Sean Penn reveals which Oscar he gave to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky

Sean Penn has revealed which of his Oscar statuettes he handed over to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022 as a show of solidarity with Ukraine during the country’s war with Russia.

The two-time Academy Award winner had presented one of his trophies to Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv, calling it a symbolic gesture meant to represent faith in Ukraine’s eventual victory. The statuette was intended to stay in Ukraine until the war ends.

Penn recently clarified that the award he gave Zelensky was the Oscar he won for Best Actor for Milk, the 2008 biographical drama in which he portrayed gay rights activist Harvey Milk.

The actor has been one of Hollywood’s most outspoken supporters of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Penn was in Kyiv filming a documentary about the conflict when the invasion began and has since made several trips to the country.

During his 2022 meeting with Zelensky, Penn presented the statuette and told the Ukrainian leader to return it once the country had won the war. The gesture was meant as a morale-boosting symbol of international support.

Penn has won two Oscars for Best Actor during his career — first for Mystic River in 2004 and later for Milk in 2009 — and remains active in both filmmaking and humanitarian advocacy.