Saturday Night Live: Brad Pitt Plays Anthony Fauci in Hilarious New Skit

For the second time this month, Saturday Night Live has produced SNL: At Home, a special produced entirely remotely while physical production on the show remains halted. In a blessed twist of fate, Brad Pitt opened tonight’s episode by playing Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the health experts leading this country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. If you think back to earlier this month, Fauci joked that should a fictionalized version of himself appear on the live-sketch show, he’d like Pitt to fill the role.

As the norm with the show, current events remain a top priority and it’s the first time a version of the doctor has appeared in the show. The real Fauci has been a social media sensation of sorts after appearing in President Trump’s daily coronavirus briefings as a level-headed communicator with the press corps in attendance.

During a recent interview with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota, the doctor was asked if he thinks someone would ever portray him on SNL. “I have no idea [laughs], I hope not!” Fauci said. When prodded with the actor he’d like to see play him, Fauci added “Oh, Brad Pitt, of course.”

Saturday’s episode of SNL: At Home is the second of its kind, the second-straight episode recorded entirely remote by the cast and crew behind the NBC show. The previous episode, which aired April 11th, featured many surprises — like Tom Hanks appearing a guest host.

This weekend’s episode is the 17th of the season, and it’s unclear how many exactly the network continues to do. In the past dozen years, give or take a year or two, the show has aired upwards of 22 episodes by the end of May. Should Season 45 get there, they’d need to air five straight episodes; they’ve only aired two episodes this month due to the shutdown.