Actor Jesse Eisenberg, known worldwide for his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (2010), surprised everyone by announcing on television that he will donate one of his kidneys to a complete stranger in mid-December.

At 42 years old and with an Oscar nomination to his name, Eisenberg shared the news naturally and smiling during an interview on the 'Today' show: “I'm going to donate my kidney in six weeks. I really am.” When asked about the reasons for his decision, the actor admitted he didn't have an exact answer: “I don't know why. I just got the blood donation bug. I'm doing an altruistic donation in December and I'm really excited to do it.” An altruistic or non-directed donation occurs when a person decides to donate a kidney to someone with advanced kidney disease without knowing the recipient. These kinds of gestures can trigger “transplant chains,” where multiple patients receive compatible organs from different donors across the country.

The Donation Process

Eisenberg demonstrated that he had thoroughly researched the process, explaining it precisely: “Let’s say someone in Kansas City needs a kidney and their child isn’t a match, but it turns out I am. That person can receive my kidney, and the child, in turn, can donate theirs to someone else. It all works thanks to altruistic donors.”

The actor emphasized that donation is “virtually risk-free and so necessary,” adding that “I think people will realize it’s a no-brainer, if they have the time and the willingness.”

The idea of ??donating a kidney is not new to Eisenberg. She revealed that she had considered doing it more than ten years ago, but at that time she contacted an organization and never received a response. The idea resurfaced recently thanks to a conversation with a doctor friend, who recommended she go to NYU Langone Health in New York. “I was at the hospital the next day, they ran a battery of tests, and I already have a date for mid-December,” she recounted.The announcement coincides with the promotion of his upcoming film, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, the third installment of the successful heist and magic saga, which is scheduled for release on November 14, just one month before the actor undergoes surgery.