Aaron Sorkin

Sorkin was born in Manhattan, New York City, to a Jewish family,{{cite news|last=Berrin|first=Danielle|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/hollywoodjew/item/a_small_plot_in_aaron_sorkins_jewish_story_20120717|work=Jewish Journal|title=A small glimpse into Aaron Sorkin's Jewish story|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216165806/http://www.jewishjournal.com/hollywoodjew/item/a_small_plot_in_aaron_sorkins_jewish_story_20120717|archive-date=December 16, 2014|date=July 17, 2012|quote=I'm Jewish but have never had any religious training. I never went to Hebrew school.}}{{Cite news|last=Gross|first=Terry|date=July 16, 2012|title=Aaron Sorkin: The Writer Behind 'The Newsroom'|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=156841165|url-status=live|access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210204216/https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=156841165|archive-date=December 10, 2018|quote=Aaron Sorkin: "I'm Jewish"}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejc.com/culture/film/why-aaron-sorkin-is-cinema-s-finest-talent-1.63100|title=Why Aaron Sorkin is cinema's finest talent|access-date=June 5, 2018|date=November 26, 2015|last=Lipman|first=Jennifer|work=The Jewish Chronicle|quote=Sorkin, who comes from a middle-class Jewish family from Scarsdale|archive-date=December 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211010158/https://www.thejc.com/culture/film/why-aaron-sorkin-is-cinema-s-finest-talent-1.63100|url-status=live}}[https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/the--plus-most-influential-jews-in-america/article_0f288065-7b64-5f54-94ed-bc8be16e2e3d.html Cleveland Jewish News: "The 30-plus most influential Jews in America"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317121220/http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/the--plus-most-influential-jews-in-america/article_0f288065-7b64-5f54-94ed-bc8be16e2e3d.html |date=March 17, 2016 }} December 27, 2001 on June 9, 1961.{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/112161/Aaron-Sorkin/biography |title= Aaron Sorkin biography |quote= Born: June 9, 1961 |access-date= June 2, 2012 |archive-date= March 11, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140311081819/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/112161/Aaron-Sorkin/biography |work= The New York Times |author= Jason Buchanan |date= 2014 |url-status= dead }} He was raised in the New York suburb of Scarsdale.{{cite news |title=A Troubled Genius |first=Oliver |last= Jones |date=May 28, 2001 |work=Us Weekly | url=http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/000083.html |access-date=January 22, 2007 | archive-date=November 3, 2004| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041103022901/http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/000083.html | url-status = dead }} His mother was a schoolteacher and his father a copyright lawyer who had fought in WWII and went to college on the G.I. Bill; both his older sister and brother went on to become lawyers.{{cite news |title=Sorkin to nest at WBTV |author=Josef Adalian|author2=Michael Schneider |date=July 26, 2000 |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/sorkin-to-nest-at-wbtv-1117784231/ |access-date=September 26, 2008 |quote=Sorkin's association with Warner Bros. follows in the footsteps of his father Bernard, a New York–based copyright expert who started with the studio 40 years ago when it was Warner Bros.-7 Arts. }}{{cite news |title=Parker/Spitzer Interview Aaron Sorkin (video: 3:05 – father: WWII vet & college on G.I. Bill) |url=http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2010/10/04/parker.spitzer.aaron.sorkin.cnn.html |work = CNN |access-date=November 13, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101009092118/http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2010/10/04/parker.spitzer.aaron.sorkin.cnn.html| archive-date= October 9, 2010 | url-status= dead}} His paternal grandfather was one of the founders of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU).{{cite news |title=Awards Watch Roundtable: The Writers part 3 video series |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/awards-watch-roundtable-writers-43426#3 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=November 13, 2010 | first = David | last=Simpson | date=November 10, 2010 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101113023014/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/awards-watch-roundtable-writers-43426| archive-date= November 13, 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Kyle|date=2010-11-11|title=Aaron Sorkin's Four Big Problems With the WGA|url=https://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/11/aaron_sorkin_wga.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113071145/http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/11/aaron_sorkin_wga.html|archive-date=November 13, 2010|access-date=November 13, 2010|work=New York}} He was born after a brother born before him called Daniel died at birth and has referred to himself as the "understudy."{{Cite web |title=Letters From Dad |url=https://ideas.time.com/letters-from-dad/#aaron-sorkin |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=TIME.com |language=en-us}}

Sorkin took an early interest in acting. During childhood, his parents took him to the theatre to see shows such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and That Championship Season.

Sorkin attended Scarsdale High School where he became involved in the drama and theatre club.{{cite web |url=http://patch.com/new-york/scarsdale/aaron-sorkin-to-revisit-scarsdales-social-network |title=Aaron Sorkin to Revisit Scarsdale's 'Social Network' |website=Patch.com |date=May 23, 2011 |first=Kathleen |last=Willcox |access-date=October 24, 2014 |archive-date=October 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024222820/http://patch.com/new-york/scarsdale/aaron-sorkin-to-revisit-scarsdales-social-network |url-status=live }} In the eighth grade, he played General Bullmoose in the musical Li'l Abner. At Scarsdale High, he served as vice president of the drama club in his junior and senior years, and graduated in 1979.{{cite web |url=http://www.scarsdalenews.com/Scarsdale_Inquirer_2011_Archives/SCARSDALE_NEWS_060311-2.html |title=Scarsdale turns out to hear Aaron Sorkin |newspaper=The Scarsdale Inquirer |date=June 6, 2011 |first=Debra |last=Banerjee |access-date=October 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024231420/http://www.scarsdalenews.com/Scarsdale_Inquirer_2011_Archives/SCARSDALE_NEWS_060311-2.html |archive-date=October 24, 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.scarsdalealumni.org/aaron_sorkin_shs_1979 |title=Aaron Sorkin (SHS 1979) |newspaper=Scarsdale Alumni Association |access-date=October 24, 2014 |archive-date=November 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109162726/http://www.scarsdalealumni.org/aaron_sorkin_shs_1979 |url-status=live }}

In 1979, Sorkin attended Syracuse University. In his freshman year, he failed a class that was a core requirement, which caused a setback because he wanted to be an actor, and the drama department did not allow students to take the stage until they completed the core classes. Determined to do better, he returned for his sophomore year, and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre.{{cite book |title=The Creation of the Future: The Role of the American University |author=Frank Harold Trevor Rhodes |date=October 2001 |publisher=Cornell University Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/creationoffutur00rhod/page/75 75–76] |isbn=978-0-8014-3937-7 }} Recalling the influence of theatre teacher Arthur Storch, Sorkin said: "Arthur's reputation as a director, and as a disciple of Lee Strasberg, was a big reason why a lot of us went to S.U. [Syracuse University]... 'You have the capacity to be so much better than you are', he started saying to me in September of my senior year. He was still saying it in May. On the last day of classes, he said it again, and I said, 'How?', and he answered, 'Dare to fail'. I've been coming through on his admonition ever since".{{cite news|last=Vitello|first=Paul|title=Arthur Storch, Stage Director, Dies at 87|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/theater/arthur-storch-theater-director-is-dead-at-87.html|access-date=March 12, 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 10, 2013|archive-date=March 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312130802/http://theater.nytimes.com/2013/03/11/theater/arthur-storch-theater-director-is-dead-at-87.html|url-status=live}}

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| quote = I don't want to analyze myself or anything, but I think, in fact I know this to be true, that I enter the world through what I write. I grew up believing, and continue to believe, that I am a screw-up, that growing up with my family and friends, I had nothing to offer in any conversation. But when I started writing, suddenly there was something that I brought to the party that was at a high-enough level.

| source = —Sorkin on becoming a writer

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Sorkin moved to New York City where he spent much of the 1980s as a struggling, sporadically employed actor who worked odd jobs,{{cite journal|url=http://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1920&context=sumagazine|title=In the Spotlight: Script Sensation|last=Herzog|first=Brad|journal=Syracuse University Magazine|volume=18|issue=2|pages=17–18|date=2001|access-date=May 27, 2014|archive-date=May 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527212131/http://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1920&context=sumagazine|url-status=live}} such as delivering singing telegrams, driving a limousine, touring Alabama with the children's theatre company Traveling Playhouse,{{cite news|author=De Jonge|first=Peter|date=October 28, 2001|title=Aaron Sorkin Works His Way Through the Crisis|work=The New York Times Magazine|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/28/magazine/aaron-sorkin-works-his-way-through-the-crisis.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623091635/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/28/magazine/aaron-sorkin-works-his-way-through-the-crisis.html|archive-date=June 23, 2009}} handing out flyers promoting a hunting-and-fishing show, and bartending at Broadway's Palace Theatre.{{cite web|title=Encounter with Peter Krause |author=Ernio Hernandez |url=http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/87365.html |work=Playbill |access-date=December 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114040244/http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/87365.html |archive-date=January 14, 2009 }} One weekend, while house-sitting for a friend, he found a typewriter, started typing, and "felt a phenomenal confidence and a kind of joy that [he] had never experienced before in [his] life".

He continued writing and eventually put together his first play, Removing All Doubt, which he sent to his former theatre teacher, Arthur Storch, who was impressed. In 1984, Removing All Doubt was staged for drama students at his alma mater, Syracuse University. After that, he wrote Hidden in This Picture which debuted off-off-Broadway at Steve Olsen's West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theatre Bar in New York City in 1988. The quality of his first two plays earned him a theatrical agent.{{cite web|author=Weiss|first=Valerie|date=December 2003|title=Three days, 15 seminars, one great experience|url=http://www.imaginenews.com/Archive/2003/DEC_2003/01_FEATURES/12_THREE_DAYS.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061220170153/http://www.imaginenews.com/Archive/2003/DEC_2003/01_FEATURES/12_THREE_DAYS.html|archive-date=December 20, 2006|access-date=January 12, 2007|website=ImagineNews.com|df=mdy-all}} Producer John A. McQuiggan saw the production of Hidden in This Picture and commissioned Sorkin to turn the one-act into a full-length play called Making Movies.

