If Zelenskyy is not invited, Sean Penn threatens to destroy the award
Key Takeaways:
- Sean has received numerous accolades in addition to his two Academy Awards and is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation.
- If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not invited to the Oscars, Sean Penn has threatened to 'publicly smelt' his Academy Award trophy.
If the 2022 Oscars organizers decide not to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the award ceremony this Sunday night, actor Sean Penn has threatened to 'publicly smelt' his Academy Award trophy. Milk and Mystic River both earned him Best Actor nominations. He is deeply invested in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, having recently visited Ukraine amid the conflict.
President Zelenskyy famously asked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, to enable him to speak at the ceremony to drum up international support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. However, there are rumors that he may be denied access to the stage. On the night of Sunday, March 27, 2022, the Oscars will be held in Los Angeles.
"If it diverts out to be what is happening," Sean told CNN, "I would inspire everyone involved, though that may be their moment, as well as I understand that, to celebrate their movies, it is so much more important for them to shine, and to protest and boycott the Academy Awards." I'll smelt mine in public when I get back."
Sean expressed his hope that it would not come to that. "I hope that wasn't the case. I hope there haven't been any arrogant people who think they represent the greater good who have decided not to check in with Ukraine's leadership. So I'm hoping that's not what happened, and if it is, I hope everyone leaves," he added.
After crossing the Ukrainian border on foot, the actor is currently in Poland. He's currently filming a documentary regarding the ongoing conflict in Europe. During his visit to Ukraine, he met Zelenskyy and even attended a recent government press conference. On Instagram, the actor had previously shared a video from the meeting. "The more people recognize the war in Ukraine, the better the chances of stopping Russia!" he captioned it. Since then, he's deleted the video.
Sean is widely considered as one of the greatest actors of his generation, having received numerous accolades in addition to his two Academy Awards. He is also known for his involvement in humanitarian and political causes and his on-screen work. He had previously spoken with the Presidents of Cuba and Venezuela and was praised for his efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.