US actor Jesse Eisenberg has officially been granted Polish citizenship by President Andrzej Duda in recognition of his efforts to tell the story of Poland’s Jewish population during World War II.
Eisenberg wrote, directed, and starred in A Real Pain, an Oscar-winning film about two American cousins who travel to Poland to honor their grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.
The character was based on Eisenberg’s own great aunt.
During the citizenship ceremony, Eisenberg reflected on his deepening connection to Poland while filming.
“As 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 lived in New York,” he said. “And of course, the history ended so tragically.”
He went on to express his desire to reconnect with Poland, stating that his family’s lost sense of connection to the country saddened him.
“I really hope that tonight in this ceremony and this amazing honor is the first step of me, and on behalf of my family, reconnecting to this beautiful country,” he added.
Eisenberg was inspired to create A Real Pain after the passing of his great aunt Doris in 2019 at the age of 106.
She had fled Poland for the US in 1938, while other family members who remained behind were killed during the Holocaust.
President Duda praised Eisenberg for embracing his heritage, stating, “I am delighted that people from across the ocean acknowledge their heritage, recognize that their ancestors hail from the Republic [of Poland], and seek to forge a connection with our country.”
Eisenberg received an Oscar nomination for writing A Real Pain, while his co-star Kieran Culkin won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The film has been widely praised for its heartfelt exploration of identity, loss, and historical remembrance.
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