Few in Hollywood have been as enthusiastic cheerleaders for Ukraine during the Russian invasion as Sean Penn. The Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker was there on the ground from the start. He was even told, two months later, to “get the f*ck out of there” or risk life and limb. At one point, he even threatened to “smelt” one or both of his Oscar trophies if president Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to appear on this year’s disastrous Academy Awards telecast.
Speaking of, Deadline reports that Penn is back in Ukraine, during which he gifted Zelensky with one of his statues.
This video published by President Volodymyr Zelensky shows his meeting with U.S. actor Sean Penn in Kyiv.
According to Zelensky, Penn left his Oscar award in Ukraine, which will remain there “until Ukraine’s victory” as a symbol of belief in such an outcome. pic.twitter.com/r2LAAoOaku
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) November 8, 2022
“It’s just a symbolic silly thing, but if I know this is here then I’ll feel better and strong enough for the fights,” Penn told Zelenskyy in a video the latter posted online. “When you win, bring it back to Malibu, because I’ll feel much better knowing there’s a piece of me here.”
So does this mean Penn didn’t smelt his Oscars? Did he only smelt one and leave the other, perhaps hoping one day to lend it to Zelensky? And which one did he give him? Was it the trophy he won for Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River? Or for playing Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s Milk? As of now, that’s unclear.
Penn didn’t leave empty handed. In return, Zelensky awarded him the Order of Merit honor “for his sincere support and significant contribution to the popularization of Ukraine in the world.” Penn also gushed to Zelensky about Ukraine, saying, “there are three places in the world that all the pride of my life will be. The place where my daughter was born, the place where my son was born and this.”
(Via Deadline)