Sean Penn Receives Unique Oscar Constructed from Ukrainian Railway Metal

Sean Penn has received a unique Oscar crafted from the metal of a Ukrainian railway carriage damaged by Russian missiles. This special flat silver statue, which mimics the shape of an Academy Award, was presented to him by Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, the CEO of Ukrainian Railways. During the presentation, Pertsovskyi quipped, "You're missing Oscars so we made this one," and emphasized the heartfelt sentiment behind the gesture by stating, "It's not golden but it's very real and from the bottom of our hearts." In response, the 65-year-old actor expressed his gratitude, saying, "These are all treasures, thank you." Penn missed the recent ceremony in Los Angeles where he won his third Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson's film 'One Battle After Another,' which secured a total of six awards including Best Picture and Best Director. While the reason for his absence was unclear on the night, it later emerged that the actor had traveled to Ukraine just days before the event, where he was photographed in central Kyiv wearing sunglasses and carrying a box of cigarettes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a photo of himself with Penn in his office, underscoring the strong bond formed between the actor and the country amidst ongoing conflict. In a symbolic act of support, Penn had previously loaned one of his Oscars to President Zelenskyy during his visit in 2022, stating, "This is for you. It's just a symbolic silly thing but if I know this is here with you then I'll feel better and stronger for the fight. When you win, bring it back to Malibu. I'll feel much better knowing a piece of me is here." Since the onset of the Russian invasion four years ago, Penn has frequently visited Ukraine and even made a documentary about Zelenskyy in 2023. His previous Academy Awards were awarded for 'Mystic River' in 2004 and 'Milk' in 2009. Additionally, he received a BAFTA for 'One Battle Against Another' in February, although he was again absent from the ceremony. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2