Narcolepsy Goes to Hollywood!

Narcolepsy Stigma

Stigma is a concept of othering people; a belief that one group is separate from another and sometimes lesser.

I believe that media and entertainment create the culture that leads to law and policies. So all of these levels of stigma are important. Your story really matters, and you can foster empathy and help reduce stigma through telling it.”

– Julie

What We Can Do: Ask for Better

There are ways to make our voices heard in regard to portrayals of narcolepsy. Julie shared the story of her efforts in reaction to the 2019 movie Ode to Joy. With very little time before the film’s release, Julie’s requests for a public service announcement collaboration for social media, media training for the stars and director, and a resources page on the film’s website were met by the director and production team.

What We Can Do: Tell Our Stories

Walking Through Peanut Butter is a dark comedy series our special guest Anna Marr is developing, based on her experience as a comedian living with narcolepsy with cataplexy. The pilot episode has been met with acclaim from several film festivals. Films such as Walking through Peanut Butter give accurate portrayals of what living with narcolepsy looks like to help raise awareness, shift mindsets, and fight stigma.

What We Can Do: Contribute to Research

There is currently no published research addressing portrayals of narcolepsy and other sleep disorders, as there is for other conditions such as epilepsy.  In June 2021, Project Sleep launched a Sleep Disorders in Film & TV Database to track cinematic portrayals of sleep conditions and help support future research.

To contribute examples of portrayals of sleep disorders in TV & film, fill out our Sleep Disorders in TV & Film Database form. This is a simple action you can take as a step toward improving portrayals of narcolepsy and other sleep disorders. Together, we can create meaningful change! Learn more about our Hollywood & Sleep Initiative.

For more information on this topic, download the Narcolepsy Goes to Hollywood toolkit!

Narcolepsy Goes to Hollywood: Listen & Watch!

Narcolepsy Goes to Hollywood Video Part I

Narcolepsy Goes to Hollywood Video Part II

Narcolepsy Goes to Hollywood Video Part III

The Narcolepsy Goes to Hollywood broadcast originally aired on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

Meet Our Guests

Al Jean is the Executive Producer and head writer for The Simpsons and has been working on the show for 32 years, 22 of which have been as a showrunner. He has received 9 Emmy Awards for his work on The Simpsons. Al attended Harvard University and as a student wrote for the Harvard Lampoon. He was also a writer for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and the 2003 movie Elf.

Anna Marr is an LA-based actor, writer, and voice-over artist originally from Ohio. She is the co-founder of Bluelaces Theater, a nonprofit organization that creates interactive multi-sensory theater for individuals with developmental disabilities. She is currently developing a dark comedy series called “Walking Through Peanut Butter“ based on her experience navigating New York’s comedy scene with narcolepsy. Anna is also a Rising Voices speaker with Project Sleep who aims to change how the media represents this chronic neurological disorder.