Oscars 2026: Sean Penn a no-show at for Best Supporting Actor win, Kieran Culkin accepts his award

Sean Penn. Pic/AFP

Presenter Kieran Culkin was seen accepting the Best Supporting Actor award on behalf of Sean Penn at the Academy Awards after the veteran actor did not attend the ceremony on Sunday night, according to PEOPLE.

Penn won his third Oscar for his role as Col Steven J. Lockjaw in the film One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. However, the actor was not present at the event, as he is currently out of the country.

Culkin, who won the same category last year for his role in A Real Pain, took the stage to receive the award on Penn's behalf. While addressing the audience, he joked about Penn's absence.

He said, "Sean Penn couldn't be here this evening, or didn't want to, so I'll be accepting the award on his behalf."

This marks Penn's third Academy Award win. He earlier won the Best Actor award for his performances in Mystic River in 2004 and Milk in 2009. Over the years, he has also received nominations in the same category for films such as Dead Man Walking, Sweet and Lowdown, and I Am Sam.

Penn had earlier won the Best Supporting Actor prize for the same role at the BAFTA Film Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards in February, but he also did not attend those ceremonies.

In the Oscars race this year, Penn was nominated alongside actors Benicio del Toro, Stellan Skarsgard, Delroy Lindo, and Jacob Elordi.

Penn did attend the Golden Globe Awards earlier this year, where he was nominated in the same category but lost the award to Skarsgard.

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