Days after visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to film scenes for his documentary on Russia’s invasion, Hollywood actor-director Sean Penn found himself among thousands of refugees fleeing to Poland, joining the exodus on foot.
A spokesperson in Los Angeles, Mara Buxbaum, told Reuters by email on Tuesday that Penn had “made it out of Ukraine safely.” She declined to answer other questions about his whereabouts or the circumstances of his departure from Ukraine.
Penn was in Kyiv last Thursday attending a press briefing at the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the first day of Russia’s invasion, recording footage for a documentary chronicling the crisis, Zelenskiy’s office said in a statement at the time.
“Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty,” the statement said.
It said Penn had interviewed Ukrainian political and military figures as well as journalists as part of the production, for which he initially visited Ukraine in November.
In a statement last week, the actor acclaimed for Oscar-winning roles in “Mystic River” and “Milk” praised the Ukrainian people as “historic symbols of courage” and called Ukraine “the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams.”
“If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost,” Penn wrote.
Penn is producing the Ukraine documentary for Vice Studios, a U.S.-Canadian digital media and broadcasting company, according to Hollywood trade publication Variety.
