<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mommy_(2014_film)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mommy</a> is about the problems of a mother with his child which is said to have ADHD.</p>

<p>Anyway, I think you will get better answers on <a href="https://movies.stackexchange.com/">https://movies.stackexchange.com/</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-27T07:02:52.343Z
thanks user2638180!
BCLC
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-27T15:07:24.050Z
2016-09-27T15:42:58.530Z
2017-04-13T12:54:05.207Z
user2638180
<p>I am a layperson so take that into account, but I find several characters in anime and manga who resonate with my experiences living with ADHD, and what I've researched about it.</p>
<p>One character especially is Katarina/Catarina Claes from the novels and anime &quot;My Next Life as a Villaines: All Route Lead to Doom.&quot;</p>
<p>She zones out, she dives head first into things she finds interesting, she's often hyper and literally climbs trees. She hates things that bore, and she certainly is impulsive.</p>
<p>It was this quote in particular (in her past life) that really spoke to me:</p>
<p><I>Acchan... I can't... can't go on. I leave the rest... to you...&quot; With that, my best friend slammed her textbook shut, before dramatically planting her forehead down onto the stack of notes I had printed.</p>
<p>&quot;Wh-what are you even saying...? It hasn't even been ten minutes since we started! If you keep this up, you'll drop out of the school system for an entire year!&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;..Nghh... b-but... reading these endless lines in this thick reference book only makes me sleepy... there's no avoiding it. There has to be some sort of curse in this terrible reference book...&quot;</p>
<p>Saying so, my friend sighed deeply. And with that, the High School entrance exam study session ended, in all of ten minutes. Although she was physically capable and did well in sports, she was apparently hopeless in her studies. It wasn't like she was bad at studying - she simply had no interest in it, and was the sort of person who didn't care about matters that bored her.</p>
<p>--My Next Life as a Villainess Vol 2 by Satoru Yamaguchi</I></p>
<p>I would love to see an expert's opinion. But the fandom is pretty much united.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-27T07:02:36.450Z
thanks. you really made an account just for this answer?
BCLC
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-21T21:02:48.803Z
2021-11-29T00:32:43.837Z
2021-11-29T00:32:43.837Z
Ozaline
<p>"The secret life of Walter Mitty" i'd say.
This movie presents splendidly a person who seems to have clear  attention deficits without hyperactivity (which would be typical for a subtype of the syndrome or he overcame it with adoloscence.)
Additionally he seems to tend to hyperfocus for his work and develops incredible passion for the things he does aside of extensive daydreaming. Both nicely illustrated with a hardly realistic journey and definitely unrealistic associations of his mind while outstanding characters realize his attention is elsewhere.</p>

<p>The movie does not label him with any diagnosis but it struck me how much this character displays features of the nonhyperactive subtype of add.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-06-26T04:32:07.390Z
2018-06-26T04:32:07.390Z
Kiwili
<p>several characters from <strong>azumanga daioh!</strong> :) One who's name is <strong>osaka</strong> and <strong>the other I can't remember her name</strong> but I think it starts with a t.</p>

<p><strong>zim from invader zim,</strong> and probably <strong>GIR</strong> from this show, as well.</p>

<p><strong>spongebob</strong> probably</p>

<p><strong>shawn spencer from psych</strong> definitely has adhd, 1,000% (I wish I could be as charismatic as he is, but alas, life is not TV) Gus may be too, but I can't be sure</p>

<p><strong>tigger from winnie the pooh</strong> (especially the tigger movie, my word. I shed a tear. maybe two.)</p>

<p>other possibles, but not 100%: <strong>stitch from lilo and stitch</strong> (can a dog/alien have adhd?). <strong>Lilo might be too,</strong> but can't be sure. It's been a long time since I've watched that movie. Even if they aren't adhd, its still a great movie for adhders, and really shows the struggle we can go through (family, friend troubles, relationships and not fitting in.....intergalactic troubles.....lol, and just being plain weird).</p>

<p>someone in <strong>The Emporer's new groove</strong>. But I haven't watched it in so long I don't know who's suspect.</p>

<p>marvel's <strong>guardian's of the galaxy (quill(?)</strong> most definitely and probably other characters, like <strong>rocket</strong>. In the second movie it comes more into play for the plot. again, these movies made me cry because they get it.)</p>

