---
name: "Aaron Sorkin"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/aaron-sorkin"
fi1m_id: "aaron-sorkin"
imdb_id: "nm0815070"
tmdb_id: 13520
wikidata_id: "Q299194"
roles: ["Writer","Director","Producer"]
born: "9 June 1961"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-11T23:10:51.353756+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Aaron Sorkin

## Identity

Aaron Sorkin

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/aaron-sorkin
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** aaron-sorkin
- **IMDb ID:** nm0815070
- **TMDB ID:** 13520
- **Wikidata ID:** Q299194
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Sorkin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q299194, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0815070/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13520

Writer and director. Born 9 June 1961 in Manhattan, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Director, Producer
- **Born:** 9 June 1961, Manhattan, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1992–present
- **Also known as:** 아론 소킨, Aaron Benjamin Sorkin
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 10: 3 acting, 3 directing, 4 writing
- **Frequently works with:** [Alex Graves](https://film.one/person/alex-graves.md), [Bryan Gordon](https://film.one/person/bryan-gordon.md), [Don Scardino](https://film.one/person/don-scardino.md), [Jeremy Strong](https://film.one/person/jeremy-strong.md), [Kevin Falls](https://film.one/person/kevin-falls.md), [Marc Buckland](https://film.one/person/marc-buckland.md), [Paul Redford](https://film.one/person/paul-redford.md), [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://film.one/person/philip-seymour-hoffman.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 3 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as writer, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 82 (3), 2000s 63 (1), 2010s 81 (4), 2020s 62 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 74 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Comedy 1, History 1, Sport 1
- **Screen time:** 4 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $145m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Sorkin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q299194, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0815070/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13520

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*The Social Network*](https://film.one/film/the-social-network.md) (91), [*Molly's Game*](https://film.one/film/mollys-game.md) (70)
- **HBO Max:** [*The West Wing*](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md) (86)
- **Disney+:** [*Moneyball*](https://film.one/film/moneyball.md) (83)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Being the Ricardos*](https://film.one/film/being-the-ricardos.md) (61)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Aaron Sorkin

> Aaron Sorkin makes capable people arguing about their work absorbing company. We rate him highly for the wit and warmth, but his fondness for the winning speech can leave difficult questions looking easier than they are.

In *The West Wing* (1999), staff argue their way through demanding work at a pace that makes a pause sound like defeat. We enjoy Sorkin most here, where people care about doing a job properly and have colleagues who care enough to disagree. The pleasure comes from the quick exchanges and a cast that gives the earnest speeches warmth. The danger arrives when an assured speech settles a question that another character should have been allowed to press.

That pleasure in verbal contests was already there in *A Few Good Men* (1992), adapted from his 1989 play. Rob Reiner gives the actors room to make the exchanges matter, rather than simply keeping the dialogue moving. We enjoyed Tom Cruise's confidence as Lt. Daniel Kaffee, then found it faintly irritating; his quick answers never entirely conceal the effort. Demi Moore's Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway is less generously written: she carries the conscience while Cruise gets the ease. Moore makes that seriousness credible, but the script's tidy handling of military responsibility leaves too little room for either character to stray from an assigned position.

After screenplays including *The American President* (1995), he created *Sports Night* (1998) and then *The West Wing*. He wrote or co-wrote most of the latter's first four seasons. Television suits his interest in capable colleagues, allowing us to grow familiar with the people doing the arguing. Yet *The West Wing* can make disagreement look like a failure to keep up, and that is where its confidence becomes smug. A little more resistance from the people listening would make those speeches more convincing.

The later screenplays include *The Social Network* (2010), *Moneyball* (2011) and *Steve Jobs* (2015), as his attention turned towards other demanding professional lives. With *Molly's Game* (2017), he began directing his own scripts, followed by *The Trial of the Chicago 7* (2020) and *Being the Ricardos* (2021). For a first encounter, we would still choose *The West Wing*, provided the occasional speech from someone pleased with their own intelligence does not spoil an evening.

## Biography

Aaron Sorkin is an American screenwriter, playwright and film director. He was born on 9 June 1961 in Manhattan, New York City, and graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA.

Sorkin created the television series *Sports Night* (1998–2000) and *The West Wing* (1999–2006), writing or co-writing numerous episodes of the latter. He later created *Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip* (2006–2007) and *The Newsroom* (2012–2014). His stage work includes the play *A Few Good Men* (1989) and the book for the musical *To Kill a Mockingbird* (2018).

Sorkin wrote the screenplays for *A Few Good Men* (1992), *The American President* (1995), *Charlie Wilson's War* (2007), *The Social Network* (2010), *Moneyball* (2011), *Steve Jobs* (2015), *Molly's Game* (2017), *The Trial of the Chicago 7* (2020) and *Being the Ricardos* (2021). He made his directorial debut with *Molly's Game* and also directed the latter two films. He has received an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (10)

### Performed in (3)

- *The Social Network* (2010), Fi1m 91, as Ad Executive — [page](https://film.one/film/the-social-network.md)
- *Entourage* (2004), Fi1m 63, as Aaron Sorkin — [page](https://film.one/tv/entourage.md)
- *A Few Good Men* (1992), Fi1m 79, as Man in Bar — [page](https://film.one/film/a-few-good-men.md)

