Overview
- Penn was not at the Dolby Theatre when he won best supporting actor for One Battle After Another, with presenter Kieran Culkin accepting on his behalf and joking about his absence.
- Ukraine’s state railway posted video of Penn stepping off a train in central Kyiv and said the trip was kept secret until the last moment.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shared a photo of their meeting in Kyiv and praised Penn as a “true friend of Ukraine,” with no readout of their discussion released.
- Ukrainian Railways CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi presented Penn an “Iron Oscar” made from metal salvaged from a railcar hit in a Russian attack, bearing a message of resilience and gratitude.
- The win was Penn’s third acting Oscar, and coverage noted his sustained engagement with Ukraine, including the 2023 documentary Superpower and his 2022 gesture of lending an Oscar to Zelenskiy; some outlets reported the Kyiv trip was planned days in advance.