Alas, the Best Supporting Actor succession didn’t go according to plan at the 2026 Oscars.
Kieran Culkin, last year’s winner, presented the award, but Sean Penn wasn’t there to accept it at the Dolby Theatre on March 15. In fact, Penn hadn’t attended any of the award ceremonies in person – not even the BAFTA or Actor Award events.
Sean Penn wasn’t able to make it tonight—either he couldn’t, or he chose not to—so I’m accepting this award for him, Culkin explained. (You can see who did attend the 2026 Oscars here.)
The standout performer in One Battle After Another impressed even with strong competition from his fellow actors, including Benicio del Toro, Delroy Lindo from Sinners, Stellan Skarsgärd of Sentimental Value, and Jacob Elordi from Frankenstein. Despite not achieving the same level of recognition, they all publicly supported his success.
Culkin also flashed the card with Penn’s name on it at the camera as he exited the stage.
Oh my gosh, Benicio Del Toro finally got his Oscar! He totally deserved it for Traffic back in 2000, and honestly, it was amazing to see him win. What’s even cooler is that everyone else nominated with him for Best Supporting Actor this year was a newbie – a first-timer! It just makes his win even more special, you know? Like he’s a seasoned pro and they were all just starting out. I was so happy for him!
This marks Sean Penn’s third Oscar win. He previously won Best Actor for his roles in the 2003 film Mystic River and the 2008 film Milk. In 2023, Penn told Variety he even considered donating his statuettes to Ukraine, suggesting they could be melted down and used to make bullets for defense against Russia.
Even though he managed to smoke a cigarette right at the table during the Golden Globes in January, he doesn’t really enjoy the fuss and formality of Hollywood, particularly when it comes to the Academy Awards.
At the 2024 Marrakech Film Festival, while accepting a career tribute, Sean Penn criticized the Academy, stating they’ve shown a surprising lack of courage in embracing diverse forms of expression. He believes they’ve often hindered creativity and limited the representation of different cultures, according to Variety.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve always seen award shows like the Oscars primarily as television events, not necessarily accurate reflections of what’s truly happening in filmmaking. Honestly, I don’t get too caught up in the Academy Awards hype, except when they manage to spotlight really interesting, often overlooked films. This year, I’m hoping to see recognition for movies like The Florida Project, I’m Still Here, and Emilia Perez – those are the kinds of films that genuinely excite me.
Despite expectations that it would occur this year, Penn decided to follow through with his commitment to quit smoking.
Throughout the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, numerous winners have already accepted their Oscars. Here’s a full list of who won each award:
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku- Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Benecio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
WINNER: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Blue Moon
It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
WINNER: Sinners
Avatar: Fire and Ash
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
“Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
WINNER: “Golden” from KPop Deamon Hunters
“I Lied to You” from Sinners
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdii
“Train Dreams” from Train Dreams
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
WINNER: Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
WINNER (Tie): The Singers
WINNER (Tie): Two People Exchanging Saliva
WINNER: All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
Train Dreams
F1
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
WINNER: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Butterfly
Forevergreen
WINNER: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
WINNER: Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Arco
Elio
WINNER: Kpop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
WINNER: F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
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2026-03-16 05:18