Sorkin was inspired to write his next play, a courtroom drama called A Few Good Men, from a phone conversation with his sister Deborah, who had graduated from Boston University Law School and signed up for a three-year stint with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps. Deborah told Sorkin that she was going to Guantanamo Bay to defend a group of Marines who came close to killing a fellow Marine in a hazing ordered by a superior officer.{{cite web|last=Glaberson|first=William|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/16/nyregion/4-lawyers-claim-to-be-the-hero-in-a-few-good-men.html|title=4 lawyers claim to be the hero in a few good men|work=The New York Times|date=September 15, 2011|access-date=August 9, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612210455/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/16/nyregion/4-lawyers-claim-to-be-the-hero-in-a-few-good-men.html|url-status=live}} Sorkin took that information and wrote much of his story on cocktail napkins while bartending at the Palace Theatre.{{cite web |title=A Few Good Men London theatre tickets and information |website=ThisIsTheatre.com |url=http://www.thisistheatre.com/londonshows/afewgoodmen.html |access-date=January 22, 2007 |archive-date=June 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608152053/http://www.thisistheatre.com/londonshows/afewgoodmen.html |url-status=live }} When he returned home, he would transcribe the story and notes onto the computer, forming a basis from which he wrote many drafts for A Few Good Men.{{cite interview|last=Sorkin|first=Aaron|interviewer=Charlie Rose|title=About the Show, Aaron Sorkin|url=http://westwing.bewarne.com/credits/sorkin.html|work=The Charlie Rose Show|location=New York City|date=August 13, 2003|access-date=January 24, 2007|archive-date=July 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716023731/http://westwing.bewarne.com/credits/sorkin.html|url-status=live}}

In 1988, Sorkin sold the film rights for A Few Good Men to producer David Brown before it premiered, in a deal that was reportedly "well into six figures".{{cite news|author=Henry III|first=William A.|date=November 27, 1989|title=Marine Life|magazine=Time|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959129,00.html|url-status=dead|access-date=January 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724195329/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959129,00.html|archive-date=July 24, 2011}} Brown had read an article in The New York Times about Sorkin's one-act play Hidden in This Picture, and found out Sorkin had a play called A Few Good Men that was having Off Broadway readings. Brown produced A Few Good Men on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre. It starred Tom Hulce and was directed by Don Scardino. After opening in late 1989, it ran for 497 performances.{{cite news|author=Hernandez|first=Ernio|date=June 18, 2004|title=Aaron Sorkin Working on A Few Good Men for London and New Play for Dublin's Abbey|work=Playbill|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/86900.html|url-status=dead|access-date=January 20, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180614/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/86900.html|archive-date=September 30, 2007}} Sorkin continued writing Making Movies and in 1990 it debuted Off-Broadway at the Promenade Theatre, produced by John A. McQuiggan, and again directed by Don Scardino. Meanwhile, Brown was producing for TriStar Pictures, and tried to interest them in adapting A Few Good Men into a film, but his proposal was declined due to the lack of star actor involvement. Brown later received a phone call from Alan Horn at Castle Rock Entertainment who was eager to make the film. Rob Reiner, a Castle Rock producing partner, opted to direct.{{cite book |title=Movie Moguls Speak: Interviews with Top Film Producers |last=Prigge |first=Steven |date=October 2004 |publisher=McFarland & Company |pages=12–13 |isbn=978-0-7864-1929-6}}

Image:A Few Good Men at Haymarket Theatre London.jpg on August 31, 2005.]]

Sorkin worked under contract for Castle Rock Entertainment,{{cite news|author=Weinraub|first=Bernard|date=December 6, 1992|title=Rob Reiner's March To 'A Few Good Men'|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/06/movies/film-rob-reiner-s-march-to-a-few-good-men.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108100935/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/06/movies/film-rob-reiner-s-march-to-a-few-good-men.html|archive-date=November 8, 2012}} where he befriended colleagues William Goldman and Rob Reiner, and met his future wife Julia Bingham, who was one of Castle Rock's business affairs lawyers.{{cite news|author=Goldstein|first=Patrick|date=October 10, 1999|title=On a Wing and a Prayer|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-10-ca-20753-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002040237/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/oct/10/entertainment/ca-20753|archive-date=October 2, 2008}} Sorkin wrote several drafts of the script for A Few Good Men in his Manhattan apartment, learning the craft from a book about screenplay format. He then spent several months at the Los Angeles offices of Castle Rock, working on the script with director Rob Reiner. William Goldman (who regularly worked under contract at Castle Rock) became his mentor and helped him to adapt his stage play into a screenplay.{{cite interview|last=Sorkin |first=Aaron |interviewer=Katie Couric |work=The Today Show |publisher=NBC |location=New York |date=May 22, 2002 |url=http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/000124.html |title=Aaron Sorkin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512103730/http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/000124.html |archive-date=May 12, 2006 }} The film, directed by Reiner, starred Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon, and was produced by Brown. A Few Good Men was released in 1992 and was a box office success, grossing $243 million worldwide.{{cite web|author=Buchanan|first=Jason|title=Aaron Sorkin Biography|url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/aaron-sorkin-p112161|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104223006/http://www.allmovie.com/artist/aaron-sorkin-p112161|archive-date=January 4, 2015|access-date=October 27, 2014|website=AllMovie}}{{Cite web|title=A Few Good Men|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1666418177/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=Box Office Mojo|archive-date=August 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827195004/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1666418177/|url-status=live}}

Goldman also approached Sorkin with a story premise, which Sorkin developed into the script for the thriller Malice. Goldman oversaw the project as creative consultant while Sorkin wrote the first two drafts. However, he had to leave the project to finish the script for A Few Good Men, so screenwriter Scott Frank stepped in and wrote two drafts of the Malice screenplay. When production on A Few Good Men was completed, Sorkin resumed working on Malice right through the final shooting script.{{Cite web|last=Sharf|first=Zack|date=2017-11-09|title=Aaron Sorkin Was Pushed to Write a 'Steamy' Sexy Scene for Nicole Kidman in 'Malice' and Refused|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/11/aaron-sorkin-refused-write-sex-scene-nicole-kidman-malice-1201895641/|access-date=2020-10-18|website=IndieWire|language=en}} Harold Becker directed the 1993 thriller, which starred Nicole Kidman and Alec Baldwin. Malice had mixed reviews; Vincent Canby in The New York Times described the film as "deviously entertaining from its start through its finish".{{cite news|author=Canby|first=Vincent|author-link=Vincent Canby|date=October 1, 1993|title=Reviews/ Film; An Idyll Shattered By Rape and Murder|work=The New York Times|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CEEDD103CF932A35753C1A965958260|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223073303/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F0CEEDD103CF932A35753C1A965958260|archive-date=February 23, 2012}} Critic Roger Ebert gave it 2 out of 4 stars,{{cite news|author=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|date=October 1, 1993|title=Malice|work=Chicago Sun-Times|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19931001/REVIEWS/310010306/1023|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101201618/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19931001%2FREVIEWS%2F310010306%2F1023|archive-date=January 1, 2009}} and Peter Travers in a 2000 Rolling Stone review summarized it as having "suspense but no staying power".{{cite news|author=Travers|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Travers|date=December 8, 2000|title=Malice|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/malice-19931001|url-status=live|access-date=March 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628215235/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/malice-19931001|archive-date=June 28, 2011|quote=Malice is way out of that classy league. It's got suspense but no staying power.}}

Sorkin's last screenplay under Castle Rock was The American President; once again he worked with William Goldman who served as a creative consultant.{{cite news|author=Forrest|first=Emma|date=May 2, 2002|title=Words fly down the halls of power|work=The Age|location=Melbourne|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/05/02/1019441403137.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 12, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070118234722/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/05/02/1019441403137.html|archive-date=January 18, 2007}} It took Sorkin several years to write the screenplay for The American President, which started off at 385-pages; it was eventually reduced to a standard shooting script of around 120 pages.{{cite news |title=Aaron Sorkin is a man of many words |first=John | last=Levesque |date=March 7, 2000 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/tv/sork07.shtml |access-date=January 10, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101019144914/http://www.seattlepi.com/tv/sork07.shtml | archive-date= October 19, 2010}} The film, also directed by Reiner, was critically acclaimed; Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described it as "genial and entertaining if not notably inspired", and believed its most interesting aspects were the "pipe dreams about the American political system and where it could theoretically be headed".{{cite news|author=Turan|first=Kenneth|date=November 17, 1995|title=The American President: Boy Meets Girl, Brings Along Secret Service 'The American President' is a sentimental fantasy, mixing romance|work=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie960406-46,0,1355383.story|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616233728/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie960406-46%2C0%2C1355383.story|archive-date=June 16, 2008|df=mdy}} A Few Good Men, Malice and The American President grossed approximately $400 million worldwide.

