victim to the exact same prank, which was orchestrated by notorious Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus.
