'We wanted to have a greater connection': Jesse Eisenberg applies for Polish citizenship
Jesse Eisenberg has applied for Polish citizenship.
The 40-year-old actor has familial ties to the country and revealed that he is now "waiting for the final signature" after making his citizenship application last year.
Speaking to the Polish publication Glos Wielkopolski, Jesse said: "My family is from the southeast, from Krasnystaw, my wife’s [Anna Strout] family is from Lodz. We wanted to have a greater connection to Poland. I would like to work here more.
"Growing up, I’ve heard stories of the Polish relationship with my Jewish family and all the stories were great: we were best friends with the Poles. My family lived in Krasnystaw up until the war, one person survived the war and moved to Szczecin. Unfortunately, she passed away from Covid, so it was quite recent."
Jesse has worked on the film 'A Real Pain' - in which he directs and stars alongside Kieran Culkin as cousins who are tracing their roots - in Poland and hopes to improve the complicated relationship between Jews and Poles.
The 'Social Network' star explained: "While I was working here, 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 states that he is drawn to Poland in a "personal way" as a result of family history in the nation that spans centuries.
He said: "It makes me feel connected to something. In America, everyone is very new, apart from the people who were there first, the Indigenous Americans. Poland made me feel a real connection to something historically bigger than myself."