Hollywood actor Jesse Eisenberg is preparing to make a life-changing gift: he will donate one of his kidneys to a complete stranger in mid-December.

"I'm actually donating my kidney in six weeks. I really am," Eisenberg, 42, said on the October 30 episode of the Today show.

He shared the news after helping the morning show set up its blood drive.

"I don't know why. I got bitten by the blood donation bug [and] I love it. I'm doing an altruistic donation. I'm so excited to do it."

Altruistic donations, also called non-directed living donations, are when a person gives an organ to someone they don't know.

The Mayo Clinic explains that these donations are different from organ transplants from relatives or matched donors on a universal registry.

The recipient is chosen based on medical compatibility, making the donation life-saving.

Eisenberg said kidney donation carries minimal risk and serves an important purpose, adding that many would view it as an obvious choice if given the chance.

He began thinking about donating a kidney roughly ten years ago after consulting medical professionals, US Magazine reported.

He explained the process further, "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. It goes to a bank where that person can find a match recipient, but it only works if there is basically an altruistic donor."

Parenthood Inspires Jesse Eisenberg's Kidney Donation

Eisenberg has also registered for the National Kidney Foundation's family voucher program.

According to People, this ensures that any of his relatives would be prioritized for a kidney should they ever need one. "It's risk-free for my family, as well," he said.

The "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" star shared that parenthood has reshaped his priorities.

He and his wife, Anna Strout, have a 7-year-old son, Banner. "I spent the first 33 years of my life worrying about myself. Then I spent the next seven years worrying about another person. It's made me a lot happier," Eisenberg told sources earlier this year.

Eisenberg's altruistic act comes after years of advocacy for donation and community involvement.

He hopes his decision will inspire others to consider organ donation, noting that most donors recover and return to normal activities within two to four weeks. In the US, approximately 5,000 living kidney donations occur each year.

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