This is a list of notable people who have, or had, the medical condition epilepsy. Following from that, there is a short list of people who have received a speculative, retrospective diagnosis of epilepsy. Finally there is a substantial list of people who are often wrongly believed to have had epilepsy.
A possible link between epilepsy and "greatness" has fascinated biographers and physicians for centuries. In his Treatise on Epilepsy, the French 17th-century physician Jean Taxil refers to Aristotle's "famous epileptics". This list includes Heracles, Ajax, Bellerophon, Socrates, Plato, Empedocles, Maracus of Syracuse, and the Sibyls. However, historian of medicine Owsei Temkin argues that Aristotle had in fact made a list of melancholics and had only associated Heracles with the "Sacred Disease". Taxil goes on to add his own names: Roman Emperor Caligula, Drusus (tribune of the Roman people), and Petrarch. Neurologist John Hughes concluded that the majority of famous people alleged to have epilepsy did not in fact have this condition.
Certain diagnosis
The following categorized chronological list contains only those people for whom a firm and uncontested diagnosis was made during their lifetime.
Acting Name Life Comments Reference Bud Abbott 1895–1974 Comedian (half of the "Abbott and Costello" duo) who had epilepsy all his life, but tried to control and hide it. Ward Bond 1903–1960 A film actor. His epilepsy led to his exclusion from the draft during World War II. Michael Wilding 1912-1979 English TV, film and stage actor. Former husband of Elizabeth Taylor. Died as a result of head injuries sustained as a result of a fall after an epileptic seizure. Bob Fosse 1927–1987 An American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. In 1961, Fosse's epilepsy was revealed when he had a seizure onstage during rehearsals for The Conquering Hero. Rip Taylor 1931-2019 An American actor and comedian, Taylor died in 2019 having been hospitalized for having an epileptic seizure a week prior.Boryslav Brondukov1938–2004A Ukrainian film character actor, People's Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. Epilepsy seizures from 1998. Pete Duel 1940–1971 A television and film actor whose epilepsy is thought to have been brought on during adolescence by head injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Danny Glover born 1946 An actor and film director who had epilepsy from age 15 to age 35. Michael Jeter 1952-2003 American stage and screen actor who died from having an epileptic seizure. Margaux Hemingway 1955–1996 A film actress and model who had epilepsy from the age of seven. Her death was attributed to suicide by an intentional overdose of phenobarbital, which is an anticonvulsant, but see the footnoted article for an alternative explanation.Melanie Griffithborn 1957American actress whose seizures are thought to be induced by stress Rik Mayall 1958-2014 Successful comedy actor in various UK comedy series and some comedy films. He developed epilepsy arising from a quad bike accident in 1998.Sharon Stoneborn 1958Actress who played major roles in blockbuster movies including Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and Casino (among others). She suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage in 2001 that led to seizures that still require medications for control as of 2023. She has also stated that she will have seizures without getting 8 hours of sleep. Hugo Weaving born 1960 An actor who has taken anticonvulsants for epilepsy since his first seizure at age 13. Martin Kemp born 1961 Actor and former bassist with the pop band Spandau Ballet. He developed epilepsy after having two brain tumours in the 1990s. Barbie Hsu 1976-2025 Taiwanese actress and star of the Mandarin-speaking TV show Meteor Garden, former TV host and pop star. She had a medical history of epilepsy and heart disease.Júlia Almeidaborn 1983Brazilian actress Fatima Sana Shaikh born 1992 An Indian actress who has had epilepsy for much of her life.Laura Neivaborn 1993Brazilian actress and model Sara Thompson born 1995 A Canadian actress best known for playing "Molly Ross" in Burden of Truth (TV Series) who has also starred in films and is also a dancer. As part of the Orange Daisy Project she seeks to promote mental health in young women and has had epilepsy since the age of sixteen. Cameron Boyce 1999–2019 An actor best known for his roles as Luke Ross on the Disney Channel series Jessie and as Carlos on the TV film Descendants, previously diagnosed with epilepsy. Boyce died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
Leadership, politics and royalty