Primetime TV Fake Doctors Pay Tribute To The Real Pandemic Heroes

They may not be doctors, but they play them on primetime TV! In fact, they are some of the most recognizable docs to grace our screens over the past two decades—McDreamy, JD and Turk, Doogie!—and they wanted to pay tribute to the real-life doctors and nurses who are giving their all every day to treat those suffering from the coronavirus.

Primetime TV Fake Doctors Honor Real Ones

Olivia Wilde, who played Dr. Remy “13” Hadley on House, posted a video on her Instagram page, and noted, “On behalf of fake doctors everywhere, we want to thank the actual healthcare superheroes on the front lines of this crisis.”

The video starts with Wilde sharing that the closest she’s ever come to being a doctor is putting on a costume and jokingly admits “while it is close, it is not quite the same.”

She thanks all the real healthcare heroes out there and then calls on some of her famous fake-doc friends to share their feelings as well.

Neil Patrick Harris is first up, and admits “I am not a doctor, but I was paid to be one on TV… I’m pretty sure that’s the expression.”

McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy is next up as Patrick Dempsey delivers a heartfelt thank you to the “real” doctors, not the ones on television.

Donald Faison, who played Turk on Scrubs said, “There are real heroes on the front line, real heroes out in the street; I’m not one of them, I’m in my house.” He later thanks healthcare workers for being their best.

A series of tongue-in-cheek offers to help the real-life doctors follow, such as Harris saying he could write prescriptions and Sarah Clarke (Elliot on Scrubs) saying she could “hand you stuff.” But they’re just showing they know how important the real doctors are.

Nurse Jackie’s Edie Falco takes a more serious tone noting that it was very early on in her show when she realized she was not capable of actually doing the work that doctors do.

ER’s Julianna Margulies (Nurse Hathaway) calls all ER docs and workers “our heroes,” and fellow ER alum Maura Tierney (Abby) adds thanks to technicians, first responders, and EMTs.

Sandra Oh, another Grey’s Anatomy alum (Cristina Yang), further adds administrators, cleaning staff, cafeteria staff, and all volunteers as well for being part of the heroes we need to thank.

Zach Braff, JD on Scrubs said, “Thank you for your courage and for going out there in the world and doing everything you can to fight this horrible, horrible virus.”

Others in the video are Wilde’s former House co-stars Lisa Edelstein (Dr. Cuddy), Omar Epps (Dr. Foreman), Jennifer Morrison (Dr. Cameron), Kal Pen (Dr. Kutner), and Peter Jacobson (Dr. Taub), as well as Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice’s Kate Walsh (Addison Montgomery), The Good Doctor’s Freddie Highmore (Dr. Shaun Murphy), and Jennifer Garner, who played a doctor treating AIDS patients in the film Dallas Buyers Club.

An endnote after their messages reads: “Thank you for your courage, your sacrifice, and for being the best of us.” Watch the entire video in the post below.

Wilde encouraged fans to celebrate World Health Day (#worldhealthday) by donating to buy essential resources for the first responders who are risking their lives for all.