Sean Penn skipped the 98th Academy Awards to travel to Ukraine, where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the war-battered capital Kyiv. The three-time Oscar winner was spotted stepping out of a train carriage in central Kyiv, thousands of miles away from the glitz of Hollywood's Dolby Theatre.
Ukraine's state railway operator posted a video clip of Penn getting out of the train, saying it had kept his trip a secret until the very last moment. President Zelenskyy later posted a picture of himself meeting the actor at the presidential office in Kyiv.
The city is heavily barricaded due to the ongoing war against Russia. Sean Penn has visited Ukraine several times in the last two years and is a long-time advocate for the country. He filmed a documentary about Russia's invasion that premiered in February 2023.
Penn won the Best Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of an unhinged army Colonel in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, tying him with Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, and Walter Brennan for most acting wins for male stars.
