The Oscar-winning actor and activist, Sean Penn has given an ultimatum to The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences regarding the appearance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the award night. He has urged the attendees, nominees, and viewers to show their support against the Academy if the President is not given a stage to talk about the nation’s fight during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Sean Penn Supports The Ukrainian Efforts Against The Russian Invasion
The actor, who has won the supreme accolade for his performance in Mystic Rivers and Milk, has given an interview to CNN that has presented repercussions of not inviting Zelensky, who is presiding over war-torn Ukraine, to the Oscars. In an interview, he said, “If the Academy has elected not to do it, if presenters have elected not to pursue the leadership in Ukraine, who are taking bullets and bombs for us, along with the Ukrainian children they are trying to protect, then I think every single one of those people and every bit of that decision will have been the most obscene moment in all of Hollywood history.”
Penn sees no reason to not invite Zelensky and acknowledged those opinions where people “would say that politics are for another place, entertainment is for another sometimes has validity.” Penn is working on the ground in Poland with his organization CORE to aid in the war efforts of the country. Admiring Zelensky, he said he would meet him again and claimed that he embodies “that kind of nature of poetic courage and expression.”
Casualties of War actor considers that the opportunity given to the Ukrainian President is the greatest thing the Academy can do. He said, “There is nothing greater than the Academy Awards could do than to give him that opportunity to talk to all of us.”
Sean Has Urged People To Boycott The Oscars Altogether
President Volodymyr Zelensky, before becoming the President in 2019, was a comedian and actor himself. He has, ironically, played a role in the film ‘Servant Of the People’ where he played a school teacher accidentally catapulted into power.
It ran for four years and made him a household name. Penn in the interview acknowledged this, and said, “By the way, this is a man who understands movies and had his own very long and successful career in that.”
He has given an ultimatum that if the Academy snubbed the President, he will destroy his Oscars in public, and has urged the artists to boycott the event if it happens so.
Sean Penn Has Ensured That The Boycott Will Be “The Moment” For The Actors
Sean refused to comment on whether President Zelensky had to participate in the ceremony, but has ensured that the decision of whether to make the President part of the telecast has been made not to do it.
He has also encouraged the industry to participate in boycotting the event. He said, “If it turns out to be what’s happening, I would encourage everyone involved to know that, though it may be their moment — and I understand that — to celebrate their films, it is so much more importantly their moment to shine and to protest and to boycott that Academy Awards.”.
It is still uncertain whether the President will be present during the ceremony. The co-host at this 94th Annual Academy Awards, Amy Schumer, said that “she had pitched his involvement.” She said in an interview, “I actually pitched — I wanted to find a way to have Zelensky satellite in or make a tape or something, just because there are so many eyes on the Oscars. I am not afraid to go there, but it’s not me producing the Oscars.”
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