In the second half of the 1990s, Sorkin worked as a script doctor. He wrote some quips for Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage in 1996's The Rock. He worked on Excess Baggage, a 1997 comedy about a girl who stages her own kidnapping to get her father's attention, and rewrote some of Will Smith's scenes in Enemy of the State.{{cite book|author=Sorkin|first=Aaron|title=The West Wing Script Book|date=July 2002|publisher=Newmarket Press|isbn=978-1-55704-549-2}} Sorkin collaborated with Warren Beatty on several scripts, one of which was 1998's Bulworth. Beatty, known for occasionally personally financing his film projects through pre-production, also hired Sorkin to rewrite a script titled Ocean of Storms which never went into production. At one point, Sorkin sued Beatty for proper compensation for his work on the Ocean of Storms script; once the matter was settled, he resumed working on the script.{{cite book|author=Bart|first=Peter|title=The Gross: The Hits, the Flops: The Summer That Ate Hollywood|date=February 21, 2000|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|isbn=978-0-312-25391-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/grosshitsflopssu00bart/page/95 95–96]|author-link=Peter Bart}}{{cite journal|author=Biskind|first=Peter|author-link=Peter Biskind|date=March 2006|title=Thunder on the Left: The Making of Reds|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2006/03/reds200603|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008091954/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2006/03/reds200603|archive-date=October 8, 2014|access-date=April 17, 2020|journal=Vanity Fair}}{{cite news|author=Petrikin|first=Chris|date=September 1, 1997|title=Beatty's bete noir? scribe makes waves over 'Ocean.'|work=Variety}}{{cite news|author=Goldstein|first=Patrick|date=May 3, 1998|title=Hanging With Warren B|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-03-ca-45719-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107154625/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/03/entertainment/ca-45719|archive-date=January 7, 2009}}

Sorkin conceived the idea to write about the behind-the-scenes happenings on a sports show while residing at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles writing the screenplay for The American President.{{cite web|date=January 1, 2001|title=Interview with Aaron Sorkin: Creator and Executive Producer of "Sports Night" and "The West Wing"|url=http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/000043.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321083324/http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/000043.html|archive-date=March 21, 2007|access-date=January 10, 2007|publisher=Comedy Central.com}} He would work late, with the television tuned into ESPN, watching continuous replays of SportsCenter.{{cite news|author=Levesque|first=John|date=October 13, 1998|title=Quality of 'Sports Night' no Laughing Matter|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}} The show inspired him to try to write a feature film about a sports show but he was unable to structure the story for film, so instead he turned his idea into a television comedy series.{{cite web|author=Jeff Merron|date=November 12, 2002|title=Keeping it real on 'Sports Night'|url=https://www.espn.com/page2/s/merron/021112.html|access-date=December 25, 2010|work=ESPN|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173552/http://espn.go.com/page2/s/merron/021112.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|author=Richard Firstman|title=Their Championship Season: In the Dugout with the MVPs of Sports Night|work=TV Guide|url=http://sportsnight.tktv.net/tvguide3.23.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 19, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621212629/http://sportsnight.tktv.net/tvguide3.23.html|archive-date=June 21, 2007|df=mdy}} Sports Night was produced by Disney and debuted on the ABC network in fall of 1998.{{cite news|author=Bark|first=Ed|date=March 10, 1999|title=Huffman is game for 'Sports Night', but is ABC?|work=Dallas Morning News|url=http://www.felicity-huffman.com/articles.php?subaction=showcomments&id=921119214&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&|url-status=dead|access-date=January 28, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928164604/http://www.felicity-huffman.com/articles.php?subaction=showcomments&id=921119214&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&|archive-date=September 28, 2007|df=mdy}}

Sorkin fought with ABC during the first season over the use of a laugh track and a live studio audience. The laugh track was widely decried by critics as jarring, with Joyce Millman of Salon magazine describing it as "the most unconvincing laugh track you've ever heard".{{cite magazine|author=Flint|first=Joe|date=September 25, 1998|title=A Laugh Riot|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|url=https://ew.com/article/1998/09/25/laugh-tracks-use-or-not-use/|url-status=live|access-date=January 25, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119094540/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,284963,00.html|archive-date=November 19, 2008}}{{cite news|author=Millman|first=Joyce|date=February 22, 1999|title=Why are "Dilbert" and "Sports Night" like a day at the office? Because watching them is a grind|website=Salon|url=http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/mill/1999/02/22mill.html|url-status=dead|access-date=December 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114072243/http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/mill/1999/02/22mill.html|archive-date=January 14, 2009}} Sorkin commented that: "Once you do shoot in front of a live audience, you have no choice but to use the laugh track. Oftentimes [enhancing the laughs] is the right thing to do. Sometimes you do need a cymbal crash. Other times, it alienates me." The laugh track was gradually dialed down and was removed by the end of the first season.{{cite news|author=Owen|first=Rob|date=March 18, 1999|title=Redundant 'Sports Night' loses its momentum|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|publisher=PG Publishing|url=http://www.postgazette.com/tv/19990318owen6a.asp|url-status=dead|access-date=January 25, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518163219/http://www.postgazette.com/tv/19990318owen6a.asp|archive-date=May 18, 2011}} Sorkin was triumphant in the second season when ABC agreed to his demands, unburdening the crew of the difficulties of staging a scene for a live audience and leaving the cast with more time to rehearse. Although Sports Night was critically acclaimed, ABC canceled the show after two seasons due to low ratings.{{cite news|author=Owen|first=Rob|date=October 1, 2000|title=Networks are slower to cancel TV series, but viewers are still wary|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|publisher=PG Publishing|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20001001cancel4.asp|url-status=live|access-date=October 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522100432/http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20001001cancel4.asp|archive-date=May 22, 2011}}{{cite news|author=Rosenberg|first=Howard|date=December 6, 1999|title=News at 9:30: Reprieve for Witty 'Sports Night'|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-06-ca-40968-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105033259/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/dec/06/entertainment/ca-40968|archive-date=January 5, 2016}} Sorkin entertained offers to continue the show on other television channels, but declined all the offers because they were dependent on his involvement and he was already working on The West Wing.

{{quote box

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| quote = Stockard Channing had done an episode of the show as the First Lady ... She took me out to lunch and said she really liked doing the show and wanted to do more and started asking me questions like, "Who do you think this character is?" And those aren't questions I can answer. [As a writer] I can only answer, what do they want?

| source = —Sorkin on creating characters

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}}

Sorkin conceived the political drama The West Wing in 1997 when he went unprepared to a lunch with producer John Wells; in a panic he pitched to Wells a series centered on the senior staff of the White House, using leftover ideas from his script for The American President.{{cite web|author=Miller|first=Matthew|date=March 1, 2000|title=The Real White House|url=http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/2000_03.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313170253/http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/2000_03.html|archive-date=March 13, 2007|access-date=January 18, 2007|publisher=Brill's Content}} He told Wells about his visits to the White House while doing research for The American President, and they found themselves discussing public service and the passion of the people who serve. Wells took the concept and pitched it to NBC, but was told to wait due to the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal. There was a concern that television audiences would not be able to take a series about the White House seriously.{{cite web|title=Pilot episode|url=http://www.westwingepguide.com/S1/Episodes/1_PILOT.html|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070122122105/http://www.westwingepguide.com/S1/Episodes/1_PILOT.html|archive-date=January 22, 2007|access-date=January 23, 2007|publisher=The West Wing Episode Guide}} A year later, other networks started showing interest in The West Wing. NBC decided to give the project the green-light despite their previous reluctance. The pilot debuted in the fall of 1999 and was produced by Warner Bros. Television.

The West Wing garnered nine Primetime Emmy Awards for its debut season, making the series a record holder for most Emmys won by a series in a single season at the time.{{cite news|date=May 15, 2006|title=West Wing ends seven-year TV run|work=BBC News Online|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4768639.stm|access-date=February 19, 2009|archive-date=May 12, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512181558/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4768639.stm|url-status=live}} Following the awards ceremony, there was a dispute about the acceptance speech for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. The West Wing episode "In Excelsis Deo" won, which was awarded to Sorkin and Rick Cleveland, but The New York Times reported that Sorkin ushered Cleveland off the stage before he could say a few words.{{cite news|author=Weinraub|first=Bernard|date=June 26, 2001|title='West Wing' Producer, a Union Leader, Rules Out Writers' Raises|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/26/arts/west-wing-producer-a-union-leader-rules-out-writers-raises.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 5, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818021438/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/26/arts/west-wing-producer-a-union-leader-rules-out-writers-raises.html|archive-date=August 18, 2009}} The story behind "In Excelsis Deo" is based on Cleveland's father, a Korean War veteran who spent the last years of his life on the street, as Cleveland explained in an essay titled "I Was the Dumb Looking Guy with the Wire-Rimmed Glasses".{{cite web|author=Cleveland|first=Rick|title=I Was the Dumb Looking Guy with the Wire-Rimmed Glasses|url=http://www.freshyarn.com/10/essays/cleveland_iwas.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211172121/http://www.freshyarn.com/10/essays/cleveland_iwas.htm|archive-date=February 11, 2007|access-date=January 17, 2007|website=FreshYarn.com}} Sorkin and Cleveland continued their dispute in a public web forum at Mighty Big TV in which Sorkin explained that he gives his writers "Story By" credit on a rotating basis "by way of a gratuity" and that he had thrown out Cleveland's script and started from scratch.{{cite news|author=Kaus|first=Mickey|date=July 3, 2001|title=West Wing Web War!|website=Slate.com|url=http://www.slate.com/id/1007932/|url-status=live|access-date=January 17, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208233205/http://www.slate.com/id/1007932/|archive-date=February 8, 2007}} Sorkin eventually apologized to Cleveland.{{cite web|title=In Excelsis Deo|url=http://www.westwingepguide.com/S1/Episodes/10_IED.html|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109190429/http://www.westwingepguide.com/S1/Episodes/10_IED.html|archive-date=January 9, 2007|access-date=January 17, 2007|publisher=The West Wing Episode Guide}} Cleveland and Sorkin also won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama at the 53rd Writer Guild of America Awards for "In Excelsis Deo".{{cite web|year=2010|title=Writers Guild Awards Winners|url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525050852/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517|archive-date=May 25, 2012|access-date=April 15, 2010|publisher=WGA}}

