Sean Penn received a nomination (and later a win!) for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at The Oscars, but he did not show up to the ceremony on Sunday, March 15. His decision to skip the event did not come as much of a surprise, as Penn previously did not attend the Actor Awards and BAFTA Awards, despite winning for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at both telecasts.
When Kieran Culkin announced Penn as the winner in the Supporting Actor category, he told the audience, “Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening … or didn’t want to … so I’ll be accepting the award on his behalf.”
It turns out the actor skipped the 2026 ceremony to meet with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy shared a photo of the men together on X and captioned it, “Sean, thanks to you, we know what a true friend of Ukraine is. You have stood with Ukraine since the first day of the full-scale war. This is still true today. And we know that you will continue to stand with our country and our people.”
Penn has always had a complicated relationship with awards shows and Hollywood in general. In fact, in 2023, he told Variety that he considered melting down the two Oscars he had previously won to provide Ukraine with ammunition in its war against Russia.
“I thought, well, f**k, you know? I’ll give them to Ukraine,” Penn said. “They can be melted down to bullets they can shoot at the Russians.” Penn won his first Best Actor Oscar for Mystic River in 2004, followed by another for Milk in 2009.
In the end, he didn’t end up melting the trophies, but he also wasn’t holding tight to them. He actually gave one to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “I told him to keep it and bring it to Malibu after all this is over and his country is safe,” Penn shared.
Penn previously skipped the Oscars when he was nominated for Best Actor in 1996, 2000, and 2002 for his roles in Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, and I Am Sam. This year, his win was for One Battle After Another, in which he stars as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw. While he also won at the BAFTAs and Actor Awards, he did not take home the Supporting Actor trophy at the Golden Globe Awards or Critics Choice Awards earlier this year.
One Battle After Another was nominated for 13 total awards at the Oscars, the second most of the night behind Sinners, which led with 16. Its other nominations were Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Best Music (Original Score), Best Sound, Best Casting, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing.
More Headlines:
- ‘The Neighborhood’ Announces Farewell Special & Series Finale Date
- Gordon Ramsay Brings 6-Year-Old Son Oscar Ramsay to ‘Next Level Chef’ (PHOTOS)
- ‘The Price Is Right’ Fans Blast Plinko After Newlywed’s ‘Disappointing’ Win
- Where Was Sean Penn at the 2026 Oscars? Why Best Supporting Actor Winner Skipped Show
- How Kate Mansi’s Diagnosis Inspired Molly’s ‘General Hospital’ Story
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.