<p>probably some characters from <strong>princess bride</strong>, as well.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-27T07:02:34.737Z
thanks. you really made an account just for this answer?
BCLC
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-11-06T21:10:36.307Z
2019-11-07T13:59:19.257Z
2019-11-07T13:59:19.257Z
Liz
<p>The problem with ADHD is that it doesn't really have its own trademark indicator, the way that schizophrenia or Asperger's might. There are several different subtypes of ADHD, and they tend to look different from each other, particularly in the instance of ADHD with hyperactivity and ADHD-PI (primarily inattentive). Even then, there are plenty of disorders that mimic the characteristics of ADHD (such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histrionic_personality_disorder" rel="noreferrer">histrionic personality disorder</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sluggish_cognitive_tempo" rel="noreferrer">sluggish cognitive tempo</a>), and so it is really difficult to tell whether or not a character has ADHD, a mood disorder, an anxiety disorder, or something else entirely.</p>

<p>Furthermore, movies like A Beautiful Mind are autobiographical in nature and tend to focus primarily on the disorder and its deleterious effects on an otherwise prominent individual. This is difficult to do with ADHD, because the symptoms of ADHD are often mistaken for laziness, naïveté, sluggishness, rashness, and a variety of other negative personality traits. On the other hand, disorders like schizophrenia are rarely mistaken for personality traits. It is very clear (in the case of John Nash) that there was something going on almost unrelated to the man himself. Take the description of the movie for example:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The story begins in the early years of a young prodigy named John Nash. Early in the film, Nash begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes while painfully watching the loss and burden his condition brings on wife Alicia and friends.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You would rarely hear such a description of an individual with ADHD, because ADHD is often early-onset, and so the difference between one's natural personality and a neurodevelopmental disorder is not always clear.</p>

<p>On top of that, characters are often portrayed as having symptoms of ADHD, but it is considered to be a part of their personality used for comedic effect. Other times, their ADHD-like characteristics may be attributed to other disorders, such as the case of Cat Valentine in the Disney Channel show 'Victorious', who suffers from bipolar disorder (as per the show's storyline) yet her characteristics are speculatively more along the lines of ADHD, or even dependent personality disorder. This opens up a can of worms to debate against, however, as characteristics can only serve as <strong>implications</strong> of a disorder, and are not enough to diagnose a person in general. Furthermore, even a professional cannot <em>diagnose</em> a character and call it a day, as characters are under the artistic license of the producers and thus there is nothing definitive a professional can say about them.</p>

<p>In terms of characters, it is speculated that Tigger from Winnie the Pooh has classic ADHD (as seen <a href="http://www.bouldertherapist.com/html/humor/MentalHealthHumor/childhoodcharacters.html" rel="noreferrer">here</a>, though this is largely meant to be humorous). It is also thought that Winnie the Pooh himself has primarily inattentive ADHD. The character Tony Stark of Iron Man is so highly speculated to have ADHD that I have heard him being used as an 'example' of a superhero with ADHD, so that children who struggle with the disorder can feel more confident about their abilities.</p>

<p>In terms of confirmed characters, I know of very little. After further research, I know that the character Lucy Knight of the show 'E.R.' was on Ritalin (a medication used to treat ADHD). I have also repeatedly read that Luna Lovegood of Harry Potter has ADHD-PI, but I think that her character is too broad for any diagnosis. I don't know if Bradley Cooper's character in Limitless has ADHD or not, as the whole plot seems to be akin to the effects of someone unintentionally taking Adderall.</p>

<p>I know that this isn't a movie or show, but Calvin from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes series is confirmed to have ADHD, as per the creator of the strip and as demonstrated <a href="http://images.elephantjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PNzfq.png" rel="noreferrer">in this comic</a>.</p>

<p><strong>EDIT</strong>: Forgot to mention this, but the character Michael Scofield of Prison Break is diagnosed with low latent inhibition, which is often used interchangeably with ADHD.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-12T14:08:54.313Z
Thanks very much for a very informative answer. On the second-to-last paragraph, is that [real](http://www.quora.com/Whats-the-story-behind-the-fake-final-Calvin-and-Hobbes-strip)?
BCLC
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-12T19:02:32.340Z
@JackBauer The comic itself is real. There was a rumor that that was the 'final strip ever drawn', with the implication being that the strip ended due to Calvin losing his imaginative characteristics. But that rumor isn't true.
Sydney Maples
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-13T06:51:04.817Z
Real but not last?
BCLC
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-08T00:29:22.507Z
2016-11-21T07:25:36.677Z
2016-11-21T07:25:36.677Z
Sydney Maples
<p>Aside from How I Met Your Mother, The Simpsons (or Finding Nemo, if that counts, which i don't think it does), are there any movies or series involving someone explicitly stated or highly believed to have ADHD? I can't seem to find any on Google.</p>
<p>There are movies or series about schizophrenia such as A Beautiful Mind, bipolar such as Silver Linings Playbook and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_featuring_mental_disorders" rel="nofollow noreferrer">then there's this</a>, but I can't seem to find any for ADHD.</p>
<hr />
<p>Of course there are <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1wjsfu/movies_with_adhd_characters/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">endless speculations</a> on forums everywhere, but these are speculations likely from not properly educated people (e.g. not psychologists).</p>
<p>An example if this question was asking about OCD or Asperger's would be Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. The show or creators have never stated any diagnosis, but people highly believe such. Sheldon even has his own <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/200904/sheldony-or-aspergery-the-big-bang-theory" rel="nofollow noreferrer">article on psychologytoday</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-11T05:49:18.307Z
Hands down parks and rec. I don’t think it was intentional but Leslie Knope is the perfect portrayal of adhd/ocd in w WOMAN which has only been more recently discovered to present differently than in men. Even a bit of anxiety sometimes ( I have all of these diagnoses) . Plus Chris is a classic example of high functioning depression and other characters exhibit personality traits like low self esteem, anger management, denial, etc.
Camille
<abnormal-psychology><adhd><psychology>
Are there any movies or series involving someone with ADHD?
BCLC
# Are there any movies or series involving someone with ADHD?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-07)