In 2001, after completing the second season of The West Wing, Sorkin had a drug relapse, and was arrested at Hollywood Burbank Airport for possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana, and crack cocaine. He was ordered by a court to attend a drug diversion program. There was huge media interest but he did make a successful recovery. In 2002, Sorkin criticized NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw's television special about a day in the life of a president, "The Bush White House: Inside the Real West Wing", comparing it to the act of sending a valentine to President George W. Bush instead of real news reporting.{{cite news|last=Friend|first=Tad|date=February 25, 2002|title=West Wing Watch: Snookered by Bush|magazine=The New Yorker|url=https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2002/03/04/020304ta_talk_friend|url-status=live|access-date=January 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022052122/http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2002/03/04/020304ta_talk_friend|archive-date=October 22, 2007}} The West Wing aired on the same network, and so at the request of NBC's Entertainment President Jeff Zucker, Sorkin apologized, but later said, "there should be a difference between what NBC News does and what The West Wing TV series does."{{cite news|author=Elber|first=Lynn|date=March 5, 2002|title='West Wing' Creator Defends Comments|work=Midland Daily News|agency=Associated Press|url=http://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/West-Wing-Creator-Defends-Comments-7092823.php|url-status=live|access-date=November 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111063932/http://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/West-Wing-Creator-Defends-Comments-7092823.php|archive-date=November 11, 2016}}{{cite book|last=Dickenson|first=Ben|url=https://archive.org/details/hollywoodsnewrad00dick|title=Hollywood's New Radicalism: War, Globalisation and the Movies from Reagan to George W. Bush|date=March 3, 2006|publisher=I. B. Tauris|isbn=978-1-84511-103-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/hollywoodsnewrad00dick/page/n127 111]–112|url-access=limited}}

Sorkin wrote 87 screenplays for The West Wing, which is nearly every episode during the show's first four Emmy-winning seasons.{{cite news|author=Richmond|first=Ray|author-link=Ray Richmond|date=May 12, 2006|title=Finale: 'West Wing'|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/finale-west-wing-138330|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628033009/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/finale-west-wing-138330|archive-date=June 28, 2012}} Sorkin described his role in the creative process as "not so much [that of] a showrunner or a producer. I'm really a writer." He admitted that this approach can have its drawbacks, saying "Out of 88 [West Wing] episodes that I did we were on time and on budget never, not once." In 2003, at the end of the fourth season, Sorkin and fellow executive producer Thomas Schlamme left the show due to internal conflicts at Warner Bros. Television, causing John Wells to serve as showrunner.{{cite news|author=Adalian|first=Josef|date=May 1, 2003|title=Sorkin sulking away from 'Wing'|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2003/scene/markets-festivals/sorkin-sulking-away-from-wing-1117885506/|access-date=January 14, 2007}}{{cite news|author=Wallenstein|first=Andrew|date=October 15, 2005|title=Sorkin back at NBC with 'Studio' deal NBC gets Sorkin show|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001306595|url-status=dead|access-date=January 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930235330/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001306595|archive-date=September 30, 2007}} Sorkin never watched any episodes beyond his writing tenure apart from a minute of the fifth season's first episode, describing the experience as "like watching somebody make out with my girlfriend."{{cite news|last=Harris|first=Mark|date=June 16, 2012|title=TV's Best Talker: Aaron Sorkin on The Newsroom, Sorkinism, and Sounding Smart|work=Vulture|url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/06/aaron-sorkin-newsroom-interview.html|access-date=January 24, 2012|archive-date=June 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618023233/http://www.vulture.com/2012/06/aaron-sorkin-newsroom-interview.html|url-status=live}} Sorkin later returned in the series finale for a cameo appearance as a guest at the inauguration of Matthew Santos.

Image:Aaron Sorkin at the Music Box Theatre in 2007.jpg, November 2007]]

In 2005, Sorkin returned to theatre; he revised his play A Few Good Men for a production at London's West End. The play opened at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the fall of the same year and was directed by David Esbjornson, with Rob Lowe of The West Wing in the lead role.{{cite news|author=Fleming|first=Michael|date=April 24, 2005|title=West End boys club|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2005/legit/markets-festivals/west-end-boys-club-1117921624/|access-date=January 10, 2007}} Sorkin told The Charlie Rose Show that he was developing a television series based on a late-night sketch comedy show similar to Saturday Night Live.{{cite news|author=Scott Hettrick|date=September 11, 2003|title=Inside Move: Sorkin scripting play, pic|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/inside-move-sorkin-scripting-play-pic-1117892324/|access-date=January 14, 2007}} In October 2005, a pilot script dubbed Studio 7 on the Sunset Strip, written by him and Schlamme as producer, started circulating in Hollywood and online. In that same month, NBC bought the rights from Warner Bros. Television to air the series on their network for a near-record license fee after a bidding war with CBS.{{cite news|author=Adalian|first=Josef|date=October 14, 2005|title=Peacock on 'Studio' beat|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2005/scene/markets-festivals/peacock-on-studio-beat-1117931024/|access-date=January 21, 2007}} The show's name was later changed to Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Sorkin described the show as having "autobiographical elements" to it and "characters that are based on actual people" but said that it departs from those beginnings to look at the backstage maneuverings at a late night sketch comedy show.{{cite news|author=Young|first=Kevin|date=August 27, 2006|title=Sorkin turns his attention to TV|work=BBC News Online|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5290474.stm|url-status=live|access-date=January 21, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307083525/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5290474.stm|archive-date=March 7, 2008}}

On September 18, 2006, the pilot for Studio 60 aired on NBC, directed by Schlamme. The pilot was critically acclaimed and viewed by an audience of over 12 million, but the show experienced a significant drop in viewership mid-season. Even before the first episode aired, there was a large amount of thoughtful and scrupulous criticism in the press, as well as negative analysis from bloggers.{{cite news|author=Goldstein|first=Patrick|date=July 17, 2007|title=Sorkin takes the blame for '60'|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-17-et-goldstein17-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107185945/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jul/17/entertainment/et-goldstein17|archive-date=January 7, 2009}} In January 2007, Sorkin spoke out against the press for reporting heavily on the low ratings, and for using blogs and unemployed comedy writers as sources.{{cite news|author=Ryan|first=Maureen|date=January 19, 2007|title=Aaron Sorkin speaks about 'Studio 60,' the press and those pesky bloggers|work=Chicago Tribune|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/01/aaron_sorkin_sp.html|url-status=live|access-date=February 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411093119/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/01/aaron_sorkin_sp.html|archive-date=April 11, 2008}} After two months hiatus, Studio 60 resumed airing the last episodes of season one, which would be its only season.{{Cite web|last=Ayers|first=Mike|date=2012-03-21|title=Amanda Peet returns to television|url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/showbiz/tv/amanda-peet-tv-bent/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308001502/http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/showbiz/tv/amanda-peet-tv-bent/index.html|archive-date=March 8, 2016|access-date=2020-09-25|website=CNN}}

As early as 2003, Sorkin was writing a spec script about inventor Philo Farnsworth; he was approached by producer Fred Zollo in the 1990s about adapting Elma Farnsworth's memoir into a biographical film.{{cite news|author=Archerd|first=Army|date=October 29, 2003|title=Inside 'The Alamo'|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/columns/inside-the-alamo-1117894813/|access-date=January 23, 2007}} The following year, he completed the film screenplay, The Farnsworth Invention, which was acquired by New Line Cinema with Schlamme as director. The story is about the patent battle between Farnsworth and RCA tycoon David Sarnoff for the technology that allowed the first television transmissions in the United States.{{cite press release|title=New Line Cinema acquires Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention, taps Thomas Schlamme to direct|date=April 28, 2004|publisher=New Line Cinema|url=http://www.newline.com/press/2004/0428_farnsworth.shtml|access-date=January 21, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070117144245/http://www.newline.com/press/2004/0428_farnsworth.shtml|archive-date=January 17, 2007|url-status=live}} No additional details were released about the film. Shortly, Sorkin was contacted by Jocelyn Clarke of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, requesting he write a play for them, a commission which he accepted.{{cite news|author=Fricker|first=Karen|date=February 5, 2006|title='Farnsworth' fumble: Abbey drops ball on Sorkin commission|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2006/legit/news/farnsworth-fumble-1117937383/|access-date=September 26, 2008}} Sorkin decided to rewrite The Farnsworth Invention as a play. He delivered a first draft of the play to the Abbey Theatre in early 2005, and a production was planned for 2007 with La Jolla Playhouse deciding to stage a workshop production of the play in collaboration with the Abbey Theatre. In 2006, Abbey Theatre's new management quit involvement with The Farnsworth Invention. Despite this, La Jolla Playhouse carried on with Steven Spielberg serving as a producer.{{cite news|author=Carter|first=Bill|date=September 11, 2006|title='West Wing' to West Coast: TV's Auteur Portrays TV|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/arts/television/11sork.html|url-status=live|access-date=February 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925220425/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/11/arts/television/11sork.html|archive-date=September 25, 2020|quote=Mr. Sorkin's new play, "The Farnsworth Invention," based on the struggle of Philo T. Farnsworth to win recognition for his invention—television again—will begin rehearsals at the La Jolla Playhouse. Steven Spielberg is making his theatrical producing debut.}} The production opened under La Jolla's signature Page To Stage program which allowed Sorkin and director Des McAnuff to develop the play from show-to-show according to audience reactions and feedback; the play ran from February 20, 2007, through March 25, 2007.{{cite news|author=BWW News Desk|date=December 15, 2006|title=Sorkin and McAnuff Collaborate on LaJolla's 'Invention'|publisher=BroadwayWorld.com|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Sorkin_and_McAnuff_Collaborate_on_LaJollas_Invention_20061215|access-date=January 2, 2007|archive-date=January 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111130242/http://broadwayworld.com/article/Sorkin_and_McAnuff_Collaborate_on_LaJollas_Invention_20061215|url-status=live}}{{cite news|author=BWW News Desk|date=July 25, 2007|title=Azaria & Simpson Set for Farnsworth Invention; Opens 11/14|publisher=BroadwayWorld.com|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Azaria_Simpson_Set_for_Farnsworth_Invention_Opens_1114_20070725|access-date=October 24, 2008|archive-date=January 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111130051/http://broadwayworld.com/article/Azaria_Simpson_Set_for_Farnsworth_Invention_Opens_1114_20070725|url-status=live}} A Broadway production followed soon after, beginning in previews, and opening on November 14, 2007; however, the play was delayed by the 2007 Broadway stagehand strike.{{cite web|date=June 21, 2007|title=Aaron Sorkin's Farnsworth Invention to Open on Broadway in November|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109037.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626121651/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/109037.html|archive-date=June 26, 2007|access-date=June 22, 2007|work=Playbill}}{{cite news|author=Cox|first=Gordon|date=November 10, 2007|title='Invention' sparks reinvention: Sorkin's former movie pitch hits Broadway|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2007/legit/news/invention-sparks-reinvention-1117975689/|url-status=live|access-date=November 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211220948/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117975689.html?categoryid=2524&cs=1|archive-date=December 11, 2007}} The Farnsworth Invention eventually opened at the Music Box Theatre on December 3, 2007, and closed on March 2, 2008.{{cite news|author=Gans|first=Andrew|date=November 28, 2007|title=It's Over! Labor Dispute Resolved as Stagehands Strike Ends|work=Playbill|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113114.html|url-status=dead|access-date=September 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130060249/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113114.html|archive-date=November 30, 2007}}{{cite news|author=Gans|first1=Andrew|last2=Hernandez|first2=Ernio|date=March 2, 2008|title=Farnsworth Invention Ends Broadway Run March 2|work=Playbill|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115494.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114040339/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115494.html|archive-date=January 14, 2009}}

