Sean Penn threatens to ‘melt’ the Oscars if Ukrainian Zelenskyy doesn’t get a chance to speak at the Oscars | WJHL

(NEXSTAR) — Actor and filmmaker Sean Penn is calling for a boycott — and even threatening to have his own awards melt — of Sunday’s Oscars if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy doesn’t get a chance to speak on the show.

“There’s nothing greater the Oscars can do than give [Zelenskyy] this opportunity to talk to all of us,” Penn, speaking from Poland, said in an interview with CNN. The 61-year-old traveled to Ukraine to film a documentary about the Russian invasion.

Penn went on to say that he understands the Academy decided not to have Zelenskyy speak.

“If that turns out to be what is happening, I would encourage everyone involved to know that while this may be their time…to celebrate their movies, it’s far more important their time. to shine and protest and boycott the Oscars,” he added. “And myself, if he comes back, when I come back, I will feel [my awards] in public.”

Cast in bronze and finished with gold plating, the Oscar statuette is one of the film industry’s most coveted awards. Penn, a five-time nominee, won two, both for Best Actor, in 2003 for “Mystic River” and 2008 for “Milk.”

The Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zelenskyy accused the West of lacking courage as his country struggles to repel invading Russian troopsmaking an exasperated plea for fighter jets and tanks to support a defense in a conflict that turned into a war of attrition.

talk after President Joe Biden said in a heartbreaking speech on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not stay in power – the words of the The White House immediately sought to downplay — Zelenskyy lashed out at ‘Western ping-pong over who and how should hand over jets’ and other weapons during Russian missile attacks kill and entrap civilians.

” I talked to Defenders of Mariupol today. I am in constant contact with them. Their determination, heroism and steadfastness are astonishing,” Zelenskyy said in a video address early Sunday, referring to the beleaguered southern city that suffered some of the greatest deprivation and horrors of war. “If only those who have been thinking for 31 days about handing over dozens of jets and tanks had 1% of their courage.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.