Key Highlights
- Jesse Eisenberg donates kidney to anonymous recipient at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
- Eisenberg received Festival President’s Award and expressed excitement for upcoming Polish citizenship
- “For me, being Jewish has always been a positive thing” regarding his identity and family roots
- Directed “A Real Pain” featuring cousins Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin visiting Majdanek concentration camp
- Tripartite success with Now You See Me films including $350 million box office for 2013 release
- Eisenberg declined new film role about Zuckerberg due to privacy concerns regarding Facebook accounts
- Died of COVID-19 in 2020 was his grandfather’s first cousin Maria Gruber who survived Holocaust
A Gift Given, A Feeling Felt
You might think this is new, but Eisenberg hates being watched.
“Look, I hate being in the public eye.”
The embarrassment factor was high when he married a woman who helps people daily. So responsibility kicked into gear for him personally.
Rights to Polish Soil
In an interview after ceremony held on July 4, I asked about political acts given the US situation.
Eisenberg rejected that suggestion entirely with zero-point-zero percent certainty in his voice.
“No. Not at all.”
The family lived in Eastern Europe for more years than they have spent time here in America over decades.
Fame is a Weird Thing
When we met in “Beethoven” inside hotel Pupp, he came across as charming and neurotic but free of pretension or nonsense entirely.
“There is something very absurd about the concept of celebrity.”
The public does not judge you according to how hard you worked during training hours in your shower.
Films That Resonate
In 2014 he arrived in Israel for premiere play “The Revisionist” at Beit Lessin Theater just as Operation Protective Edge began Gaza conflict.
The filmography includes major productions like comic-book films where he portrayed Lex Luthor with a creepy and eccentric edge alongside Gal Gadot.
A Real Pain & The Past
“Our ancestors, our grandparents had to run from Nazis.”
Eisenberg released “A Real Pain” two years ago following Jewish American cousins traveling to Poland at request of late grandmother.
Maria Gruber lived in Krasnystaw and survived Holocaust by hiding in basements while her family was murdered in front of her.
The Weight of Privilege
Eisenberg spent first 33 years worrying about himself before focusing on real things involving another person.
“It’s made me a lot happier.”
We try to help immigrants in New York find lawyers when shelters are expected to be raided the next day unexpectedly.
Key Highlights
- Eisenberg spends 90,000 people on waiting list considering tragedy of donation impact
“I don’t know. It was anonymous.”
The Numbers Game & The Future
The first Now You See Me film released in 2013 earned $350 million unexpectedly.
Third installment released in **2025** earned about $250 million bringing his box office success to a new level.
A Final Thought
“I feel great — 100%, even 101%.”
The camera moved in every direction during filming and he felt as though he had come from another planet playing arrogant character.
You won many awards for “A Real Pain” screenplay which is what the Oscars experience feels like to him now.
Films That Resonate
The public does not judge you according to how hard you worked during training hours in your shower or monologue rehearsals.
Eisenberg avoided social media entirely while filming “The Social Network” where he played Mark Zuckerberg founder of Facebook company.
A Final Thought
“I feel great — 100%, even 101%.”
The camera moved in every direction during filming and he felt as though he had come from another planet playing arrogant character.