File:Aaron Sorkin.jpg at the Screenwriting Expo, 2008|alt=|left]]

In 2004, Sorkin was commissioned by Universal Pictures to adapt George Crile's non-fiction book Charlie Wilson's War for Tom Hanks' production company Playtone.{{cite news|author=Fleming|first=Michael|date=June 17, 2004|title=Sorkin goes from White House to front line: Playtone partners Hanks, Goetzman to produce 'War'|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/sorkin-goes-from-white-house-to-front-line-1117906666/|access-date=January 23, 2007}} The biographical comedy, Charlie Wilson's War, is about the colorful Texas congressman Charlie Wilson who funded the CIA's secret war against the former Soviet Union in Afghanistan.{{cite news|author=Fleming|first=Michael|date=July 20, 2003|title=Playtone goes to 'War' with U: Hanks to play former Texas congressman Wilson|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/markets-festivals/playtone-goes-to-war-with-u-1117889616/|access-date=January 23, 2007}} Directed by Mike Nichols, and written by Sorkin, the film was released in 2007 and starred Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman.{{cite news|author=Martin A.|first=Grove|date=January 12, 2007|title=Holiday weekends will drive 2007 boxoffice|work=The Hollywood Reporter|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/holiday-weekends-will-drive-2007-127888|url-status=live|access-date=January 23, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105112958/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/holiday-weekends-will-drive-2007-127888|archive-date=November 5, 2013}} The film earned five nominations at the Golden Globes, including Best Screenplay for Sorkin.{{Cite web|title=Winners & Nominees 2008|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/2008/all|access-date=2020-10-26|website=www.goldenglobes.com|language=en|archive-date=May 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518194825/https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/2008/all|url-status=dead}}

In August 2008, Sorkin announced that he had agreed to write a script for Sony Pictures and producer Scott Rudin about the beginnings of Facebook.{{cite news|author=Guynn|first=Jessica|date=August 28, 2008|title=Coming soon: 'Facebook: The Movie'?|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-techblog28-2008aug28,0,4670260.story|url-status=live|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020053604/http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-techblog28-2008aug28,0,4670260.story|archive-date=October 20, 2008}} David Fincher's The Social Network, based on Ben Mezrich's non fiction book The Accidental Billionaires, was released on October 1, 2010. It was a critical and commercial success; Sorkin won an Academy Award, BAFTA and a Golden Globe for the screenplay.{{Cite web|title=The 83rd Academy Awards {{!}} 2011|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2011|access-date=2020-09-24|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 7, 2014 |language=en|archive-date=March 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318133653/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2011|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=2011 Film Adapted Screenplay {{!}} BAFTA Awards|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2011/film/adapted-screenplay|access-date=2020-09-24|website=awards.bafta.org|archive-date=March 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325044248/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2011/film/adapted-screenplay|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Aaron Sorkin|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/aaron-sorkin|access-date=2020-09-24|website=www.goldenglobes.com|language=en|archive-date=March 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328051741/https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/aaron-sorkin|url-status=live}}

A year later, Sorkin received nominations in the same award categories for co-writing Moneyball.{{Cite web|title=The 84th Academy Awards {{!}} 2012|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2012|access-date=2020-09-24|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 7, 2014 |language=en|archive-date=April 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417095424/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2012|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=2012 Film Adapted Screenplay {{!}} BAFTA Awards|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2012/film/adapted-screenplay|access-date=2020-09-24|website=awards.bafta.org|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324214421/http://awards.bafta.org/award/2012/film/adapted-screenplay|url-status=live}} It is based on Michael Lewis's 2003 non-fiction book of the same name, an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to assemble a competitive team. The film was directed by Bennett Miller, and starred Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the script "dynamite", in which Sorkin's "sharply witty touch is everywhere".{{Cite magazine|last=Travers|first=Peter|date=2011-09-22|title=Moneyball|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/moneyball-118741/|access-date=2020-10-26|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}

In 2011, Sorkin played himself on the series 30 Rock, episode "Plan B", where he did a "walk and talk" with Liz Lemon played by Tina Fey.{{Cite web|last=Forcella|first=Dan|date=2011-03-18|title=30 Rock Review: "Queen of Jordan"|url=https://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/03/30-rock-review-queen-of-jordan/|access-date=2020-09-25|website=TV Fanatic|language=en|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220053/http://www.tvfanatic.com/2011/03/30-rock-review-queen-of-jordan/|url-status=live}} While still working on the screenplay for The Social Network, Sorkin was contemplating a television drama about the behind-the-scenes events at a cable news program.{{cite magazine|last=Rice|first=Lynette|date=April 10, 2009|title=Aaron Sorkin: Come back to TV!|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/04/10/sure-well-watch/|access-date=December 22, 2011|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-date=December 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207081447/http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/04/10/sure-well-watch/|url-status=live}} Talks had been ongoing between Sorkin and HBO since 2010.{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=January 23, 2011|title=Aaron Sorkin's Cable News Network Project Awaits Greenlight At HBO|url=https://deadline.com/2011/01/aaron-sorkins-cable-news-network-project-awaits-green-light-at-hbo-99508/|access-date=December 23, 2011|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=October 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025142957/http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/aaron-sorkins-cable-news-network-project-awaits-green-light-at-hbo/|url-status=live}} To research the news industry, Sorkin observed the production crew at MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and quizzed Parker Spitzer{{'}}s staff.{{cite web|last=Weprin|first=Alex|date=January 24, 2011|title=Aaron Sorkin's Next TV Show Tackling Cable News|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/aaron-sorkins-next-tv-show-tackling-cable-news_b49637#more-49637|access-date=December 22, 2011|publisher=TV Newser|archive-date=January 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108133335/http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/aaron-sorkins-next-tv-show-tackling-cable-news_b49637#more-49637|url-status=live}} He also spent time shadowing Hardball with Chris Matthews, as well as other programs on Fox News and CNN.{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=January 28, 2011|title=Aaron Sorkin's Cable News Drama Is A Go At HBO With Pilot Order, Scott Rudin Producing|url=https://deadline.com/2011/01/aaron-sorkins-cable-news-drama-is-a-go-at-hbo-with-pilot-order-101355/|access-date=December 22, 2011|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=January 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105193436/http://www.deadline.com/2011/01/aaron-sorkins-cable-news-drama-is-a-go-at-hbo-with-pilot-order/|url-status=live}} Sorkin told TV Guide that he intended to take a less cynical view of the media: "They're going to be trying to do well in a context where it's very difficult to do well when there are commercial concerns and political concerns and corporate concerns."{{cite web|last=Huver|first=Scott|date=February 1, 2011|title=Aaron Sorkin Teases Details on His New HBO Pilot|url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/Aaron-Sorkin-Teases-1028756.aspx|access-date=December 22, 2011|work=TV Guide|archive-date=January 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109141217/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Aaron-Sorkin-Teases-1028756.aspx|url-status=live}} Sorkin decided that rather than have his characters react to fictional news events as on his earlier series, it would be set in the recent past and track real-world stories largely as they unfolded, to give a greater sense of realism.{{cite web|last=Sepinwall|first=Alan|date=June 19, 2012|title=The Newsroom creator Aaron Sorkin on Keith Olbermann and his return to TV|url=http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/the-newsroom-creator-aaron-sorkin-on-keith-olbermann-and-his-return-to-tv|access-date=July 11, 2012|work=HitFix|archive-date=July 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711041237/http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/the-newsroom-creator-aaron-sorkin-on-keith-olbermann-and-his-return-to-tv|url-status=live}}{{quote box

| width = 20%

| quote = [T]he trick is to follow the rules of classic storytelling. Drama is basically about one thing: Somebody wants something, and something or someone is standing in the way of him getting it. What he wants—the money, the girl, the ticket to Philadelphia—doesn't really matter. But whatever it is, the audience has to want it for him.