Aside from How I Met Your Mother, The Simpsons (or Finding Nemo, if that counts, which i don't think it does), are there any movies or series involving someone explicitly stated or highly believed to have ADHD? I can't seem to find any on Google.

There are movies or series about schizophrenia such as A Beautiful Mind, bipolar such as Silver Linings Playbook and [then there's this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_featuring_mental_disorders), but I can't seem to find any for ADHD.

---

Of course there are [endless speculations](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1wjsfu/movies_with_adhd_characters/) on forums everywhere, but these are speculations likely from not properly educated people (e.g. not psychologists).

An example if this question was asking about OCD or Asperger's would be Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. The show or creators have never stated any diagnosis, but people highly believe such. Sheldon even has his own [article on psychologytoday](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/aspergers-diary/200904/sheldony-or-aspergery-the-big-bang-theory).

**Tags:** abnormal-psychology, adhd, psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hands down parks and rec. I don’t think it was intentional but Leslie Knope is the perfect portrayal of adhd/ocd in w WOMAN which has only been more recently discovered to present differently than in men. Even a bit of anxiety sometimes ( I have all of these diagnoses) . Plus Chris is a classic example of high functioning depression and other characters exhibit personality traits like low self esteem, anger management, denial, etc.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-09-08. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

The problem with ADHD is that it doesn't really have its own trademark indicator, the way that schizophrenia or Asperger's might. There are several different subtypes of ADHD, and they tend to look different from each other, particularly in the instance of ADHD with hyperactivity and ADHD-PI (primarily inattentive). Even then, there are plenty of disorders that mimic the characteristics of ADHD (such as [histrionic personality disorder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histrionic_personality_disorder) or [sluggish cognitive tempo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sluggish_cognitive_tempo)), and so it is really difficult to tell whether or not a character has ADHD, a mood disorder, an anxiety disorder, or something else entirely.

Furthermore, movies like A Beautiful Mind are autobiographical in nature and tend to focus primarily on the disorder and its deleterious effects on an otherwise prominent individual. This is difficult to do with ADHD, because the symptoms of ADHD are often mistaken for laziness, naïveté, sluggishness, rashness, and a variety of other negative personality traits. On the other hand, disorders like schizophrenia are rarely mistaken for personality traits. It is very clear (in the case of John Nash) that there was something going on almost unrelated to the man himself. Take the description of the movie for example:

> The story begins in the early years of a young prodigy named John Nash. Early in the film, Nash begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes while painfully watching the loss and burden his condition brings on wife Alicia and friends.

You would rarely hear such a description of an individual with ADHD, because ADHD is often early-onset, and so the difference between one's natural personality and a neurodevelopmental disorder is not always clear.

On top of that, characters are often portrayed as having symptoms of ADHD, but it is considered to be a part of their personality used for comedic effect. Other times, their ADHD-like characteristics may be attributed to other disorders, such as the case of Cat Valentine in the Disney Channel show 'Victorious', who suffers from bipolar disorder (as per the show's storyline) yet her characteristics are speculatively more along the lines of ADHD, or even dependent personality disorder. This opens up a can of worms to debate against, however, as characteristics can only serve as **implications** of a disorder, and are not enough to diagnose a person in general. Furthermore, even a professional cannot *diagnose* a character and call it a day, as characters are under the artistic license of the producers and thus there is nothing definitive a professional can say about them.

In terms of characters, it is speculated that Tigger from Winnie the Pooh has classic ADHD (as seen [here](http://www.bouldertherapist.com/html/humor/MentalHealthHumor/childhoodcharacters.html), though this is largely meant to be humorous). It is also thought that Winnie the Pooh himself has primarily inattentive ADHD. The character Tony Stark of Iron Man is so highly speculated to have ADHD that I have heard him being used as an 'example' of a superhero with ADHD, so that children who struggle with the disorder can feel more confident about their abilities.

