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Jesse Eisenberg is now a Polish citizen thanks to 'A Real Pain'

By Sophia Soto | Last updated Mar 6, 2025 2:25 AM ET

President Andrzej Duda has granted Polish citizenship to Jesse Eisenberg, who starred, wrote, and directed the Oscar-winning film, A Real Pain. His co-star Kieran Culkin won for Best Supporting Actor and he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

According to Głos Wielkopolski, he applied for citizenship last year. "I met some people who worked in positions related to the government. I said to them: 'I would love to create better relationships between Jews and Polish people. To me, it’s so unfortunate they are not great. I would love to do that. My family is from here, my wife’s family is from here. Is there any way we could apply for Polish citizenship,'" Eisenberg shared.

Aktor Jesse Eisenberg - twórca filmu oskarowego “Prawdziwy Ból” - otrzymał właśnie w Nowym Jorku obywatelstwo polskie z rąk @prezydentpl @AndrzejDuda . Aktor powiedział, że jest zaszczycony i że czuje głęboką więź z Polską - podkreślił, że jego rodzina ma dłuższe więzi z Polską… pic.twitter.com/cpzRdDnKZj
— Radio RAMPA (@RadioRAMPA) March 5, 2025

During the ceremony in New York, he expressed, “I’m so unbelievably honored. This is an honor of a lifetime and something I have been very interested in for two decades." A Real Pain was filmed in Poland and he considers this to be the first step to him, on behalf of his family, reconnecting with the country.

I was walking the streets and starting to get a little more comfortable in the country, something so obvious occurred to me, which is that my family had lived in this place for far longer than we’ve lived in New York. And of course, the history ended so tragically, but in addition to that tragedy of history is also the tragedy that my family didn’t feel any connection anymore to Poland. That saddened me and confirmed for me that I really wanted to try to reconnect as much as possible.

You can currently watch the movie on Hulu. Eisenberg will next be seen reprising his role as Danny Atlas in Now You See Me 3, which is slated for November 14, 2025.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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