Jesse Eisenberg is donating a kidney to a stranger

He shared the news during an appearance on NBC's Today show on Thursday (30.10.25), explaining the decision followed his participation in a blood drive organised by the programme earlier in the year.

Jesse said: "I just have so much blood in me, and I feel like I should spill it.

"I really like doing it, and I don't know why."

The actor added: "I'm actually donating my kidney in six weeks. I really am."

Host Craig Melvin responded: "That's amazing."

Jesse went on to say: "I got, like, bitten by the blood donation bug. I love it."

When Craig commented the decision marked "a big jump up", Jesse replied: "I'm doing an altruistic donation (in) mid-December."

According to Weill Cornell Medicine, an altruistic donation - also known as a non-directed living donation - is when someone donates an organ to a stranger, with the recipient selected based on medical compatibility.

Speaking separately to Today.com, Jesse said: "It's essentially risk-free and so needed. I think people will realise that it's a no-brainer, if you have the time and the inclination."

Jesse, who has an eight-year-old son, Banner, said under the National Kidney Foundation's family voucher programme, his own relatives would receive priority if they ever required a kidney donation in the future.

He added: "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."

The Mayo Clinic reports most kidney donors can resume their normal activities within two to four weeks after surgery. Approximately 5,000 living kidney donations are carried out each year in the United States, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

Known for his sharp and often neurotic screen presence, Jesse earned an Academy Award nomination for The Social Network and starred in Zombieland, Now You See Me and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

He has also written plays and directed independent films.