Jesse Eisenberg reveals very honest reason he’s donating his kidney
Gregory Robinson
Featured Image Credit: Taylor Hill / Contributor / via Getty Images
Jesse Eisenberg has opened up about his decision to donate a kidney, revealing the reasons behind the life-changing act.
The 42-year-old American actor, best known for his roles in The Social Network and Zombieland, is set to undergo the procedure later this year.
The need for kidney donors is staggering; over 101,000 Americans are waiting for a transplant, but only about 17,000 will receive one in a given year, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Meanwhile in the UK, there were 6,557 patients on the active transplant list waiting for a kidney transplant at the end of March 2025.
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The Oscar nominee spoke about his decision in an interview on Thursday (30 October) on the Today show.
“I’m actually donating my kidney in six weeks. I really am,” he shared.
The hosts were shocked by the news, and Jesse then explained why he’s doing such a selfless act.
“I don’t know why. I got bitten by the blood donation bug", he shared. "I’m doing an altruistic donation [in] mid-December. I’m so excited to do it.”
People who choose to donate a kidney to someone they don’t personally know are called non-directed kidney donors, since their donation isn’t intended for a specific family member or friend in need. According to RWJ Barnabas Health, this type of act of generosity is known as an altruistic donation — when a healthy, living individual gives a kidney to a stranger with advanced kidney disease.
The Now You See Me star explained: “Let’s say person X needs a kidney in Kansas City, (and) their child or whoever was going to donate to them is, for whatever set of reasons, not a match, but somehow I am.
“That person can still get my kidney and hopefully that child of that person still donates their kidney, right? 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.
"It's essentially risk-free and so needed," Jesse said in a separate interview. "I think people will realise that it's a no-brainer, if you have the time and the inclination."
While Eisenberg’s decision involves donating to a stranger, he’s not the first celebrity to make headlines for such a generous act.
In 2017, actor Francia Raisa donated one of her kidneys to her close friend, singer and actress Selena Gomez, who was battling lupus-related kidney failure. Raisa’s was a directed donation, given to someone she personally knew, whereas Eisenberg’s will go to an anonymous recipient in need.