Jesse Eisenberg: He gets Polish citizenship

US star Jesse Eisenberg (41) is officially Polish citizen. The actor, screenwriter and director received citizenship at a ceremony in New York, which took place just a few days after the Oscar success of his current film “A Real Pain”. He himself was nominated for the best original script, his co-star Kieran Culkin (41) won the coveted trophy as the best supporting actor.

“I am so incredibly honored,” said Eisenberg during the ceremony according to “Radio Rampa”. “This is an honor for life and something that I have been of great interest to for two decades.” , Polish President Andrzej Duda (52) Eisenberg personally presented citizenship.

“A Real Pain” is a very personal work for Eisenberg. In the film where he also directed, he processed the history of his family. The film follows two American cousins, played by Eisenberg and Culkin, who take a trip to Poland to honor their late grandmother, who had survived the Holocaust.

Eisenberg came up with the idea for the film after the death of his great aunt in 2019. In 1938 she fled from Poland to the USA. The filming in Poland finally inspired the actor to apply for Polish citizenship who are available for people with direct ancestors who were born in the country or lived there after 1920.

“While we were shooting this film in Poland and I ran through the streets and started to feel a little more comfortable in the country, I realized something so obvious: my family had lived much longer in this place than in New York,” said Eisenberg during the ceremony. “Of course the story ended so tragically, but in addition to this historical tragedy, the tragedy also stood that my family no longer felt a connection to Poland. That made me sad and encouraged me to connect.”

The film “A Real Pain” was not only celebrated at the Oscars. At the BAFTAS, Eisenberg won the prize for the best original script, while Culkin was also awarded the best supporting actor there.

Eisenberg had already revealed for the first time in May of last year that he had applied for Polish citizenship. At that time he told the Polish newspaper “Głos Wielkopolski” that he wanted to “create better relationships between Jews and Poland”. “For me it is so sad that these relationships are not good. I would like to change that. My family comes from here, my wife’s family comes from here … Poland made me feel like it is associated with something historically larger than myself.”

“I really hope that tonight, this ceremony and this amazing honor is the first step for me to make a connection to this beautiful country again on behalf of my family,” the actor concluded his speech at the ceremony.