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Ukraine is lambasting HBO’s “The White Lotus” for casting Miloš Biković … a Serbian actor who’s voiced support and admiration for Russia amid the ongoing war, and has accepted a medal from Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry called out HBO in an X post Wednesday … asking if it was right for the outlet to work with a person who supports genocide and violates international law.
A quick rundown on the uproar: Biković’s been accused of supporting Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine … even posting an X poll showing that trust in Putin was higher than in Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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He’s starred in a string of Russian films, such as 2014’s “Sunstroke” … which Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he’d filmed in Crimea, the peninsula Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014.
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In 2018, Putin awarded Biković a Pushkin medal for advancing Russian culture. A year later, Ukraine banned him from entering the country for national security reasons.
The 36-year-old was unfazed over the ban, making it clear where his loyalties lie as he gushed over receiving Russian citizenship in 2021 … and added, he’d been actively participating in Russian cultural life for more than 7 years.
His casting in the third season of Mike White‘s anthology series was announced earlier this month … and production is set to begin next month in Thailand.
Deadline reports he’ll likely play a Russian-speaking wellness guru at the hotel — though his character details haven’t been confirmed.
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The dark comedy has been a massive hit with fans and has dominated award season with its first 2 seasons … so expectations are undoubtedly high for the third.
How HBO handles the backlash to Biković’s casting remains to be seen.
