Aaron Sorkin Says High Blood Pressure Caused Him to Have a Stroke Last Year: “A Loud Wake-up Call”

Aaron Sorkin revealed that he had a stroke last November while working on the Broadway revival of Camelot. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sorkin opened up about his medical emergency in a recent interview with The New York Times about the creation of the new stage musical. 

The West Wing creator initially wanted to keep his stroke under wraps, but eventually changed his mind, saying, “If it’ll get one person to stop smoking, then it’ll be helpful.”

Sorkin shared that his stroke occurred at nighttime and was caused by high blood pressure. While receiving treatment, his doctor told him that he was “supposed to be dead.”

As a result of the stroke, the outlet stated that Sorkin is unable to taste food. He also suffered from slurred speech and poor grip strength, the latter of which made him fear that he would never write again.  

Sorkin called the stroke “a loud wake-up call.”

He said, “I thought I was one of those people who could eat whatever he wanted, smoke as much as he wanted, and it’s not going to affect me. Boy, was I wrong.” Now, the Academy Award winner has quit smoking, adjusted his diet, works out regularly, and takes “a lot of medicine.”

Sorkin, who is adapting Alan Jay Lerner’s original book for Camelot, shared, “There was a minute when I was concerned that I was never going to be able to write again and I was concerned in the short term that I wasn’t going to be able to continue writing Camelot.” 

Now, Sorkin says that he’s “fine.” He added, “I wouldn’t want anyone to think I can’t work.”

Over the course of his career, Sorkin has won an Academy Award, five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globes. He made his film debut as the writer of the 1992 legal drama A Few Good Men.

Sorkin went on to be the showrunner of the comedy drama Sports Night, starring Peter Krause and Felicity Huffman, before it was canceled after two seasons. Additionally, he wrote and directed Molly’s Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Being the Ricardos (which Decider’s Anna Menta described as “Sorkin at his very best.”)