(Kyiv) Ukraine on Wednesday accused Serbian actor Milos Bikovic, who is expected to star in the future season of the hit series The White Lotusto support Russia “since the beginning of the invasion”, in a message intended for the American television channel HBO.
This 36-year-old actor, who obtained Russian nationality in 2021, was decorated by President Vladimir Putin in 2018 for contribution to the country’s culture.
“Milos Bikovic, a Serbian actor who has supported Russia since the beginning of the invasion is supposed to star in season 3 of The White Lotusfrom HBO,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry protested on X.
“HBO, do you not mind working with someone who supports genocide and violates international law? “, he added, speaking to the television channel which produces the program.
HBO announced in mid-January that Milos Bikovic would join the cast of the next season. Production is due to begin in February in Thailand, according to the specialist media Variety.
The channel has not yet responded to these criticisms.
Milos Bikovic, who has starred in several Russian films, obtained Russian citizenship by decree of Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2021, a year before the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
“It is a great honor to say today: Russia is my homeland,” he wrote on Instagram at the time, saying he saw himself as “an active member of Russian society.”
The White Lotus, a scathing satire on the hypocrisy of the rich, achieved great popular and critical success. It was notably rewarded in January with the Emmy Award for best drama series.