Sean Penn blasts the Oscars over ‘extraordinary cowardice’

Two-time Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn has piled criticism on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) for “limiting imagination” and “cultural expression.”

The 64-year-old outspoken actor, who won his first Oscar in 2004 for his lead role in Mystic River, made the remarks over the weekend at the Marrakech International Film Festival, where he was honored for his career achievements.

“The Academy have exercised really extraordinary cowardice when it comes to being part of the bigger world of expression, and in fact, have largely been part of limiting the imagination and very limiting of different cultural expressions,” Penn said at a press conference.

“So I don’t... get very excited about what we’ll call the Academy Awards [except for] when a film like The Florida Project, or I’m Still Here, or, you know, Emilia Perez, of the things that are likely to happen this year,” he said of the critically acclaimed independent films.

The Independent has reached out to the Academy for comment.

He also addressed the controversy surrounding Ali Abbasi’s Donald Trump biopic, The Apprentice, saying: “When something sneaks through, it’s to be celebrated.

“It’s jaw-dropping how afraid this business of mavericks is of a great film like that. One with great, great acting,” he added of the movie, led by Sebastian Stan as President-elect Trump and Jeremy Strong as his lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn. “[It’s amazing] that they too can be as afraid as a piddly little Republican congressman.”

Earlier at the festival’s Saturday night gala, where he and his 30-year-old girlfriend, Moldovan model Valeria Nicov, made their red carpet debut, Penn implored people “to be as politically incorrect as their heart desires.”

“For those of you with any familiarity with me and what has been my life, you’ll understand that I don’t often miss the opportunity to say an opinion,” he said during his acceptance speech.

Penn earned his second Oscar in 2009 for his portrayal of Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s Oscar-nominated movie about the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California.

He earned three Best Actor nominations before that for I Am Sam (2002), Sweet and Lowdown (2000) and Dead Man Walking (1996).

He currently stars in the forthcoming Ukrainian movie War Through the Eyes of Animals and Paul Thomas Anderson’s crime thriller The Battle of Baktan Cross.

Penn previously raged against The Academy for its refusal to invite the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to speak at the 2022 awards show via telecast.

“The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s not light-hearted enough,’” he said in a 2023 interview with Variety. “Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith!” Penn said, referring to Smith’s infamous altercation with presenter Chris Rock during the 94th Oscars.

“This f***ing bulls*** wouldn’t have happened with Zelensky,” the actor said. “Will Smith would never have left that chair to be part of stupid violence. It never would have happened.”