Phoebe Tonks
We know him best for his roles in Now You See Me and The Social Network, but despite being a beloved actor, Jesse Eisenberg has revealed he also has an altruistic streak.
For most people, a kind deed would extend to holding the door open or letting someone cut in front of them while waiting in line – but Eisenberg has taken kindness to a whole new level with his plans to donate a kidney to a stranger.
The 42-year-old revealed the news on NBC’s Today Show, as he explained the reasons behind his selfless decision – and what had prompted him to take the plunge.
Originally, Eisenberg had been inspired to donate blood while attending a blood drive that had previously been hosted by the show.
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After finding the process to be relatively easy, he continued to donate blood and even admitted he ‘really liked’ doing it.
"I just have so much blood in me, and I feel like I should spill it, “ he joked. "I really like doing it, and I don't know why."
Eisenberg then confessed that in just six weeks he would be donating his kidney to a stranger as an altruistic donor.
"I'm actually donating my kidney in six weeks. I really am,” he told the show.
Host Craig Melvin then responded: “That’s amazing!”
Eisenberg then replied: "I got, like, bitten by the blood donation bug. I love it."
The surgery is currently scheduled to take place in mid-December, with Eisenberg describing the process as ‘essentially risk-free.’
In a separate interview with Today, Eisenberg said: "I think people will realize that it's a no-brainer if you have the time and the inclination."
Explaining how the altruistic donation process works, Eisenberg said: "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."
Originally, he first considered the option ten years ago and reached out to an unnamed organization, but never received a response.
However, after recently expressing his desire to a doctor friend, he was pointed in the direction of the NYU Langone Health in New York City.
“I was in the hospital the next day and went through a battery of tests, and I’m now scheduled in mid-December,” he said.
There are currently around 103,000 people in the United States awaiting an organ on the transplant list, with 90,000 of these in need of a kidney.
Unlike a simple queue system, organs are allocated based on need, meaning the sickest recipients will be bumped to the top of the list as they await a match.
However, under the National Kidney Foundation's family voucher program, by donating his own kidney now, Eisenberg’s relatives would get priority if they ever needed a kidney transplant themselves.
He said: "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. So it's risk-free for my family, as well."
Around 5,000 living kidney donations take place each year in the US, according to the National Kidney Foundation, with the procedure to harvest the organ typically lasting 2-3 hours.
Following surgery, most donors can return to normal activities within two to four weeks, meaning if everything goes to plan, Eisenberg will be back in action and fighting fit for the new year.