Sean Penn gets an Oscar made from metal from a blown-up Ukrainian train after skipping the ceremony to visit Kyiv

by

Sean Penn was honored with a special award in Ukraine, a gesture that came after he wasn’t able to attend the Oscars this year to accept his Best Supporting Actor award.

The 65-year-old actor received the award for his role in One Battle After Another, but he didn’t attend the ceremony, opting instead to travel to Ukraine.

On Monday, Sean was photographed walking in Kyiv and later met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the presidential office.

Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, head of Ukrainian Railways, didn’t want the actor to leave without a souvenir, so he presented him with a handcrafted ‘Oscar’ statue.

Mr. Pertsovskyi nicknamed it the ‘Iron Oscar’ because it was built from a railcar that had been damaged during the war by Russian forces.

In a video posted on X, he jokingly told Sean that he deserved an Oscar, reminding him that he’d previously given one to the president and that this new one was made especially for him.

Since you mentioned the metals lasting, we wanted to share something meaningful to us. It isn’t about luxury, but genuine feeling – something we truly believe in and value deeply.

Looking emotional, Sean gave Mr. Pertsovskyi a hug and said: ‘These are all treasures, thank you.’

Mr. Pertsovskyi noted that Sean Penn chose to travel to Ukraine instead of attending the Oscars at the Dolby Theater, where he would have received his third Oscar award.

We wanted to recognize our wonderful friend and frequent Ukrainian Railways passenger, Sean, for his loyalty. I was happy to present him with our IronOscar on behalf of the entire team!

The back of the handmade Oscar statue has an inscription that tells a powerful story: ‘This metal once helped carry millions to safety, away from war. But then a Russian missile struck. Instead of turning it into something for fighting, we reshaped it as a symbol of our thankfulness – to you, for your artistry, and for your bravery in supporting Ukraine.’

Sean is a dedicated supporter of Ukraine and has been there multiple times. He even filmed a documentary about Zelensky when Russia invaded.

The film, which premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival, respectfully chronicles Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s journey from a comedian to the leader of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion.

Through their interviews, Sean and Zelensky built up what they both called a close friendship.

According to a Ukrainian official who spoke with AFP, he is currently in Ukraine on a personal trip, feeling it’s important for him to be there to show his support for the country.

At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Sean and Bono publicly voiced strong support for Ukraine, urging Western countries to continue assisting the nation. They marked the occasion by posing for photos with Ukrainian soldiers on the red carpet.

Many people on X (formerly Twitter) were upset that Sean wasn’t at the Oscars, and some suggested the Academy shouldn’t give awards to people who don’t attend the ceremony.

They suggested a rule where anyone who doesn’t attend the awards simply because they’re uninterested shouldn’t receive the award – similar to how a raffle works. If someone doesn’t show up, the award should go to the next person on the list, unless they have a valid health reason. They specifically mentioned Sean Penn as someone who doesn’t seem to care about the award.

Someone wondered aloud what could have been more important for Sean Penn than attending the Oscars.

If you’re able to attend the Oscars but choose not to, you shouldn’t receive the award – it should go to the next in line. This specifically applies to Sean Penn.

It really bothers me when someone wins an Oscar and doesn’t bother to attend the ceremony. Sean Penn, for example, doesn’t seem to value the award at all.

It seems unlikely Sean Penn will win another Oscar, especially considering he didn’t attend the ceremony and other nominees were more deserving.

Sean Penn received the award for Best Supporting Actor, but he didn’t attend the ceremony. Apparently, he wasn’t interested, joking that this would be his third Oscar.

‘Sean Penn not showing up to the Oscars knowing he’s going to win is such a prick move.’

He hadn’t won an Oscar despite being nominated before, and he skipped both this year’s BAFTAs and the Actor Awards, even though he won at the latter.

Kieran Culkin made a joke about Penn not being present while announcing the award, and Penn actually ended up winning it.

The Succession actor jokingly explained that Sean Penn wasn’t able to attend the event, or perhaps chose not to, and that he would be accepting the award for him.

Read More

2026-03-18 00:04