Sean Penn he is among the best known actors in the world of entertainment at an international level, for his participation in numerous films such as Carlito’s Way, Dead Man Walking – Condannato a morte, The thin red line, Mystic River21 gram e Milk. Over the course of his career he was nominated for an Oscar for best actor five times, winning it on two occasions. On the personal front, the actor has shown that he supports civil rights and is against the war in Iraq and Ukraine.
In a recent interview with Variety, the actor took aim at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the honorary professional organization that awards the Academy Awards, the Oscars. And he also criticized a fellow actor, Will Smithand the famous slap that Smith threw at Chris Rock on the night of the 2022 Oscars.
Sean Penn comments on Zelensky’s absence and Will Smith’s slap to Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars
Sean Penn was interviewed by Variety on the occasion of his new documentary, Superpower, which premieres on Paramount+ on September 18 and chronicles the war in Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the interview you touched on various topics, starting from Penn’s criticism of the Academy for having denied a Zelensky speech at the Oscar ceremony. Penn says: “The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, that’s not lighthearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!”
Penn continues, in fact, with a criticism towards Will Smithwho on the night of the 2022 Oscars gave Chris Rock a slap after the latter had made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith that the actor, former interpreter of Willy, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air he hadn’t appreciated it at all (in the following months he later said “I don’t want to be like that”).
Penn comments on the matter with Variety saying:
“I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once. He seemed very nice when I met him. And he was so damn good at it King Richard. So why the fuck did you spit on yourself and everyone else with this stupid fucking thing? Why did I fucking go to prison for what you just did? And you’re still sitting there? Why are you all standing there applauding his worst moment as a person?”
Continues: “This s**t wouldn’t have happened if he was there Zelensky. Will Smith would never have left that chair to take part in stupid violence. It would never have happened.”
The actor also reveals a Variety that he convinced himself that he wanted to destroy his Oscars: “I thought, well, fuck, you know? I will give them to Ukraine. They can be cast into projectiles to be used to shoot Russians.”
Speaking about the fact that he went to prison and Smith didn’t, Penn refers to an episode in his life: in 1987 he was sentenced to 60 days in prison for reckless driving and for punching an extra on the film set Colors – War paintas the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.