Sean Penn received a symbolic honor in Kyiv after missing the 2026 Academy Awards, where he won Best Supporting Actor for One battle after another.
The 65-year-old actor was unable to attend the ceremony in Los Angeles on March 15. Last year’s winner, Kieran Culkin, accepted the award on his behalf as Penn was in Ukraine, where he has remained an active supporter since the start of the war.
A day after the Oscars, Penn was photographed in Kiev and on March 17 he received a unique Oscars statuette from Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, CEO of Ukrainian Railways. The custom-made trophy is made from metal taken from a train damaged during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In a video shared online, Pertsovskyi told the actor: “You’re missing Oscars… so we made this one.”
Pertsovskyi then added in the same thread: “Iron Sean definitely deserves an Iron Oscar!”
Penn’s decision to skip the ceremony was reportedly intentional. According to reports, he had traveled to Europe in the days leading up to the Oscars and opted to spend time in Ukraine rather than attend the event.
During his visit, Penn also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who publicly thanked him for his support. In a message shared online, Zelenskyy described the actor as a “true friend of Ukraine” who has supported the country since the early days of the war.
Penn has been one of Hollywood’s most outspoken advocates for Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. In 2023, he even donated one of his previous Oscars to Zelenskyy, suggesting it could be melted down if necessary for the war effort.
