NEED TO KNOW
During a Sept. 11 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Sean Penn recalled eating dinner with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Jack Nicholson in 2001
He shared that they discussed fatherhood, adding that he was “conned” by the world leader, similar to former President George W. Bush at the time
Penn has been an outspoken proponent of Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion
Sean Penn opened up about the time that he shared a meal with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying that he was “conned” by the controversial leader.
During a Thursday, Sept 11, appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the 65-year-old Oscar-winning actor and director was shown a photo of himself with Putin, 72, and actor Jack Nicholson, 88.
In it, they’re seated at a table with others surrounding them. Host Jimmy Kimmel joked that Putin appeared to be “about to poison” Penn.
Reflecting on the moment, Penn explained that it occurred while he and Nicholson were at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2001 to promote their movie The Pledge. Putin, whom he referred to as “that thing,” reportedly attended a dinner they were at.
Confirming that they spoke through an interpreter, he said, “He clearly speaks and understands more English than he lets on.”
The star recalled that the topic of conversation was fatherhood. Penn shares daughter Dylan, 34, and son Hopper, 32, with his ex-wife Robin Wright. Putin has at least two daughters, though it is unclear if he is the father of any additional children.
Alamy
Sean Penn with Mickey Rourke and Jack Nicholson on set of ‘The Pledge’
Beyond their conversation, Penn said that they shared the table with “about 20 people,” adding that everyone was intrigued by the conversation Putin and Nicholson were having. While he was unsure if the world leader was “a fan” of his work, he was clearly “a fan of Jack.”
“They were all watching Putin and Nicholson have a conversation and trying to listen,” he said.
Elsewhere in the discussion, he provided a rough idea of when the meeting took place and how he felt at the time.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty
Vladimir Putin
“I can time capsule it for you because it was approximately two to three weeks after then-President [George W.] Bush said, ‘I looked into his eyes, and I felt I could trust him.’ And I have to say when I say that, I was conned also,” he admitted. “I felt that there was something genuine there.”
He continued, referencing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and saying, “Now we know that he’s very willing to kidnap 30,000 kids, murder a lot of people to make… and teach those kids to hate their parents and their country.”
Penn has been an outspoken advocate of Ukraine since the war started. In 2023, he even released a documentary about the war called SUPERPOWER on Paramount+. In a statement at the time, he said that the project started as a profile on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We set out to tell a lighthearted tale of this comedic actor who had been elected president of Ukraine and instead became witness to a historic leader and his country’s war for freedom,” he explained. “When you step into a country of such incredible unity, you realize what we [in the United States] have all been missing.”
The year prior to the documentary’s release, Penn showed his support for Zelenskyy by gifting him one of his Oscars.
“It’s just a symbolic, silly thing, but if I know this is here with you, then I’ll feel better and strong enough for the fights,” Penn said in a clip shared on Instagram at the time. “When you win, bring it back to Malibu because I’ll feel much better knowing there’s a piece of me here.”
Speaking to Variety in 2023, Penn said that he decided to gift the Oscar after the 2022 Oscars, which were dominated by news of Will Smith infamously slapping Chris Rock. The Academy had opted out of having Zelenskyy speak during the ceremony that year.
Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Sean Penn and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy
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“I thought, ‘Well, f—, you know? I’ll give [my Oscars] to Ukraine.’ They can be melted down to bullets they can shoot at the Russians,” he told the outlet.
In September 2022, Penn was included on a list of people banned from entering Russia, which was released by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fellow actor and outspoken advocate Ben Stiller was also unable to visit the country.
The ban was said to be in response to “the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the Biden Administration against Russian citizens.”
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