Sean Penn’s name was called at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night, but the Hollywood veteran wasn’t there to collect his trophy.
Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Steven J. Lockjaw in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.
Instead of walking the Dolby Theatre stage, the actor appeared only on the giant Oscars screen as last year’s winner, Kieran Culkin, accepted the award in his absence.
“Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening, or didn’t want to, so I’ll be accepting the award on his behalf,” Culkin quipped to the audience.
Penn’s no show at the Oscars capped a string of missed appearances.
He was also absent from the BAFTAs in London and the Actor Awards in Los Angeles earlier this season, despite winning in the Supporting Actor category at both.
According to The New York Times, Penn had flown to Europe in the days leading up to the ceremony, with sources to the outlet saying his plan was to visit Ukraine.
The insiders did not specify details of his itinerary, leaving questions about where exactly he intended to go or what he planned to do there.
Career Milestone
The win marks Penn’s third Academy Award, placing him among acting legends Daniel Day Lewis, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Ingrid Bergman.
He previously won Best Actor for Mystic River (2004) and Milk (2009), with additional nominations for Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, and I Am Sam.