### Directed (3)

- *The Social Reckoning* (2026), Fi1m 64, Director, Producer, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-social-reckoning.md)
- *Being the Ricardos* (2021), Fi1m 61, Writer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/being-the-ricardos.md)
- *Molly's Game* (2017), Fi1m 70, Writer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/mollys-game.md)

### Wrote (4) — the average rests on these

- *Steve Jobs* (2015), Fi1m 80, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/steve-jobs.md)
- *Moneyball* (2011), Fi1m 83, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/moneyball.md)
- *The West Wing* (1999), Fi1m 86, Writer, Creator, Story, Teleplay — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Sports Night* (1998), Fi1m 82, Producer, Executive Producer, Writer, Creator — [page](https://film.one/tv/sports-night.md)

## Complete filmography (22)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Social Reckoning* (2026), Writer, Director, Producer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-social-reckoning.md)
- *The Studio* (2025), series, as Aaron Sorkin — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-studio.md)
- *Newscasters* (2022), Thanks
- *Being the Ricardos* (2021), Writer, Director — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/being-the-ricardos.md)
- *A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote* (2020), Writer, Executive Producer, Author
- *The Trial of the Chicago 7* (2020), Writer, Director
- *Molly's Game* (2017), Writer, Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/mollys-game.md)
- *Steve Jobs* (2015), Screenplay — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/steve-jobs.md)
- *The Newsroom* (2012), series, Writer, Producer, Teleplay, Creator, Story, Executive Producer
- *Moneyball* (2011), Screenplay — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/moneyball.md)
- *Melvilasom* (2011), Original Story
- *The Social Network* (2010), Ad Executive, Screenplay — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/the-social-network.md)
- *Shaurya* (2008), Original Story
- *Charlie Wilson's War* (2007), Screenplay
- *30 Rock* (2006), series, as Aaron Sorkin — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/30-rock.md)
- *Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip* (2006), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Entourage* (2004), series, as Aaron Sorkin — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/entourage.md)
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Teleplay, Story, Creator — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Sports Night* (1998), series, Writer, Producer, Executive Producer, Creator — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/sports-night.md)
- *The American President* (1995), as Aide in Bar · Writer
- *Malice* (1993), Screenplay, Story
- *A Few Good Men* (1992), as Man in Bar · Screenplay, Theatre Play — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/a-few-good-men.md)

## Gallery

- ![Aaron Sorkin](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-ee16016f4790.jpg) Aaron Sorkin — Dominick D, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Aaron_Sorkin_%2827566400913%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Aaron Sorkin at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, New York, United StatesWorried. (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-5de93f14f98b.jpg) Aaron Sorkin at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, New York, United StatesWorried. (2006) — Ondra Soukup from Prague, Czech Republic, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/AaronSorkinJFK.jpg/1280px-AaronSorkinJFK.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Photos by Patrick McMullan Aaron Sorkin, The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The Waldorf=Astoria May 22, 2000 (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-3938496620db.jpg) Photos by Patrick McMullan Aaron Sorkin, The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The Waldorf=Astoria May 22, 2000 (2015) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Aaron_Sorkin%2C_May_2000_%281%29.jpg/1280px-Aaron_Sorkin%2C_May_2000_%281%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Photos by Patrick McMullan Aaron Sorkin, The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The Waldorf=Astoria May 22, 2000 (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-47401f0a826b.jpg) Photos by Patrick McMullan Aaron Sorkin, The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The Waldorf=Astoria May 22, 2000 (2015) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Aaron_Sorkin%2C_May_2000_%282%29.jpg/1280px-Aaron_Sorkin%2C_May_2000_%282%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Aaron Sorkin](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-084340f1638e.jpg) Aaron Sorkin — Image via TMDB
- ![Aaron Sorkin](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-a8ee3658da70.jpg) Aaron Sorkin — Image via TMDB
- ![Aaron Sorkin](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-e19fb7d8e697.jpg) Aaron Sorkin — Image via TMDB
- ![Photos by Patrick McMullan Aaron Sorkin, The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The Waldorf=Astoria May 22, 2000 (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-361433714da7.jpg) Photos by Patrick McMullan Aaron Sorkin, The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The 59th Annual Peabody Awards The Waldorf=Astoria May 22, 2000 (2015) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Aaron_Sorkin%2C_May_2000_%283%29.jpg/1280px-Aaron_Sorkin%2C_May_2000_%283%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin He was the only celebrity screenwriter to interview a fellow guest. (2008)](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-1984468382d2.jpg) The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin He was the only celebrity screenwriter to interview a fellow guest. (2008) — thedemonhog, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Aaron_Sorkin.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Aaron Sorkin](https://film.one/media/person/61539/gallery-826f4f2e216d.jpg) Aaron Sorkin — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated

- 2021: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *The Trial of the Chicago 7*
- 2018: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Molly's Game*
- 2012: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated), for *Moneyball*
- 2011: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won), for *The Social Network*

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 2010: Best Screenplay (won), for *The Social Network*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2000: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (won), for *The West Wing*

### Other awards — 3 won

- National Humanities Medal 2023: National Humanities Medal (won)
- New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay 2011: New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay (won), for *Moneyball*
- Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2010: Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (won), for *The Social Network*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/aaron-sorkin