Kieran Culkin made a witty joke to Sean Penn at the 2026 Academy Awards after the veteran actor was not present to accept his trophy.
Penn won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in One battle after anotherwhich is his third Academy Award, for which he previously won Best Actor Mystical river in 2004 and Milk in 2009.
When Culkin, who won the same category last year A real painstepped on stage to announce the winner, he revealed that Penn was not at the ceremony.
“Sean Penn couldn’t be here tonight. Or didn’t want to,” Culkin joked. “So I will accept the award on his behalf,” he added as the audience erupted in laughter.
Reports indicate Penn was in Ukraine at the time. The actor has been an outspoken supporter of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Host Conan O’Brien also joked about Penn’s absence during the broadcast, telling the audience that there had been a notable no-show during the ceremony.
“We had a no-show at Sean Penn. This thing is a humdinger; you gotta stay tuned!” he joked.
Penn’s relationship with the Oscars has been complicated in recent years. In 2024, while receiving a tribute at the Marrakesh International Film Festival, he criticized the Academy, accusing it of showing “extraordinary cowardice” when it comes to supporting artistic expression.
In the race for Best Supporting Actor, Penn defeated several high-profile nominees, including Benicio del Toro, Delroy Lindo, Stellan Skarsgård and Jacob Elordi.
One battle after another was one of the biggest winners of the night, also winning Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson.
