Famous actor, film director and producer Sean Penn handed over his hard-earned Oscar to the president of war-torn Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a show of solidarity.
Penn’s dedication netted him two Oscar wins over the course of his career. He won Best Actor for Mystic River in 2003 and for Milk in 2008. It was an honor for him to take home the hardware, but it has been an even bigger honor to hand over the Oscar Statuette to President Volodymir Zelenskyy as a token of his steadfast support. Penn will take the award back home when Ukraine comes out of the war victorious.
Hollywood actor, film director, screenwriter and producer Sean Penn handed over his own Oscar statuette to President Volodymir Zelenskyy.
The award will be in #Ukraine until the end of the war as a symbol of faith in the victory of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/fu4YiIKhRw
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 8, 2022
The Oscar will remain in Zelenskyy’s possession in Ukraine until the end of the war, and acts as an ongoing reminder and symbol of the faith that Penn has in Ukraine’s ultimate victory.
The historic moment and symbolic trade-off of the award were captured on camera and widely shared on social media.
It served as a reminder of faith, hope, and belief in happier times to come for Ukraine and its citizens. (RELATED: Oscars Announce Jimmy Kimmel As Their Next Host)
Penn’s kind-hearted gesture was met with kind comments online. Fans flocked to social media to echo Penn’s support of the Ukrainian people. Many shared their hope that the Oscar statue’s stay in the Ukraine will be a short one. Others praised Penn for his kindness and for the meaningful gesture.
Russia continues to wage a war against Ukraine over a handful of eastern Ukrainian territories. Ukraine has received considerable financial, military, and moral support from the United States, of which Penn’s gesture is the latest.