Jesse Eisenberg is preparing to make a life-changing gesture—by donating his kidney to a stranger.
During an appearance on the Today show on Thursday (October 30), the actor revealed the news, saying, “I’m actually donating my kidney in six weeks. I really am.”
When asked what motivated him, Eisenberg explained it stemmed from his growing passion for giving blood. “I don’t know why. I got bitten by the blood donation bug,” he said. “I’m doing an altruistic donation in mid-December. I’m so excited to do it.”
An altruistic donation is when someone donates a kidney to a person they don’t know who’s living with advanced kidney disease. “It’s essentially risk-free and so needed,” Eisenberg explained. “I think people will realize that it’s a no-brainer, if you have the time and the inclination.”
The actor shared that he’s been considering the idea for about a decade and finally found a way to make it happen after a friend encouraged him to reach out to NYU Langone Health.
Eisenberg added that his family will also benefit from his decision. “The way it works now is you can put a list of whoever you would like to be the first to be at the top of the list,” he said, referring to the National Kidney Registry’s family voucher program, which prioritizes family members of donors.
Up next, Eisenberg will appear in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, set to hit theaters on November 14. The film features Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, and more.
According to the synopsis, the third installment of the hit magic franchise follows the Four Horsemen and a new wave of illusionists as they attempt to take down a global criminal network.
