Actor Jesse Eisenberg just revealed he’s donating one of his kidneys to a total stranger. A STRANGER! I MIGHT do this for family.
He opened up about his decision during an October 30 appearance on TODAY, saying he’s scheduled for surgery at the end of the year.
“I’m actually donating my kidney in six weeks,” Eisenberg said. “I really am.”
Asked what inspired him, he said it started small: “I don’t know why. I got bitten by the blood donation bug. I’m doing an altruistic donation in mid-December. I’m so excited to do it.”
An “altruistic donation” means giving an organ to someone you’ve never met, rather than to a friend or family member.
In a follow-up interview for the TODAY website, Eisenberg explained further: “It’s essentially risk-free and so needed. I think people will realize it’s a no-brainer if you have the time and the inclination.”
He broke down how the process works: “Let’s say person X needs a kidney in Kansas City, and their relative isn’t a match, but somehow I am. That person gets my kidney, and their relative can then donate to someone else. It creates a chain that only exists because of altruistic donors.”
It’s been a huge year for Eisenberg. His movie A Real Pain, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, earned him a BAFTA win and an Oscar nomination. His next project, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, arrives to theatres on November 14.
And while he won’t be reprising his role as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network sequel, Eisenberg’s latest move proves he’s still redefining what it means to give back, on and off screen.
A kidney to an absolute stranger. Crazy, right? Would you donate a kidney to some rando?
