Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Penelope Cruz in The 81st Annual Academy Awards

Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Penelope Cruz in The 81st Annual Academy Awards‘ press room at the Kodak Theatre, Hollywood, California.

Sean Penn took home an Academy Award for best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in “Milk” the story of California’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, a San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone by San Francisco Supervisor Dan White.

Kate Winslet took home an Academy Award for best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in “The Reader” where she has an affair with a much younger man and then runs into him while defending herself in a war-crime trial.

Penelope Cruz took home an Academy Award for best Actress in a Supporting Role, for her role in Vicky Christina Barcelona as Maria Elena.