Aaron Sorkin reveals he suffered a stroke last November: 'It was a loud wake-up call'

Aaron Sorkin is shedding light on the major health scare he suffered while working on his Broadway revival of Camelot last year.

The West Wing creator told The New York Times that he had a stroke in November 2022, two months before Camelot rehearsals were scheduled to begin. At the time, Sorkin said that his blood pressure was so high that his doctor told him he was "supposed to be dead," and for a month afterward he slurred his words, found it difficult to type, and wasn't able to sign his name.

In the following months, Sorkin said, the residual effects of his stroke have mostly dissipated, but he still struggles with his sense of taste. "Mostly it was a loud wake-up call," he told the outlet. "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."

Rich Fury/Getty Images Aaron Sorkin

He continued, "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."

The Oscar-winning scribe, who was a longtime smoker, noted that having multiple packs of cigarettes throughout the day was an integral part of his writing process "the way a pen was part of it." However, after his stroke, Sorkin said that he stopped smoking entirely, started taking medicine, changed his diet, and began regularly working out.

Sorkin initially only spoke to the Times about his ailment off the record, but later changed his mind when he realized that sharing his health emergency could save another's life. "If it'll get one person to stop smoking," he said, "then it'll be helpful."

Now, Sorkin is ready to bring Camelot to life on stage once again at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Making sure to clarify his health status, he said, "Let me make this very, very clear. I'm fine. I wouldn't want anyone to think I can't work. I'm fine."

Camelot's opening night is set for April 13.

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