Who is Jesse Eisenberg’s wife, Anna Strout? All about Now You See Me star’s family amid altruistic kidney donation announcement

Before her name became tied to Jesse Eisenberg’s, Anna Strout had quietly built a small but solid career in the film industry. She worked behind the camera on productions such as Don’t Say a Word (2001) and The Emperor’s Club (2002). Born in May 1983, as Style reported, Anna Strout had roots in Bloomington, Indiana, where her mother, Toby Susan Strout, led Middle Way House. The shelter served as a haven for survivors of domestic violence and trafficking.

As a child, Anna Strout had often joined her mother at marches and rallies, absorbing early lessons about social responsibility. That early exposure evolved into lifelong activism. In recent years, Anna Strout has spent much of her time organizing fundraisers and volunteering for Middle Way House, extending her family’s legacy of advocacy.

Her husband, Jesse Eisenberg, mirrored that spirit of giving. Known for his reserved public image, the actor’s compassion found expression in kidney donation, an extension of his long-standing habit of blood donation.

Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg shared plans for an altruistic kidney donation:

Jesse Eisenberg had long been known for his quiet generosity, but this time, he took that compassion to another level. Appearing live on the October 30 Today show, the Oscar-nominated star revealed that he had decided to donate one of his kidneys to a stranger.

“I’m actually donating my kidney in six weeks, I really am,” he shared.

When asked what led him to make such a decision, Eisenberg admitted it came from a simple impulse to help.

“I don’t know why. I got bitten by the blood donation bug. I’m doing an altruistic donation (in) mid-December. I’m so excited to do it.”

In a separate conversation with Today.com, Eisenberg called the process:

“essentially risk-free and so needed,” adding that he hoped more people would realize “it’s a no-brainer, if you have the time and the inclination.”

The actor went on to explain the intricacies of the donation system:

“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,” he explained.

Eisenberg said he had sat on the idea for about a decade. Recently, a conversation with a doctor led him to a health facility in New York.

“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.

To ease public concern, he clarified that the National Kidney Registry allowed donors to protect their loved ones through a family voucher system.

“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,” he said, noting that he included his family so they would be prioritized should they ever need a kidney.

“So it’s risk-free for my family, as well.”

Eisenberg also shared his enthusiasm for blood donation, joking during the interview that he simply enjoyed the process.

“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,” he said.

The private life of Anna Strout and Jesse Eisenberg: Family, heritage, and the quiet pursuit of identity

As reported by Variety, Jesse Eisenberg revealed last year that he had been applying for Polish citizenship, sharing that both he and his wife, Anna Strout, had family roots in the country.

“My family is from the southeast, from Krasnystaw, my wife’s family is from Łódź. We wanted to have a greater connection to Poland. I would like to work here more,” he shared.

Eisenberg and Anna Strout first crossed paths during the production of The Emperor’s Club. He played Louis Masoudi, while Anna Strout worked as an assistant to producer Lisa Bruce. The two dated from 2001 until 2012 before parting ways. They reconnected in 2015, moved to Anna Strout's hometown a year later, and married in 2017. That same year, their son, Banner, was born.

Reflecting on parenthood, Eisenberg said,

Trending

“I was just praying, probably like a lot of parents, please don't have all the things I have that I hate about myself… I married an amazing woman, I'm praying just be like her, just be like her, please just be everything like her. And for the most part, he's heading in that direction which is the superior choice.”

Despite her husband’s public profile, Anna Strout remained largely private, rarely making appearances or speaking publicly.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback