Brad Pitt Was ‘Flattered’ By Dr. Fauci Requesting He Play Him On ‘SNL’: ‘It Was A Fun Way To Say Thanks’

NBC

Brad Pitt ‘jumped at the chance’ to play Dr. Anthony Fauci and was ‘so glad’ for the opportunity, sources tell HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY!

Brad Pitt, 56, didn’t hesitate at the opportunity to play Dr. Anthony Fauci on Saturday Night Live‘s at-home edition on April 25! “Brad was asked to do his impersonation of Fauci from [SNL show runner] Lorne Michaels and he jumped at the chance to do it because he knew it was going to be fun,” a source revealed to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “He dove into doing the skit because it was fun and he wanted people to have an escape,” the insider continued. It turns out that Brad was already a supporter of the White House Coronavirus Task Force member, which made the moment even more special. “He really likes Dr. Fauci as a person and he was glad to have portrayed him for some fun times and laughs,” the source noted.

SNL viewers were shocked to see the Brad pop-up in the epic cold-open, marking the Oscar winner‘s first appearance on the long-running comedy series since 1998! “It’s SNL so there’s a lot of pressure that comes with that, and Brad was doing it from home on short notice,” a second source spilled. “It was stressful but it all came together beautifully and Brad is very happy to have been a part of it,” they also said. While SNL has yet to announce any additional episodes to the season, which has produced two unique at-home editions amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, Brad wouldn’t rule out another appearance! “He’d absolutely be up to do it again,” they added.

It was particularly exciting to see Brad play Dr. Fauci, 79, especially after Fauci revealed that the Ocean’s 11 star would be his top choice to portray him on CNN! “Brad was flattered that Dr Fauci mentioned him [when asked who he would like to play him on SNL] and thought it was a fun way to say thank you,” our first insider confirmed. Dr. Fauci was so humble in the interview, noting that he had “no idea” about the chances of someone playing him.

As expected, Dr. Fauci was absolutely thrilled with Brad’s performance, and paid him a compliment in another interview earlier this week! “I think he did great,” a smiling Fauci said on Telemundo’s Un Nuevo Dia on April 27. “I’m a great fan of Brad Pitt and that’s the reason why when people ask me who I would like to play me I mention Brad Pitt. He’s one of my favorite actors,” he continued, also taking the opportunity to applaud Brad’s message for healthcare workers. “I think he showed that he is really a classy guy when at the end he took off his hair and thanked me and all of the health care workers,” Fauci added.