Sean Penn secured his third Oscar win at this year’s Academy Awards, taking home the statuette for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “One Battle After Another.” He previously won two Best Actor awards for his performances in “Mystic River” and “Milk.”
“A True Friend of Ukraine.” Sean Penn Was Absent From the Oscars Ceremony
His absence from the prestigious event sparked considerable speculation. Presenter Kieran Culkin stated that Penn “couldn’t, or wouldn’t” attend the ceremony.
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Hours after the awards concluded, the President of Ukraine posted a photo on social media with the actor.
“Sean, thanks to you we know who is a true friend of Ukraine. You stood with Ukraine from the first day of the full-scale war. This is still relevant today. We know that you will continue to stand with our country and our people,” wrote Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The actor arrived in central Kyiv by train with Ukrainian Railways. “We know how to keep secrets, so we remained silent until the end. Now we officially confirm: Sean Penn chose Ukraine over the Oscars!” the railway company wrote on its social media page.
Sean Penn Has Supported Ukraine for Years. He Was in Poland After the War Began
The actor, known to audiences for films such as “21 Grams,” “Before the Execution,” and “Sam,” has supported Ukraine for years. On the day of the Russian attack, Penn was in Kyiv, filming a documentary about Russian actions against Ukraine. Earlier, in 2021, he met with Ukrainian soldiers in the area of the Sea of Azov.
SEE: Oscar for a Pole. Maciek Szczerbowski Honored
Following the Russian aggression on February 24th, Penn left his car on the side of the road and decided to walk from Kyiv to the border with Poland. He had previously spoken with key politicians in Ukraine. In Krakow, he announced aid for refugees through the CORE foundation.
He met with, among others, the then-President of Krakow, Jacek Majchrowski, and Mateusz Morawiecki, who was then the Polish Prime Minister. In 2022, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Sean Penn was on a list of 25 U.S. Citizens who are banned from entering Russia.
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