Sean Penn acquired an “Oscar” produced from the steel of a damaged Ukrainian railway carriage detonated by Russian missile fireplace, days after he gained the precise award however skipped the real-life ceremony.
The duplicate statue — formed just like the authentic golden statuette however metal-coloured and flat — was offered to the actor by Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, CEO of Ukrainian Railways, who advised Penn, “You’re lacking Oscars, so we made this one.”
“It’s not golden nevertheless it’s very actual and from the underside of our hearts,” Pertsovskyi advised Penn.
“These are all treasures, thanks,” the actor responded.
Footage of the trade was posted on Instagram by Ukrainian Railways.
Penn, 65, gained the Oscar for greatest supporting actor in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After One other, however didn’t attend Sunday’s ceremony. The win was the third in Penn’s profession, having beforehand taken residence the Academy Award for greatest actor in Mystic River (2004) and Milk (2009).
One Battle After One other gained six awards in complete, together with greatest director and greatest image.
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The rationale for Penn’s absence from the ceremony got here to gentle on Monday when images of him strolling on the street in Kyiv, Ukraine, emerged on-line. A senior Ukrainian official advised AFP the actor was in Ukraine to indicate help to the war-torn nation.
Sean Penn walks down a avenue in Kyiv on March 16, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He’s in Ukraine to indicate help to the war-torn nation, a senior Ukrainian official advised AFP.
Genya SAVILOV / AFP by way of Getty Photos
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared {a photograph} of himself and the actor on X. Within the publish, he wrote, “Sean, because of you, we all know what a real good friend of Ukraine is.”
“You will have stood with Ukraine because the first day of the full-scale struggle. That is nonetheless true right now. And we all know that you’ll proceed to face with our nation and our folks.”
Penn has been a vocal advocate for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2024 and a staunch supporter of Zelenskyy from the beginning of the struggle, and has visited the nation a number of instances previously 4 years.
In 2022, as a gesture of goodwill, Penn loaned one in every of his Oscars to the president, telling him, “That is for you. It’s only a symbolic foolish factor, but when I do know that is right here with you then I’ll really feel higher and stronger for the battle.”
“Whenever you win, deliver it again to Malibu. I’ll really feel a lot better figuring out a chunk of me is right here.”
Zelenskyy known as the Oscars rtrophy “an emblem of religion within the victory of our nation,” and has posted a number of photos of the pair in Ukraine collectively since then, the place he thanked the embellished actor for documenting “the occasions in our nation” and telling “the world the reality about Russian aggression.”
In February, Penn gained a BAFTA for his function in One Battle After One other, however was not on the ceremony.
He was additionally nominated for Greatest Efficiency by a Male Actor in a Supporting Position in Any Movement Image on the Golden Globes, the place he was in attendance.
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