Drew Carey reveals he ignored heart attack symptoms while filming sitcom

Drew Carey has opened up about a life-threatening moment he didn’t recognize as a heart attack while filming The Drew Carey Show in 2001.

The 67-year-old comedian revealed the experience during an appearance on Ted Danson’s podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name, on Wednesday, March 4. 

Carey recalled noticing warning signs while jogging—his heart rate spiking, numbness in his shoulder, and other symptoms commonly associated with a heart attack.

“I thought if you had a heart attack, you would go and fall down, like in a cartoon,” Carey said. Despite the alarming signs, he continued jogging, then went home and even stopped for dinner at Bob’s Big Boy with his girlfriend, chalking it up to a “weird” incident.

The next day, Carey returned to the set as scheduled. While rehearsing, he began to feel chest tightness again. 

Struggling to climb the stairs to his trailer, he finally called a producer to summon an ambulance. “I think I’m having a heart attack,” he told them.

Carey spent two nights in the hospital and received a stent to treat a blocked artery. 

He later underwent angioplasty and, in 2010, ran his first 10K in nearly 25 years after losing 80 pounds and improving his cardio. He also reversed his type 2 diabetes and no longer requires medication.

Reflecting on the episode, Carey said it taught him the importance of listening to his body. “If you ignore the symptoms, you’re playing with your life,” he noted.