Actor Sean Penn Skips Oscars to Help Ukraine

Penn has visited Ukraine many times since Russia started a war there in 2022. While he was there during the Oscars, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian railway company gave Penn a special Oscar made from metal from a train car damaged by Russian bombs. They called it a symbol of strength and courage.

The actor said award shows have always made him uncomfortable. He explained that he doesn't like being around more than eight people at once. Penn said if you spend two hours with a large group, you only get about 15 minutes with each person. Groups bigger than eight people make him feel worried and scared.

Penn has won two other Oscars before this one. He won Best Actor awards in 2003 and 2009 for different movies. During those award shows, he said the best he ever felt was relief. This time, his movie team and the movie studio knew he wouldn't attend. They all understood his decision and supported him.

Penn also talked about why he doesn't like taking selfies with people. He said selfies are bad and people should never take them. The actor even said he wouldn't take a selfie with a Holocaust survivor and her disabled grandchild. Penn believes selfies make award season even more stressful for him.

Even though Penn wasn't at the Oscars, he watched the show from Ukraine. He said this was the first time he actually enjoyed watching the Academy Awards. Penn felt excited instead of nervous because he wasn't there in person. He said it was great to finally enjoy the show from far away.