| source = —Sorkin{{cite news |title=What's on Your Agenda?: Ten senior executives and thinkers explain the most crucial item on their leadership agenda |author1=Christine Canabou |author2=Pamela Kruger |author3=Cathy Olofson |date=May 2001 |work=Fast Company |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/47/one.html |access-date=October 2, 2008 |archive-date=January 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103214043/http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/47/one.html |url-status=live }}

| style = padding:8px

}}HBO ordered a pilot episode in January 2011 with the working title More as This Story Develops, with Scott Rudin serving as an executive producer. In September, HBO ordered a 10-episode series of The Newsroom with a premiere date of June 2012.{{cite magazine|last=Hibberd|first=James|date=September 8, 2011|title=Aaron Sorkin's HBO cable news drama ordered to series|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/09/08/aaron-sorkin-cable-news-drama/|access-date=December 22, 2011|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-date=December 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209054830/http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/09/08/aaron-sorkin-cable-news-drama/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|last=Zakarin|first=Jordan|date=September 8, 2011|title=Aaron Sorkin HBO Cable News Pilot Ordered To Series|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/08/aaron-sorkin-hbo-cable-news-pilot_n_954209.html|access-date=December 22, 2011|work=The Huffington Post|archive-date=December 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222121507/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/08/aaron-sorkin-hbo-cable-news-pilot_n_954209.html|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Hibberd|first=James|date=December 14, 2011|title=Jane Fonda joins Aaron Sorkin's HBO drama|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/12/14/jane-fonda-aaron-sorkins-hbo-cable-news-drama/|access-date=December 27, 2011|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-date=January 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106042446/http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/12/14/jane-fonda-aaron-sorkins-hbo-cable-news-drama/|url-status=live}} A day after the second episode aired, HBO renewed the series for a second season.{{cite magazine|last=Rice|first=Lynette|date=July 2, 2012|title=Breaking: HBO renews 'Newsroom,' 'True Blood'|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/07/02/breaking-hbo-renews-newsroom-true-blood/|access-date=July 2, 2012|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-date=July 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703210816/http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/07/02/breaking-hbo-renews-newsroom-true-blood/|url-status=live}} Sorkin said The Newsroom "is meant to be an idealistic, romantic, swashbuckling, sometimes comedic but very optimistic, upward-looking look at a group of people who are often looked at cynically. The same as with The West Wing, where ordinarily in popular culture our leaders are portrayed either as Machiavellian or dumb; I wanted to do something different and show a highly competent group of people."{{cite web|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|date=June 21, 2012|title=The Newsroom{{'}}s' Aaron Sorkin on Idealism, Keith Olbermann and His Private Screening for the Media Elite|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/newsroom-aaron-sorkin-jeff-daniels-hbo-340523|access-date=September 6, 2012|work=The Hollywood Reporter|archive-date=September 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925124848/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/newsroom-aaron-sorkin-jeff-daniels-hbo-340523|url-status=live}} The series concluded after its third season.

In 2015, Danny Boyle's biographical drama Steve Jobs was released. The screenplay by Sorkin was based on Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs,{{cite news |last=Kit |first=Borys |title=Aaron Sorkin to Write 'Steve Jobs' Movie for Sony |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 15, 2012 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aaron-sorkin-steve-jobs-sony-324794 |access-date=May 20, 2012 |archive-date=May 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520055955/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aaron-sorkin-steve-jobs-sony-324794 |url-status=live }} and starred Michael Fassbender as Jobs, Kate Winslet as Joanna Hoffman, Jeff Daniels as John Sculley, and Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Sorkin expressed hesitation for tackling the film, saying "it was a little like writing about the Beatles—that there are so many people out there who know so much about him [Jobs] and who revere him that I just saw a minefield of disappointment. [...] Hopefully, when I'm done with my research, I'll be in the same ball park of knowledge about Steve Jobs".{{cite web|author=WSJDigitalNetwork|date=May 30, 2012|title=Aaron Sorkin Talks Steve Jobs Movie, His Digital Life and His New Show "The Newsroom"|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN0yzItFWhU|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130110012851/http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&client=mv-google&gl=US&v=kN0yzItFWhU&feature=relmfu&rl=yes|archive-date=January 10, 2013|access-date=July 15, 2013|work=YouTube|publisher=Google, Inc|format=Video upload}} He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay,{{cite magazine|title=Golden Globes 2016 winners list: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant, Brie Larson & more|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/10/golden-globes-2016-winners-list|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=January 11, 2016|archive-date=January 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111100731/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/10/golden-globes-2016-winners-list|url-status=live}} although some journalists were surprised that he did not receive an Academy Award nomination in the same category.{{cite web|url= https://www.vox.com/2016/1/14/10771602/oscar-nominations-2016-snubs|title= Oscar nominations 2016: the 7 most surprising snubs of this year's awards|website= Vox|date= January 14, 2016|access-date= August 5, 2020|archive-date= March 19, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170319104802/http://www.vox.com/2016/1/14/10771602/oscar-nominations-2016-snubs|url-status= live}}

In February 2016, it was announced that Sorkin would adapt Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird for the stage, reuniting with Jeff Daniels, who would portray Atticus Finch. This would be Sorkin's first collaboration with director Bartlett Sher.{{Cite web|date=February 12, 2016|title=Aaron Sorkin and Bartlett Sher Adapt 'To Kill a Mockingbird' to the Stage|url=http://www.classicalite.com/articles/37488/20160212/aaron-sorkin-bartlett-sher-adapt-kill-mockingbird-stage.htm|access-date=February 23, 2016|website=Classicalite|archive-date=February 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160214061016/http://www.classicalite.com/articles/37488/20160212/aaron-sorkin-bartlett-sher-adapt-kill-mockingbird-stage.htm|url-status=live}} His Broadway adaptation opened on December 13, 2018, to positive reviews at the Shubert Theatre.To Kill A Mockingbird. [http://www.playbill.com/production/to-kill-a-mockingbird-2018-2019 Playbill] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701164933/http://www.playbill.com/production/to-kill-a-mockingbird-2018-2019|date=July 1, 2018}}, July 1, 2018{{Cite web|last=McPhee|first=Ryan|date=December 13, 2018|title=Read the Reviews for Broadway's 'To Kill a Mockingbird'|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/read-the-reviews-for-broadways-to-kill-a-mockingbird|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215091441/http://www.playbill.com/article/read-the-reviews-for-broadways-to-kill-a-mockingbird|archive-date=December 15, 2018|access-date=December 15, 2018|website=Playbill}} The play received nine Tony Award nominations, although notably not for Best Play. Despite initial legal disputes with the Harper Lee estate and controversy regarding actions by producer Scott Rudin, the play was a financial success where it transferred to the West End and embarked on a national tour. The play returned to Broadway following the COVID-19 pandemic, with Daniels returning to the role.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

Next, Sorkin made his directorial debut with Molly's Game, an adaptation of entrepreneur Molly Bloom's memoir. He also wrote the script for the film, which starred Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba.{{cite news|last1=Kit|first1=Borys|title=Aaron Sorkin to Make Directorial Debut With Underground Poker Drama 'Molly's Game'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aaron-sorkin-make-directorial-debut-853102|access-date=January 8, 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 7, 2016|archive-date=January 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110165254/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aaron-sorkin-make-directorial-debut-853102|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/idris-elba-mollys-game-aaron-sorkin-movie-jessica-chastain-1201750993/|title=Idris Elba Just Upped Ante Of Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game' Ahead Of Cannes|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|date=May 6, 2016|access-date=November 10, 2016|archive-date=November 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111061215/http://deadline.com/2016/05/idris-elba-mollys-game-aaron-sorkin-movie-jessica-chastain-1201750993/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/idris-elba-aaron-sorkin-mollys-game-1201760301/|title=Idris Elba in Talks to Join Jessica Chastain in Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game' (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=May 6, 2016|access-date=November 10, 2016|archive-date=November 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110235503/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/idris-elba-aaron-sorkin-mollys-game-1201760301/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/cannes-aaron-sorkins-mollys-game-nears-9-million-deal-with-stx-1201773855/|title=Cannes: Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game' Nears $9 Million Deal With STX|website=Variety|first=Ramin|last=Seetoodeh|date=May 13, 2016|access-date=November 9, 2016|archive-date=November 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111060811/http://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/cannes-aaron-sorkins-mollys-game-nears-9-million-deal-with-stx-1201773855/|url-status=live}} Production began in 2016 and the film was released in December 2017 to mostly positive reviews; Sorkin received his third Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.{{cite web|date=November 9, 2016|title=Principal photography begins on Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game starring Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba|url=http://entertainmentone.com/about-eone/news-events/principal-photography-begins-on-aaron-sorkin's-mol|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127191555/http://entertainmentone.com/about-eone/news-events/principal-photography-begins-on-aaron-sorkin%E2%80%99s-mol|archive-date=November 27, 2016|access-date=November 9, 2016|website=Entertainment One|df=mdy-all}}{{Cite web|title=The 90th Academy Awards {{!}} 2018|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2018|access-date=2020-09-24|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|language=en|archive-date=March 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310211235/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2018|url-status=live}} On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Molly's Game garnered an approval rating of 81% based on 297 reviews, with an average rating of 7.07/10.{{Citation|title=Molly's Game (2018)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mollys_game_2017|work=Rotten Tomatoes|language=en|access-date=2020-09-25|archive-date=January 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111034932/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mollys_game_2017/|url-status=live}}

