Fauci among People magazine's people of the year for 2020

People has unveiled its four picks for 2020 People of the Year, and among them is the nation's top infectious disease expert.

The magazine on Wednesday announced the four people who "have not just wowed us with their talent but been forces for good in the world" in the past year: Dr. Anthony Fauci, George Clooney, Regina King, and Selena Gomez.

People praised Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for "providing steady guidance" during the COVID-19 pandemic and "reassuring us during turbulent times with his devoted public service, unflappable common sense, and life-saving leadership." In an interview with the magazine, Fauci spoke on all of the unexpected pop culture attention he's received in the past year, from being made into bobbleheads to being played by Brad Pitt on Saturday Night Live.

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"It's surrealistic and, in some respects, nice and amusing," Fauci said. "But you can't take that stuff seriously and start to think you're a celebrity. When you start to think that, then you get into trouble. I'm a physician. I'm a scientist. And I'm a public health official.”

In 2019, the magazine's people of the year picks were Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Obama, and Taylor Swift.

In addition to Fauci, People also commended Gomez for her work in raising money for mental health services access and her "honesty in talking about her own mental health journey," Clooney for continuing "his tireless human and civil rights advocacy," and King for "helping to get out the vote and calling for support for marginalized communities during the pandemic and an end to police violence." Read more about the selections at People.