The Renowned Actor Reveals Selfless Kidney Donation to Stranger

Jesse Eisenberg has disclosed that he will be donating one of his kidneys to an unknown individual in the coming weeks. During a recent discussion, the 42-year-old star shared his excitement about the upcoming procedure, while noting that his motivation remained somewhat unclear.

“I’m not entirely sure why,” he remarked. “I got bitten by the blood donation bug. I’m doing an altruistic donation [in] mid-December. I’m incredibly thrilled about it.”

A Long-Held Idea

The actor added that the idea initially came to him living organ donation around a decade ago, though he only recently initiated the donation process. “The procedure is largely safe and critically necessary,” he stated. “I believe many will see it as an obvious choice, provided they have the time and willingness.”

Understanding Donor-Recipient Matching

He further detailed the matching system for donors and recipients. “Imagine someone in Kansas City requires a kidney, but their intended donor, perhaps a relative, isn’t compatible, while I happen to be. The recipient can receive my kidney, and ideally, their relative donates to another person in return, correct?

“But it goes to a bank where that person can find a match recipient, but it only works if there is basically an altruistic donor.”

Famous Figures and Organ Donation

Celebrities who are known to have donated organs while still living are thin on the ground, with notable posthumous donors including Natasha Richardson, Jerry Orbach, and Dr Rajkumar. In 2017, the actor and singer Selena Gomez was the recipient of a kidney from her friend, Francia Raisa. Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Neil Simon and Tina Turner also received donor kidneys.

Urgent Organ Shortage Statistics

Over 100,000 individuals are currently awaiting transplants in the United States, with around 12 people dying each day because of organ shortage. In the United Kingdom, a record 8,186 people are on the waiting list, with a further almost 4,000 temporarily suspended but still in need of a transplant. Meanwhile, donor numbers in the UK are falling, with living donors now accounting for around 40% of donations – primarily kidneys.

Personal Influences and Activism

Eisenberg has credited his wife, the teacher and charity worker Anna Strout, for much of his own idealism and activism. Her late mother ran a domestic violence shelter, of which Eisenberg and Strout have been energetic supporters.

Latest Professional Achievements

Earlier this year, Eisenberg was Oscar-nominated for his screenplay for A Real Pain, a film that also earned Kieran Culkin the best supporting actor award. He is currently promoting the third in the Now You See Me magician heist series.

Last week Eisenberg said his non-involvement in the sequel to The Social Network had “nothing to do” with the film’s script, which has been written by Aaron Sorkin, who also wrote the original. Jeremy Strong will take over the role of Mark Zuckerberg.