Dr. Fauci Said Brad Pitt Should Portray Him, and 'SNL' Totally Delivered

Dr. Anthony Fauci has served as a steady, guiding force amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — a time wrought with misinformation and uncertainty. He has quickly became a trusted expert during this unprecedented time. (Mostly because, you know, he doesn't suggest injecting disinfectant as a potential treatment for COVID-19.) Let's face it: Dr. Fauci is a bad-ss.

When "Dr. Fauci" popped up on viewers' screens during a cold open of Saturday Night Live, folks at home were likely skeptical at first about what was coming. How could the show possibly roast Fauci when he's currently the voice of reason during a global pandemic?

But you know what? SNL totally nailed it.

On April 25, SNL returned for its second installment of its social-distancing-friendly Saturday Night Live … At Home. Kicking off the show was our beloved White House coronavirus task force adviser, Dr. Fauci— played by none other than Brad Pitt.

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor — wearing a silver wig and glasses — started by introducing himself as Dr. Anthony Fauci, before giving a brief shoutout. "First, I'd like to thank all the older women in America who have sent me supportive, inspiring, and sometimes graphic e-mails," he began.

"Now, there's been a lot of misinformation out there about the virus," he continued. "And yes, the president has taken some liberties with our guidelines. So tonight, I would like to explain what the president was trying to say."

Unsurprisingly, SNL made sure to include President Donald Trump's recent comments about using UV light and disinfectant injections to treat COVID-19. (Which, for the record, are not approved methods of treatment. Not to mention, injecting disinfectant would be extremely harmful.)

A frustrated "Fauci" face-palmed while also acknowledging, “I know I shouldn’t be touching my face, but …”

In response to a clip of Trump promising a coronavirus vaccine "relatively soon," Brad-as-Fauci explained what the POTUS actually meant.

"'Relatively soon' is an interesting phrase," he said. "Relative to the entire history of Earth — sure, the vaccine's gonna come real fast. But if you were to tell a friend, 'I'll be over relatively soon,' and then showed up a year and a half later, well your friend may be relatively pissed off."

Pitt ended his epic cold open by removing his glasses and wig. "To the real Dr. Fauci, thank you for your calm and your clarity during this unnerving time," he said to the camera. "And thank you to the medical workers, first responders, and their families for being on the front lines. And now live, kinda, from all across America, it’s Saturday night!”

Earlier in April, CNN's Alisyn Camerota asked Fauci who should play him if he were to ever "appear" on SNL. When given the choice between two popular suggestions — Ben Stiller and Brad Pitt — Fauci replied, "Oh, Brad Pitt of course," with a laugh.

Clearly, the writers over at SNL took note of this preference and made it happen. Which makes Brad's portrayal of Fauci that much more satisfying, if you ask us.