Sean Penn has been presented with an Oscar fashioned from the metal of a Ukrainian railway carriage damaged by Russian missiles.
The statue, which is flat, silver and shaped like an Academy Award, was given to him by Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, CEO of Ukrainian railways, who told him: “You’re missing Oscars, so we made this one.”
He added: “It’s not golden but it’s very real and from the bottom of our hearts.”
Penn, 65, replied: “These are all treasures, thank you.”
The actor skipped Sunday evening’s ceremony in Los Angeles, where he won his third Oscar: a best supporting actor award for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which took a total of six prizes, including best director and best picture.
His absence was unexplained on the night, but on Monday it was revealed the actor had flown to Ukraine late last week, where he was photographed in central Kyiv on Monday “wearing sunglasses and carrying a box of cigarettes”.
President Zelenskyy then posted a picture of them sitting together in his office. In 2022, Penn loaned one of his Oscars to the president, saying: “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.”
He added: “When you win, bring it back to Malibu. I’ll feel much better knowing a piece of me is here.”
Penn has visited the country frequently since Russia invaded four years ago, and made a documentary about its president in 2023. His previous two Oscars were for Mystic River in 2004 and Milk in 2009.
The actor also won a Bafta for One Battle Against Another in February, but was also absent from the ceremony.
