They’re not doctors, but they play them on TV: Alan Alda (M*A*S*H), Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy), Donald Faison (Scrubs), Noah Wyle (ER), and Lisa Edelstein (House) are “the TV Doctors of America” in a new ad from Cigna. The actors, who all play or have played fictional physicians, prove that no matter how convincing their performances, an actor is no substitute for a qualified professional. (The exception to this rule is Dr. Ken’s Ken Jeong, who got his actual medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)
So go get a checkup! (Or maybe don’t, if this Slate piece from 2013 is to be believed.) But one thing’s for sure: No matter how many episodes of House you watch, you’re still not qualified to diagnose lupus.