In terms of confirmed characters, I know of very little. After further research, I know that the character Lucy Knight of the show 'E.R.' was on Ritalin (a medication used to treat ADHD). I have also repeatedly read that Luna Lovegood of Harry Potter has ADHD-PI, but I think that her character is too broad for any diagnosis. I don't know if Bradley Cooper's character in Limitless has ADHD or not, as the whole plot seems to be akin to the effects of someone unintentionally taking Adderall.

I know that this isn't a movie or show, but Calvin from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes series is confirmed to have ADHD, as per the creator of the strip and as demonstrated [in this comic](http://images.elephantjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PNzfq.png).

**EDIT**: Forgot to mention this, but the character Michael Scofield of Prison Break is diagnosed with low latent inhibition, which is often used interchangeably with ADHD.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks very much for a very informative answer. On the second-to-last paragraph, is that [real](http://www.quora.com/Whats-the-story-behind-the-fake-final-Calvin-and-Hobbes-strip)?  
> **username_6**: @JackBauer The comic itself is real. There was a rumor that that was the 'final strip ever drawn', with the implication being that the strip ended due to Calvin losing his imaginative characteristics. But that rumor isn't true.  
> **username_0**: Real but not last?  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-09-27. Score: 3

[Mommy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mommy_(2014_film)) is about the problems of a mother with his child which is said to have ADHD.

Anyway, I think you will get better answers on <https://movies.stackexchange.com/>.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks username_2!  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-11-21. Score: 1

I am a layperson so take that into account, but I find several characters in anime and manga who resonate with my experiences living with ADHD, and what I've researched about it.

One character especially is Katarina/Catarina Claes from the novels and anime "My Next Life as a Villaines: All Route Lead to Doom."

She zones out, she dives head first into things she finds interesting, she's often hyper and literally climbs trees. She hates things that bore, and she certainly is impulsive.

It was this quote in particular (in her past life) that really spoke to me:

*Acchan... I can't... can't go on. I leave the rest... to you..." With that, my best friend slammed her textbook shut, before dramatically planting her forehead down onto the stack of notes I had printed.*

"Wh-what are you even saying...? It hasn't even been ten minutes since we started! If you keep this up, you'll drop out of the school system for an entire year!"

"..Nghh... b-but... reading these endless lines in this thick reference book only makes me sleepy... there's no avoiding it. There has to be some sort of curse in this terrible reference book..."

Saying so, my friend sighed deeply. And with that, the High School entrance exam study session ended, in all of ten minutes. Although she was physically capable and did well in sports, she was apparently hopeless in her studies. It wasn't like she was bad at studying - she simply had no interest in it, and was the sort of person who didn't care about matters that bored her.

--My Next Life as a Villainess Vol 2 by Satoru Yamaguchi

I would love to see an expert's opinion. But the fandom is pretty much united.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks. you really made an account just for this answer?  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-11-06. Score: 1

several characters from **azumanga daioh!** :) One who's name is **osaka** and **the other I can't remember her name** but I think it starts with a t.

**zim from invader zim,** and probably **GIR** from this show, as well.

**spongebob** probably

**shawn spencer from psych** definitely has adhd, 1,000% (I wish I could be as charismatic as he is, but alas, life is not TV) Gus may be too, but I can't be sure

**tigger from winnie the pooh** (especially the tigger movie, my word. I shed a tear. maybe two.)

other possibles, but not 100%: **stitch from lilo and stitch** (can a dog/alien have adhd?). **Lilo might be too,** but can't be sure. It's been a long time since I've watched that movie. Even if they aren't adhd, its still a great movie for adhders, and really shows the struggle we can go through (family, friend troubles, relationships and not fitting in.....intergalactic troubles.....lol, and just being plain weird).

someone in **The Emporer's new groove**. But I haven't watched it in so long I don't know who's suspect.

marvel's **guardian's of the galaxy (quill(?)** most definitely and probably other characters, like **rocket**. In the second movie it comes more into play for the plot. again, these movies made me cry because they get it.)

probably some characters from **princess bride**, as well.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks. you really made an account just for this answer?  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-06-26. Score: 0

"The secret life of Walter Mitty" i'd say.
This movie presents splendidly a person who seems to have clear attention deficits without hyperactivity (which would be typical for a subtype of the syndrome or he overcame it with adoloscence.)
Additionally he seems to tend to hyperfocus for his work and develops incredible passion for the things he does aside of extensive daydreaming. Both nicely illustrated with a hardly realistic journey and definitely unrealistic associations of his mind while outstanding characters realize his attention is elsewhere.

The movie does not label him with any diagnosis but it struck me how much this character displays features of the nonhyperactive subtype of add.


---

