Sean Penn wins best supporting actor Oscar for ‘One Battle After Another’ but skips ceremony

Sean Penn has added another milestone to his celebrated career, winning the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in One Battle After Another, a political drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

Penn, 65, did not attend the ceremony, marking yet another Oscars absence in his career. Announcing the win, Kieran Culkin remarked, “He couldn’t be here tonight, or he didn’t want to.” The latest honour is Penn’s third Academy Award.

According to Associated Press, Penn is currently in Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a photo with the actor, praising his continued support and calling him “a true friend of Ukraine.” Penn has been actively engaged with the country since the start of the full-scale war and had previously gifted one of his Oscar statuettes to Zelenskyy in 2022.

In One Battle After Another, Penn plays Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, a seasoned political strategist navigating shifting alliances and ideological battles. The performance blends his signature intensity with restraint, adding another acclaimed role to his career.

Penn has a history of skipping major awards ceremonies. He previously missed the Oscars when nominated for Dead Man Walking (1996), Sweet and Lowdown (2000) and I Am Sam (2002), and also skipped this year’s BAFTAs and SAG Awards.

He did attend when he won best actor Oscars for Mystic River (2003), directed by Clint Eastwood, and for portraying Harvey Milk in Milk (2008), directed by Gus Van Sant.

Rising to fame in the 1980s with films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Penn went on to build a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most intense and transformative actors, with acclaimed performances in Carlito’s Way and The Thin Red Line among others.

Other nominees in the category included Benicio del Toro, Delroy Lindo for Sinners, Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein, and Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value.