Aaron Sorkin opens up about suffering a stroke last year

Last Updated on March 28, 2023

Aaron Sorkin is one of the most respected writers in the game, with an Oscar, Golden Globes, Emmys, WGA Awards, and more to his credit. But Aaron Sorkin could have lost his ability to write entirely, recently revealing that he suffered a stroke late last year.

Sorkin suffered his stroke last November, not long before he was set to begin production on another iteration of Camelot on Broadway. After immediate concerns over bumping into walls and spilling items, Aaron Sorkin called his doctor, who told him he had had a stroke, delivering the grim message, “You’re supposed to be dead.” Sorkin had extremely high blood pressure and was soon slurring his words. He was even having difficulties writing his name, slowing down his longhand writing.

After the stroke, Aaron Sorkin grew concerned he wouldn’t be able to finish what he started. “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.” Learning from the experience, he said, “Mostly it was a loud wake-up call…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…If it’ll get one person to stop smoking, then it’ll be helpful.” Smoking, along with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and family history are some leading medical risk factors. Around a quarter of those who have a stroke are expected to have another.

But if you’re concerned where Aaron Sorkin goes following his stroke, he’s adamant that the casual pace is behind him. “Let me make this very, very clear…I’m fine. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I can’t work. I’m fine.” One would certainly hope the stroke wouldn’t slow Sorkin down much, as his contributions–from The West Wing and The Newsroom to The Social Network (where’s that sequel?) and The Trial of the Chicago 7–show off one of the most talented figures in the industry.

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