Thread: Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his role in ‘Contagion’

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his role in ‘Contagion’



September 9, 2011

Dr. Sanjay Gupta didn’t have to stretch much to portray a journalist who asks some tough questions in the new film “Contagion.”

CNN’s chief medical correspondent even offered star Laurence Fishburne some advice as the pair spent time together in makeup. In the film, Fishburne plays Dr. Ellis Cheever, who is the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when there is an international epidemic which threatens the world’s population.

The actor picked Gupta’s brain for some advice about medical ethics. “One of the big medical, ethical dilemmas is [when] you know a piece of information that is confidential. If you release it, it could cause panic and harm – but not releasing it could put your own family in danger – what do you do?” Gupta said.


L-R: Laurence Fishburne, Sanjay Gupta

“That was sort of the moral quandary that Cheever faced…We ended up talking a lot about that.”

Gupta said he’s a fan of “Contagion’s” director, Steven Soderbergh, who, he added, worked hard with writer Scott Z. Burns to accurately portray a scenario as terrifying as a worldwide epidemic.

“I think it’s frighteningly realistic,” Gupta said. “Scott is brilliant and he spent so much time researching this. The pathogen that was created for this movie is obviously fictitious, but it was created with the help of infectious disease experts.”

As a matter of fact, the physician went on, the realism in the script and the documentary-style filmmaking Soderbergh favors might be unsettling to some viewers.

“I think people will have a sense of discomfort in some sense watching this,” Gupta said. “The balance here is that there is a lot of science in this movie and it will be interesting to see how audiences respond to it.”

As for rating his performance in the small role, Gupta jokingly said he would characterize his appearance as brief.

“I have a whole new respect for actors and what they do,” he said, laughing. “I was playing myself and it was challenging.”

Posted by: CNN.com writer Lisa Respers France

10 Comments

1. xman
September 9th, 2011 6:00 pm ET

First!

2. Canada the new middle east
September 9th, 2011 6:23 pm ET

U r a contagion. A weener disease.

3. chuck
September 9th, 2011 6:34 pm ET

Third

4. Tupac
September 9th, 2011 6:43 pm ET

I might see this film.

5. alecia
September 9th, 2011 7:10 pm ET

I love these types of movies and love Soderberghs filming style as well. I am so there!

6. Firsty firstelsen
September 9th, 2011 7:41 pm ET

Firstyfirstyfirstyfirsty

7. Nathan G
September 9th, 2011 7:47 pm ET

It’s Outbreak for a new generation! I remember Rene Russo and Dustin Hoffman, in the original “airborn pathogen gone awry” flick of the 90s, made me cringe. I hope this one does the same! I’m seeing it, for sure!

8. Icepick
September 9th, 2011 8:10 pm ET

Big stars; lousy reviews. I’ll wait for this one to come to cable.

9. dan
September 9th, 2011 9:07 pm ET

I’m at the movie!

10. Winfrey Young
September 9th, 2011 9:19 pm ET

Love me some Morpheus…

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Those are some of the most idiotic comments I've seen. Well, six out of ten at least.

Deez peepul am dumd.

L-R: Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet