American actor Sean Penn won the 2026 Oscars for best supporting actor in the film "One Battle After Another." However, he missed the ceremony due to a trip to Ukraine, The New York Times reported, citing sources.
According to two people, Penn was not present at the film awards ceremony on Sunday and left for Europe, where he planned to visit Ukraine. The sources did not specify what exactly he would do there or where in the country he would go. There was a certain possibility that, although Penn left the United States before the start of the telecast, his route could have changed.
This year, it was Penn's sixth Oscar nomination and third win, as a favorite to win this award. Other nominees for best supporting actor were: Stellan Skarsgård for his role as a selfish father in "Sentimental Value", Jacob Elordi for his role as the doctor's monstrous creation in "Frankenstein", Delroy Lindo for his role as a blues musician and vampire fighter in "Sinners", and Benicio Del Toro for his role as a karate instructor and ally of the revolutionaries in "One Battle After Another".
During the ceremony, the host of the "Best Supporting Actor" nomination, Kieran Culkin, said: "Sean Penn couldn't be here tonight, or didn't want to be here, so I'll accept the award on his behalf".
What is known about Sean Penn's activism
It is noted that Penn's long history of activism has been the subject of public discussion since at least 1985, when he began a romantic relationship with Madonna, his first wife. According to the 2023 biography Madonna: A Rebel Life, Penn tried to save the music star's close friend by buying HIV drugs in Mexico that were not approved in the United States.
In 2002, Penn took out an ad in The Washington Post opposing George W. Bush's plan to go to war in Iraq. Two months later, he visited Baghdad, where he reportedly declared that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction.
In 2005, Penn led a rescue boat in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and in 2010, he founded the organization now known as Core, which established a camp in Haiti for more than 50,000 displaced people.
A year earlier, Penn won his second Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of gay rights activist Harvey Milk. In his acceptance speech, he continued to criticize "those who voted to ban same-sex marriage," saying that it was "a good time for them to sit down, think, and foresee their great shame and the shame in the eyes of their grandchildren if they continue to support this position."
How Sean Penn supported Ukraine
In 2021, the famous American film director and actor, two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn, visited Ukraine for the first time. In creative collaboration with a Ukrainian production group, he wanted to make a documentary about Ukraine.
The documentary "Superpower" was released. The film was conceived as the story of the transformation of actor Volodymyr Zelenskyy into President, but a full-scale invasion began, and the film turned into a story of the Ukrainian people's resistance to the russian invasion.
When russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Penn called it "the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams," adding, "If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost." Penn also presented an Oscar statuette to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during one of his visits. Penn said that he would be able to return it when the war is won.
In addition, in 2022, Sean Penn called on actors and directors to boycott the Oscars ceremony if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not perform. Sean Penn also promised to melt down his two statuettes from the American Film Academy.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the film "One Battle After Another" collected the most awards at the 2026 Oscars - a total of six wins, including in the categories of best film and best director. The film "Sinners," the record holder for nominations, won four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan.
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