Hosted by Conan O’Brien, the winners of the 98th edition of the Academy Awards were recently announced at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another emerged as the biggest winner with six trophies, followed by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which secured four wins. Among the big winners was veteran Hollywood actor Sean Penn, who bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for his impactful performance in One Battle After Another. This was his third acting Oscar win after Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008).
However, despite the victory, Sean Penn was not present at the ceremony to receive his award, reportedly due to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Before Sean Penn, there have been several instances of actors missing the Oscars ceremony despite winning. Here’s a look at five such actors and the much-talked-about occasions when they skipped the awards night despite their Oscar wins.
1. Marlon Brando – 1973 Oscars (Film: The Godfather)
Legendary Hollywood actor Marlon Brando made an incredible comeback in Francis Ford Coppola’s iconic 1972 gangster drama The Godfather. His powerful performance in the film earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. However, he reportedly declined to accept the prestigious award. Sacheen Littlefeather attended the ceremony in his place and said that Marlon Brando could not accept the award, as he was protesting Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans.
2. Anthony Hopkins – 2021 Oscars (Film: The Father)
Another iconic actor, Anthony Hopkins, became the oldest actor to win the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Florian Zeller’s 2020 psychological drama The Father. This was his second ‘Best Actor’ win after The Silence of the Lambs. However, he could not attend the ceremony in person. According to The Independent, since the actor did not expect to win, he went to bed and did not attend the awards night.
3. Katharine Hepburn – Multiple Oscars (Films: Morning Glory, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, The Lion in Winter, On Golden Pond)
Katharine Hepburn holds the record for the most acting Oscars (four). Yet, she never came to the stage to receive her trophies. She reportedly said, “As for me, prizes are nothing… My prize is my work.” Many years later, in 1974, she finally attended the ceremony to give a memorial award.
4. Paul Newman – 1987 Oscars (Film: The Color of Money)
The legendary actor was nominated several times for the Best Actor Oscar but eventually won the trophy for Martin Scorsese’s sports drama The Color of Money, co-starring Tom Cruise. He didn’t attend the ceremony because he reportedly lost interest after losing six times before.
5. Michael Caine – 1987 Oscars (Film: Hannah and Her Sisters)
Another veteran actor, Michael Caine, could not attend the star-studded ceremony to receive his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Woody Allen’s comedy-drama Hannah and Her Sisters. He reportedly could not present due to scheduling, as he was busy filming Jaws: The Revenge.
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