Armando Iannucci has revealed that taking ADHD medication changed his life overnight after his adult children suggested that he may have the condition.
The 61-year-old Scottish comedy writer and director, best known for creating the Westminster sitcom The Thick of It, was diagnosed with ADHD in 2023 after two of his children, who have the condition, noticed that he had similar behaviours to them.
“Two of my kids were diagnosed and they said to me, ‘But Dad, this is exactly what you’re like,’” he told The Times.
He explained: “I’ve been living off adrenaline, which explains why I’ve gone into a career where there are deadlines that you have to hit, and why I’ve surrounded myself with people who are more practical, and why I haven’t done a nine-to-five job.”
“Therefore I’ve always been absolutely shattered at the end of the day or at the weekend and that’s not good.”
Iannucci said that taking medication has an “instantaneous” impact on him.
“[It was] an overnight ‘oh, this is what it’s like, being normal,’” he said.
He said that since his diagnosis, he has more understanding of his condition and doesn’t punish himself when he isn’t productive.
“I get through the day without beating myself up for being very inefficient and impractical and lazy, and then I don’t come home absolutely shattered,” he said. “So it’s been a significant thing, really.”
He added: “The thing is, I don’t actually feel anything, as in I don’t feel I’ve had ten cups of coffee. I just feel OK.”
After his diagnosis, the director wrote to various people he had worked with in the past, explaining why some scripts were delayed.
He added that he was “slightly relieved to find there was actually an explanation” and that some people replied to him, “’Oh well, I’m glad there was a reason.’”
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse. Symptoms are typically noticed at an early age when a child begins school, and most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old.
Adults with ADHD may have problems with organisation, time management, following instructions, dealing with stress, feeling restless or completing tasks.
Iannucci rose to fame working across radio and television, and drew acclaim for The Thick Of It, which starred Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi as swearing spin doctor Malcolm Tucker. His 2009 spinoff film In The Loop was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Iannucci’s career will be depicted in a forthcoming profile for the BBC’s Imagine: The Academy of Armando. However, the film took years to make because Iannucci kept on avoiding being interviewed for it.
He said: “For about two or three years, not constantly but across that period, film camera crews would turn up on set and I would be highly conscious of them. I would end up just running away, find a reason and say, ‘I’ve got a meeting, actually.’”
Iannucci said seeing the film was “like watching your own obituary”.
“It was all very nice but just odd. The figure in the film felt like someone else. I started to disassociate myself from the Armando in the film, so I was genuinely watching it to see what would happen next.”
Imagine: The Academy of Armando is on BBC 1 at 10.40pm on 3 March.