Sorkin told Vanity Fair in July 2020 that Steven Spielberg offered him a job in 2006 about "a movie about the riots at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention and the trial that followed".{{cite web|last=Ansen|first=David|date=July 22, 2020|title=First Look at Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/first-look-at-aaron-sorkins-the-trial-of-the-chicago-7|access-date=August 8, 2020|website=Vanity Fair|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803120208/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/first-look-at-aaron-sorkins-the-trial-of-the-chicago-7|url-status=live}} However, after meeting at Spielberg's home, Sorkin said, "I left not knowing what the hell he was talking about." On July 12, 2007, Variety magazine reported that Sorkin had signed a deal with DreamWorks to write three scripts. The first was The Trial of the Chicago 7, which Sorkin was already developing with Spielberg, Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald.{{cite news |title=Sorkin on 'Trial' at DreamWorks: Duo to team on possible Spielberg project |author1=Michael Fleming |author2=Pamela McClintock |date=July 12, 2007 |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/features/sorkin-on-trial-at-dreamworks-2-1117968411/ |access-date=September 26, 2008}} In March 2010, Sorkin's agent, Ari Emanuel, had stated that the project was proving "tough to get together".{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/organgrinder/2011/mar/16/natalie-portman-actor-fee | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Dan | last=Sabbagh | title=Natalie Portman sparks Hollywood battle | date=March 17, 2011 | access-date=December 10, 2016 | archive-date=February 2, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052706/https://www.theguardian.com/business/organgrinder/2011/mar/16/natalie-portman-actor-fee | url-status=live }} In late July 2013, it was announced that Paul Greengrass would be directing,{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paul-greengrass-talks-aaron-sorkin-590983|title=Paul Greengrass in Talks for Aaron Sorkin-Penned 'The Trial of the Chicago 7'|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 23, 2013|first=Rebecca|last=Ford|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=July 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725053759/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paul-greengrass-talks-aaron-sorkin-590983|url-status=live}} but Sorkin eventually both wrote and directed the film.{{Cite web|first=Justin|last=Kroll|title=Aaron Sorkin to Direct 'Trial of the Chicago 7' With Sacha Baron Cohen in Talks to Star|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/aaron-sorkin-trial-of-the-chicago-7-sacha-baron-cohen-1202986773/|date=26 October 2018|website=Variety|access-date=13 August 2019|archive-date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814045816/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/aaron-sorkin-trial-of-the-chicago-7-sacha-baron-cohen-1202986773/|url-status=live}} Focusing on the Chicago Seven (and Bobby Seale), the film began a limited release on September 25, 2020, before streaming on Netflix.{{Cite web|last=Beresford|first=Trilby|date=2020-05-01|title=Latest 'Transformers' Lands 2022 Release Date {{!}} Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/transformers-trial-chicago-7-get-release-dates-1292974#:~:text=The%20latest%20installment%20in%20the,release%20on%20June%2024,%202022.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910153335/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/transformers-trial-chicago-7-get-release-dates-1292974#:~:text=The%20latest%20installment%20in%20the,release%20on%20June%2024,%202022.|archive-date=September 10, 2020|access-date=2020-09-25|website=www.hollywoodreporter.com}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsUnyfADI_A |title=Aaron Sorkin In Conversation with Stephen Colbert {{!}} 2020 Montclair Film Filmmaker Tribute |date=2020-11-18 |last=MontclairFilm |access-date=2025-02-25 |via=YouTube}} At the 78th Golden Globes, Sorkin won Best Screenplay, and was nominated for Best Director.{{Cite news|date=2021-02-28|title=Golden Globes 2021: The winners and nominees in full|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55916768|access-date=2021-03-17}}

In September 2015, Entertainment Weekly reported that Sorkin was writing a biopic that would focus on the twenty-year marriage of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and their work on a comedy series, I Love Lucy. Cate Blanchett was originally to star as Ball.{{cite magazine|last1=Robinson|first1=Will|date=2015-09-02|title=Cate Blanchett to star in Lucille Ball biopic written by Aaron Sorkin|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/02/cate-blanchett-lucille-ball-biopic-aaron-sorkin|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905004354/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/02/cate-blanchett-lucille-ball-biopic-aaron-sorkin|archive-date=September 5, 2015|access-date=September 6, 2015|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} In 2017, Amazon Studios acquired the rights to the film.{{cite news|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|date=7 August 2017|title=Amazon Studios Boards Lucy And Desi: Aaron Sorkin Scripting, Cate Blanchett To Play Lucille Ball|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2017/08/lucille-ball-cate-blanchett-desi-arnaz-movie-aaron-sorkin-amazon-studios-1202143942/|url-status=live|access-date=7 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807200754/http://deadline.com/2017/08/lucille-ball-cate-blanchett-desi-arnaz-movie-aaron-sorkin-amazon-studios-1202143942/|archive-date=August 7, 2017}} In January 2021, it was announced that Blanchett had been replaced by Nicole Kidman, and Javier Bardem had been cast as Desi Arnaz. Titled Being the Ricardos (2021), it was directed by Sorkin and received a limited theatrical release on December 10, 2021, before streaming on Prime Video on December 21.{{Cite web|last=Lenker|first=Maureen Lee|date=2021-10-19|title=Aaron Sorkin shows a new side of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in 'Being the Ricardos' teaser|url=https://ew.com/movies/being-the-ricardos-teaser-trailer-aaron-sorkin-interview/|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-08|website=EW.com|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019131102/https://ew.com/movies/being-the-ricardos-teaser-trailer-aaron-sorkin-interview/ |archive-date=October 19, 2021 }} Paul Byrnes of The Sydney Morning Herald praised the film's dialogue,{{Cite web|last=Byrnes|first=Paul|date=2021-12-13|title=Being the Ricardos is near flawless - and Nicole Kidman is magnificent|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/being-the-ricardos-is-near-flawless-and-nicole-kidman-is-magnificent-20211210-p59gnk.html|access-date=2022-01-08|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}} while the critic from The Irish Times opined that the film lacked "spark or insight".{{Cite news|last=Brady|first=Tara|title=Being the Ricardos: A sticky situation but not much comedy|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/being-the-ricardos-a-sticky-situation-but-not-much-comedy-1.4752275|access-date=2022-01-08|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}

It was announced that Sorkin would be reuniting with director Bartlett Sher to write a revised book for the Broadway revival of the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot starring Phillipa Soo and Andrew Burnap. The production was set to begin at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater on November 3, 2022,{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/legit/news/aaron-sorkin-camelot-revival-broadway-1235217074/|title= Aaron Sorkin, Bartlett Sher Team for 'Camelot' Revival|website= Variety|date= March 28, 2022|accessdate=April 3, 2022}} but was moved back to April 13, 2023.{{cite web|title=Aaron Sorkin 'Camelot' Postpones Broadway Opening Until Spring 2023|url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/aaron-sorkin-camelot-broadway-postponed-spring-2023-1235054110/|date=June 29, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=October 1, 2022}}

In March 2007, it was reported that Sorkin had signed on to write a musical adaptation of the hit 2002 record Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by psychedelic-rock band The Flaming Lips, collaborating with director Des McAnuff who had been developing the project.{{cite magazine|author=Endelman|first=Michael|date=March 20, 2007|title=Sorkin Will Script Flaming Lips Musical|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|url=https://ew.com/article/2007/03/25/aaron-sorkin-will-write-flaming-lips-musical/|url-status=live|access-date=June 9, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611102419/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20015535%2C00.html|archive-date=June 11, 2007}}{{cite news|author=Cox|first=Gordon|date=August 13, 2006|title=McAnuff tries northern exposure: After B'way boom, helmer sets sights on Shakespeare|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2006/legit/news/mcanuff-tries-northern-exposure-1200342151/|url-status=live|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204235344/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117948337.html|archive-date=December 4, 2008}}{{cite news|author=Cox|first=Gordon|date=June 24, 2007|title=Sorkin eyes Lips show: Writer mulls 'Yoshimi' musical|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2007/biz/news/sorkin-eyes-lips-show-1117961571/|access-date=September 26, 2008}} In August 2008, McAnuff announced that Sorkin had been commissioned by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to write an adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard.{{cite news|author=Ouzounian|first=Richard|date=August 19, 2008|title=Top talent in place at Stratford for 2009|work=Toronto Star|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/480906|url-status=live|access-date=September 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904065524/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/480906|archive-date=September 4, 2008}} In 2010, Sorkin reportedly obtained the film rights to Andrew Young's book The Politician (about Senator John Edwards), and announced that he would make his debut as a film director while adapting the book for the screen.{{cite news|last=Marino|first=Mark|date=July 16, 2010|title='West Wing' creator takes on John Edwards|publisher=CNN|url=http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/16/west-wing-creator-takes-on-john-edwards|url-status=dead|access-date=December 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723180906/http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/16/west-wing-creator-takes-on-john-edwards/|archive-date=July 23, 2010}}

