In Zombieland, Columbus is played by Jesse Eisenberg, so his actor’s first name is Jesse.
Columbus is the film’s anxious narrator and survival-rule enthusiast. His character name comes from his home city, Columbus, Ohio, rather than from a conventional personal name. Jesse Eisenberg plays him as cautious, observant and physically awkward, creating a contrast with Woody Harrelson’s confident, reckless Tallahassee.
The 2009 comedy follows four survivors travelling through a zombie-ravaged United States. Its rules structure turns practical advice into recurring jokes, while the group’s changing relationships provide the emotional core. A famous cameo by Bill Murray is one of the film’s best-known comic sequences.
The name Jesse can be confused with character names from the movie. Wichita and Little Rock are the two sisters, while Tallahassee is the older survivor obsessed with finding a particular snack. Eisenberg reprised the role in the 2019 sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap.