Aaron Sorkin Opens Up About Health Scare After Private Stroke
Renowned writer and director Aaron Sorkin has opened up about suffering a stroke in November 2021. The stroke occurred while Sorkin was writing the new Broadway musical, Camelot. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Sorkin revealed that he was “concerned” he would never be able to write again after the health scare.
Sorkin, who is best known for his screenplays for films like The Social Network and Moneyball, as well as his role as creator of the popular television show The West Wing, had initially been reluctant to speak about the incident. However, he ultimately decided to share his experience to encourage others to take care of their health.
“If it’ll get one person to stop smoking,” Sorkin said, “then it’ll be helpful.”
The health scare occurred when Sorkin woke up in the middle of the night and began bumping into things. The next morning, he was unable to keep orange juice from spilling as he carried it into his office. When he went to the doctor, he learned that his blood pressure was so high that he was “supposed to be dead.” It was then that he was told he had suffered a stroke.
Sorkin had been a heavy smoker since high school, and smoking two packs a day was an important part of his creative process. “It was just part of it, the way a pen was part of it,” he explained. “I don’t want to talk about it too much because I’ll start to salivate.”
After his stroke, Sorkin quit smoking cold turkey, started eating better and working out twice a day. While he had lingering physical effects for a month after the stroke, including slurred speech and difficulty typing and signing his name, Sorkin is now doing well.
“There was a minute when I was concerned that I was never going to be able to write again,” he admitted. “And I was concerned in the short-term that I wasn’t going to be able to continue writing Camelot.”
Fortunately, Sorkin’s health has improved, and Camelot is set to open on Broadway in April 2022 with its book rewritten by the writer and director.
Sorkin’s experience serves as a stark reminder of the importance of taking care of our health, even if we feel invincible. As Sorkin himself has 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.”
