In Warsaw, Poland, Sean Penn threatened to smelt his Academy Awards if Ukrainian President Zelensky isn’t given an audience.
The 61-year-old actor has won two Academy Awards for Best Actor for his roles in the 2003 movie Mystic River and his portrayal of Harvey Milk in the biopic Milk in 2008.
Last year, Penn directed and starred in the movie Flag Day alongside his daughter Dylan Penn whom he shares with ex-wife Robin Wright.
Penn threatens to smelt his Oscar awards in public
During an interview with CNN, Penn was asked about the upcoming Oscars while speaking about the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
The actor revealed that he had heard the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences had elected not to give the Ukrainian President an audience.
In addition, he did not clarify whether Zelensky had requested an audience.
However, if it is the case, Penn encouraged his fellow actors, screenwriters, and producers to boycott if the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences doesn’t let Zelensky speak.
“If it turns out to be what is happening, I would encourage everyone involved, though it may be their moment, and I understand that, to celebrate their films, it is so much more importantly their moment to shine, and to protest and to boycott that Academy Awards,” Penn said, continuing:
“I myself, if it comes back to it, when I return, I will smelt mine in public. I pray that’s not what happens. I pray there have not been arrogant people who consider themselves representatives of the greater good who have decided not to check in with leadership in Ukraine. So I’m going to hope that’s not what happened, and I hope everyone walks out if it is.”
Sean Penn has described any potential lack of support for Ukraine by the Academy Awards as “the most obscene moment in all of Hollywood history.”
Sean Penn is filming a documentary on the ongoing war
The actor is filming a documentary for Vice about the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, and he met with Zelensky at the beginning of the war that has taken thousands of lives.
Penn praised Zelensky as an “incredibly moving human being” and said he had met again with him recently.
The actor is currently in Poland for his safety as the nation of Ukraine is under heavy artillery bombing from Russia.
Penn attended press briefings in Kyiv and reportedly met with officials and spoke to journalists and military personnel about the Russian invasion.
The name or the release of the actor’s upcoming documentary is yet to be released.