Oscars 2026: Sean Penn skips ceremony to meet Ukraine President Zelenskyy, who calls him a ‘true friend’

Actor Sean Penn missed the 98th Academy Awards ceremonial this twelvemonth contempt winning Best Supporting Actor, choosing alternatively to question to Ukraine for a gathering with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Penn received the grant for his relation successful One Battle After Another, but was not contiguous astatine the ceremony. During the broadcast, the grant was accepted connected his behalf, with presenter Kieran Culkin noting that Penn “couldn’t beryllium present this evening — oregon didn’t privation to.”

Images of Penn’s sojourn were aboriginal shared by Zelenskyy connected societal media, wherever the Ukrainian person expressed gratitude for the actor’s continued support. “Sean, acknowledgment to you, we cognize what a existent person of Ukraine is,” Zelenskyy wrote. “You person stood with Ukraine since the archetypal time of the full-scale war. This is inactive existent today.”

Penn has been actively progressive successful Ukraine since the aboriginal stages of the conflict, including done his documentary Superpower, which helium co-directed and which focuses connected Zelenskyy and the country’s wartime experience.

The histrion has often combined his movie vocation with humanitarian and governmental engagement. Speaking antecedently astir his attack to activism, Penn said his enactment crossed antithetic fields is driven by a akin mindset. “It each feels similar you’re ever looking to beryllium worth added,” helium said, adding that decisions often impact weighing broader consequences.

Penn’s lack from the Oscars follows a signifier of selective information successful awards events. Earlier successful the year, helium declined to be respective large ceremonies contempt receiving designation for his performance.