White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci can now add “movie star” to his many titles with the creation of a documentary about his role during the COVID-19 pandemic and AIDS.
A film titled simply “Fauci” follows his work during the AIDS epidemic and the coronavirus pandemic, The New York Times reported in a piece published Wednesday. (RELATED: Dr. Fauci Jokes ‘Brad Pitt, Of Course’ Should Play Him On ‘SNL’)
Dr. Anthony Fauci — arguably the most famous, polarizing doctor in the U.S. — is now a movie star. He discussed a new documentary that tracks his work on two health crises, AIDS and the coronavirus pandemic, and reveals his tender and playful sides. https://t.co/rsRJZxQOUi
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 22, 2021
The film came out in September but had a limited run in only 11 cities across the country (in theaters that required proof of vaccinations and masks). It will also start streaming in early October on Disney+. (RELATED: Dr. Fauci Reacts To Brad Pitt’s Impression Of Him On ‘SNL’)
The film will not only be about Fauci’s career, but will also reveal “his tender and playful sides, featuring old family footage of him shirtless and poolside with his children, or doing a goofy Dad dance,” the outlet noted.
Fauci has labeled the film “an honest, down-to-earth documentary” and said it’s “not going to be, take one, take two, take three on a movie set.”
The movie includes fans of Fauci like former President George W. Bush and Bono. Both men worked closely with the doctor on the former president’s government program to fight the AIDS epidemic on the global scale, the outlet noted.
The documentary does include one critical voice, that of science reporter for the NYT, Apoorva Mandavilli, who has said critics’ complaints about Dr. Fauci’s flip-flopping about mask wearing throughout the pandemic may have a point, The New York Times reported.
One of the directors, Janet Tobias, is said to have been working on the film highlighting Fauci before the COVID-19 pandemic.
John Hoffman, the other director, said the film is about Fauci “as a humanist” that he hopes viewers will remember, the outlet noted.