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The acclaimed actor and director has announced that he will be donating one of his kidneys to a stranger in the coming weeks. In a recent interview, Eisenberg expressed his enthusiasm about the upcoming procedure, while noting that his motivation wasn't entirely clear.

“I don’t know why,” he said. “I got bitten by the blood donation bug. My selfless kidney donation is scheduled for mid-December. I’m incredibly thrilled about it.”

An Idea Years in the Making

Eisenberg explained that he first considered living organ donation around a decade ago, though he only recently set the process in motion. “It’s essentially risk-free and so needed,” he stated. “I believe many will see it as an obvious choice, provided they have the time and willingness.”

How the Matching Process Works

Eisenberg went on to describe the compatibility process for donors and recipients. “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. 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.”

Celebrity Organ Donations

Living celebrity organ donors are quite rare, 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.

The Critical Need for Donors

More than 100,000 people are currently on the transplant list in the US, and approximately 12 people die daily due to the lack of available organs. In the UK, 8,186 people – a record number – are currently on the list, with a further almost 4,000 temporarily suspended but still in need of a transplant. Meanwhile, donor numbers in the UK are falling, and living donors make up about 40% of all donations, mostly kidneys.

Personal Influences and Activism

Eisenberg attributes much of his idealism and activism to his wife, Anna Strout, an educator and charity advocate. Her late mother ran a domestic violence shelter, of which Eisenberg and Strout have been energetic supporters.

Recent Career Highlights

Earlier this year, Eisenberg received an Oscar nomination 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, penned by Aaron Sorkin, who also wrote the original. Jeremy Strong will take over the role of Mark Zuckerberg.