Ahead of the Broadway opening of his new “Camelot” musical adaptation, Aaron Sorkin revealed to the New York Times that he suffered a stroke last November. The medical emergency occurred two months before “Camelot” rehearsals were set to begin and resulted in his blood pressure being so high that “you’re supposed to be dead,” Sorkin said.
As reported by The Times: “For about a month afterward, [Sorkin] was slurring words. He had trouble typing; he was discouraged from flying for a few weeks; and until recently, he couldn’t sign his name (he has just discovered, thanks to ‘Camelot’ autograph seekers, that that’s improving). Those issues are now behind him, and the main lingering effect is that he still can’t really taste food.”
“Mostly it was a loud wake-up call,” Sorkin told the publication. “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.”
Sorkin added later, “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 writer originally did not plan to go public with his stroke, but he decided to talk about it with The Times because “if it’ll get one person to stop smoking, then it’ll be helpful.” Sorkin said for a long period of time he was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.
“Let me make this very, very clear,” Sorkin concluded. “I’m fine. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I can’t work. I’m fine.”
Sorkin’s last Broadway outing was his acclaimed 2018 take on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which was nominated for nine Tony Awards. He has now written the revised book for a new revival of “Camelot,” which first debuted on Broadway back in 1960. Sorkin’s “Camelot” stars “Hamilton” favorite Phillipa Soo as Guenevere opposite Andrew Burnap as Arthur and Jordan Donica as Lancelot. The musical is now in previews and has an opening night set for April 13.
