Sean Penn was not on hand at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 2026 Oscars on Sunday night when he became the fourth man to win three acting Oscars, taking best supporting actor for his villainous turn in One Battle After Another.
Penn, who has twice won the Academy Award for best actor, has not given any statement regarding his absence from Hollywood’s big night. The New York Times, citing two sources close to the actor, reported that Penn was in Ukraine on Sunday; it is unclear why he traveled to the war-torn country.
The Hollywood Reporter did not immediately hear back from Penn’s rep on Sunday night.
Kieran Culkin, who won the best supporting actor award at last year’s Oscars for A Real Pain, was on hand to present in the category. He accepted the award for Penn.
“Sean Penn couldn’t be here this evening — or didn’t want to — so I’ll be accepting the award on his behalf,” he said.
Penn won the best actor Oscar for the 2003 thriller Mystic River and for the Harvey Milk biopic Milk in 2009. He was also nominated in that category for Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, and I Am Sam.
With this third Oscar, he ties the record for most acting wins by a male performer, joining Jack Nicholson, Walter Brennan, and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Portraying Col. Steven J. Lockjaw — the embodiment of an oppressive regime in an alternate America —Penn delivered a villainous turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s best picture favorite. The role earned him several awards on the road to the Oscars, including the BAFTA and SAG Award. However, the category was seen as a toss-up: he lost the Critics Choice Award to fellow Oscar nominee Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein and the Golden Globe to Stellan Skarsgård for Sentimental Value.
Delroy Lindo, who was considered a potential upset for his role in Sinners, and Penn’s One Battle After Another co-star Benicio Del Toro rounded out the category.
Conan O’Brien hosted Sunday’s ceremony. See the star-studded red carpet arrivals here and the full winners list.
