The cast of Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 pandemic thriller Contagion is releasing a series of PSAs about the COVID-19 coronavirus strain.
Via Gothamist, Soderbergh and Contagion-screenwriter Scott Z. Burns helped create these ads in collaboration with the Columbia University School of Public Health. So far, six videos have been released: an intro to the series and five statements from different representatives of the film’s large ensemble cast.
Matt Damon emphasizes listening to health experts and the importance of social distancing. Hand washing is touted by Kate Winslet, and Laurence Fishburne talks about managing the burden on our health care system: “If we can slow this thing down, it will give our doctors and nurses in our hospitals a fighting chance to help us all get through this together.”
Jennifer Ehle explained that a vaccine won’t be ready for “anywhere from 16 to 18 months,” because designing a vaccine is easy, but testing it and manufacturing it in great quantities both take time. Finally, Marion Cotillard brought a message “from France, [where] we are a few days ahead of you in America in dealing with this virus.” Cotillard painted a vivid picture of the worst damage it could cause. Check out the Contagion cast’s PSAs below.
They aren’t the only celebrities using their platform to promote healthy COVID-19 practices. “Weird Al” Yankovic recently unveiled the social distancing anthem “One More Minute”, and “My Sharona”-singers The Knack shared “Bye, Corona!” Others take a more hands-on approach: Pornhub donated 50,000 surgical masks to frontline health care workers in NYC.
