Pro-Ukraine actors Ben Stiller, Sean Penn banned from Russia in response to 'Russophobic' sanctions

Veteran American actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller have been blacklisted by Russia as retaliation for the "hostile actions of the US government, which continue to follow a Russophobic course," the Russia Foreign Ministry said.

The "Dead Man Walking" and "Zoolander" stars are prohibited from entering Russia along with 23 others in the latest round of tit-for-tat sanctions between Russia and the U.S. over the Ukraine war, the New York Post reports.

Penn traveled to Ukraine to film a documentary and even said he would consider fighting militarily against Russia, while Stiller met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a United Nations goodwill ambassador and called on other nations to accept fleeing Ukrainians.

U.S. lawmakers including Sens. Mark Kelly, Kyrsten Sinema and Rick Scott are also on the sanctions list. Russia previously froze assets of President Biden, his son Hunter and Hillary Clinton.