In November 2010, it was reported that Sorkin would write a musical based on the life of Houdini, with music by Danny Elfman.{{cite magazine |last=Vozick-Levinson |first=Simon |title=Aaron Sorkin writing Hugh Jackman's Houdini musical: Composer Danny Elfman has 'high hopes' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=November 2, 2010 |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/11/02/hugh-jackman-houdini-musical/ |access-date=December 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205014923/http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/11/02/hugh-jackman-houdini-musical/ |archive-date=December 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} In January 2012, Stephen Schwartz was reported to be writing the music and lyrics, with Sorkin making his debut as a librettist. The musical was expected for release in 2013–14; Sorkin said: "The chance to collaborate with Stephen Schwartz [the director], Jack O'Brien, and Hugh Jackman on a new Broadway musical is a huge gift."{{cite web|last=Potts|first=Kimberly|date=2012-01-04|title=Hugh Jackman, Aaron Sorkin Teaming for 'Houdini' Musical|url=https://www.thewrap.com/media/article/hugh-jackman-aaron-sorkin-teaming-houdini-musical-34065|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626055542/http://www.thewrap.com/media/article/hugh-jackman-aaron-sorkin-teaming-houdini-musical-34065|archive-date=June 26, 2012|access-date=June 2, 2012|website=The Wrap Media}} In January 2013, he quit the project, citing film and television commitments.{{cite news |last=Couch |first=Aaron |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aaron-sorkin-exits-broadway-musical-416978 |title=Aaron Sorkin Exits Broadway Musical About Houdini |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 30, 2013 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725053834/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aaron-sorkin-exits-broadway-musical-416978 |url-status=live }}

In March 2016, it was announced that Sorkin would adapt A Few Good Men for a live production on NBC, originally slated to air in 2017;{{cite web|last=Kissell|first=Rick|date=2016-03-30|title=NBC Sets Live Production of Aaron Sorkin's 'A Few Good Men' for 2017|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/nbc-live-production-of-aaron-sorkin-a-few-good-men-1201742121/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602175829/http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/nbc-live-production-of-aaron-sorkin-a-few-good-men-1201742121/|archive-date=June 2, 2016|access-date=June 10, 2016}} {{as of|2017|11|lc=y}}, "Sorkin is still mulling the project".{{cite web|last=Rose|first=Lacey|date=2017-11-19|title=Aaron Sorkin Goes Off Script: Fears, the Critics and His Private Battles Behind 'Molly's Game'|website=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/aaron-sorkin-goes-script-fears-critics-his-private-battles-behind-mollys-game-1062019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127022607/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/aaron-sorkin-goes-script-fears-critics-his-private-battles-behind-mollys-game-1062019|archive-date=November 27, 2018|access-date=November 26, 2018}}

In 2024, Deadline reported that Warner Bros. had made a deal for Sorkin to write and possibly direct a film about the founder of the Israeli air force, Al Schwimmer.{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=2024-11-19 |title=Warner Bros, Aaron Sorkin To Tell Story Of Al Schwimmer, The Unlikely Father Of Israeli Air Force |url=https://deadline.com/2024/11/aaron-sorkin-movie-al-schwimmer-father-of-israeli-air-force-warner-bros-1236180551/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} According to the article, he was also still working separately on a project that would be a continuation of the themes that were the focus of The Social Network, as he had previously hinted at in a 2024 podcast conversation.{{Cite web |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=2024-04-26 |title=Aaron Sorkin Writing a Potential 'Social Network' Sequel: "I Blame Facebook for Jan. 6" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/aaron-sorkin-social-network-sequel-1235882294/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} In June 2025, Deadline reported that he would be writing and directing a follow-up to the The Social Network based on the documents known as the Facebook Files.{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=2025-06-25 |title=‘The Social Network Part II’ In Works At Sony With Aaron Sorkin Set To Write And Direct; Pic Inspired By WSJ’s ‘The Facebook Files’ |url=https://deadline.com/2025/06/the-social-network-sequel-aaron-sorkin-1236439539/ |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

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| quote = You almost never see how anyone travels from point A to point C [in most TV shows]. I wanted the audience to witness every journey these people took. It all had a purpose, even seeing them order lunch. It just seemed to be the proper visual rhythm with which to marry Aaron's words. I got lucky that it worked.

| source = —Thomas Schlamme on the "walk and talk" device

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}}Sorkin has written for the theater, film, and television, and in each medium his level of collaboration with other creators has varied. He began in theater, which involved a largely solitary writing process, then moved into film, where he collaborated with director Rob Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman, and eventually worked in television, where he collaborated very closely with director Thomas Schlamme for nearly a decade on the shows Sports Night, The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; he now moves between all three media. He had a habit of chain smoking while he spent long hours plotting out scripts in his office, though he quit smoking after having a stroke in 2022.{{cite news|url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/aaron-sorkin-stroke-recovery-1235358353/|title = Aaron Sorkin Reveals He Had a Stroke Last November: "A Loud Wake-Up Call"|newspaper = The Hollywood Reporter|date = March 22, 2023|accessdate = March 22, 2023|last = White|first = Abbey}} He describes his writing process as physical because he will often stand up and speak the dialogue he is developing.

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A New York Times article by Peter de Jonge explained that "The West Wing is never plotted out for more than a few weeks ahead and has no major story lines", which De Jonge believed was because "with characters who have no flaws, it is impossible to give them significant arcs". Sorkin has stated: "I seldom plan ahead, not because I don't think it's good to plan ahead, there just isn't time."{{cite web |title=Interview with Aaron Sorkin |publisher=The Writers Guild of America, East, Inc. |access-date=January 10, 2007 |page=6 |work=On Writing Magazine, Issue 18|date=February 2003 |url=http://www.wgaeast.org/newsletter_and_publications/pdf/onwriting18.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070128072902/http://www.wgaeast.org/newsletter_and_publications/pdf/onwriting18.pdf

| archive-date = January 28, 2007 }} Sorkin has also said, "As a writer, I don't like to answer questions until the very moment that I have to." The Seattle Post-Intelligencer{{'s}} TV critic John Levesque has commented that Sorkin's writing process "can make for ill-advised plot developments". Further complicating the matter, in television, Sorkin will have a hand in writing every episode, rarely letting other writers earn full credit on a script. De Jonge reported that ex-writers of The West Wing have claimed that "even by the spotlight-hogging standards of Hollywood, Sorkin has been exceptionally ungenerous in his sharing of writing credit". In a comment to GQ magazine in 2008, Sorkin said, "I'm helped by a staff of people who have great ideas, but the scripts aren't written by committee."{{cite news|author=Rapkin|first=Mickey|date=August 12, 2008|title=Why Does Aaron Sorkin Feel So Guilty?|work=GQ|url=http://men.style.com/gq/blogs/gqeditors/2008/08/why-does-aaron.html|url-status=dead|access-date=September 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913044449/http://men.style.com/gq/blogs/gqeditors/2008/08/why-does-aaron.html|archive-date=September 13, 2008}}

Sorkin's long-term collaboration with Schlamme began in early 1998 when they found they shared common creative ground on the soon to be produced Sports Night.{{cite web|title=Interview with Thomas Schlamme, Director and Executive Producer, "Sports Night" |author=Elif Cercel |date=November 11, 1999 |work=Directors World |url=http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/archives/1999/11/interview_with.html |access-date=January 21, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626105050/http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/archives/1999/11/interview_with.html |archive-date=June 26, 2007 |df=mdy }} Their successful partnership in television is one in which Sorkin focuses on writing the scripts while Schlamme executive produces and occasionally directs; they have worked together on Sports Night, The West Wing, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Schlamme will create the look of the shows, work with the other directors, discuss the scripts with Sorkin as soon as they are turned in, make design and casting decisions, and attend the budget meetings; Sorkin tends to stick strictly to writing. In response to what he perceived as unfair criticism of The Newsroom, Jacob Drum of Digital Americana wrote, "The essential truth that the critics miss is that The Newsroom is Sorkin being Sorkin as he always has been and always will be: one part pioneer; one part self-conscious romantic; two parts actual Lewis & Clark-style pioneer, trapping his way across an old, old idea of an America that can always stand to raise its game—but most importantly, spinning a good yarn while he does so."{{cite web|url=http://thedigitalamericana.com/wall/#/aaron-sorkin-modern-tv-an-ode-to-the-american-playwright-kind-of|publisher=thedigitalamericana.com|title=The Digital Americana Wall|access-date=October 16, 2016|archive-date=October 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029170104/http://thedigitalamericana.com/wall/#/aaron-sorkin-modern-tv-an-ode-to-the-american-playwright-kind-of|url-status=live}}

{{Blockquote|text=For me, the writing experience is very much like a date. It's not unusual that I'm really funny here and really smart here and maybe showing some anger over here so she sees maybe I have this dark side. I want it to have been worth it for everyone to sit through it for however long I ask them to.|author=Sorkin on his writing as characterized by mentor William Goldman|title=|source=}}

As a writer, Sorkin is recognized for his trademark fast-paced dialogue and extended monologues, complemented by frequent collaborator Thomas Schlamme's storytelling technique called the "walk and talk". These sequences consist of single tracking shots of long duration involving multiple characters engaging in conversation as they move through the set; characters enter and exit the conversation as the shot continues without any cuts. Sorkin is also known for writing memorable lines, such as "You can't handle the truth!" from A Few Good Men and the partly Latin tirade against God: "You get Hoynes!" in The West Wing episode "Two Cathedrals". For television, one hallmark of Sorkin's writer's voice is the repartee that his characters engage in as they small talk and banter about whimsical events taking place within an episode, and interject obscure popular culture references into conversation.{{cite news |title=West Wing votes in new writers |date=July 25, 2003 |work=BBC News Online |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3095619.stm |access-date=January 25, 2007 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061211125311/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3095619.stm| archive-date= December 11, 2006 | url-status= live}} Although his scripts are lauded for being literate,{{cite news|author=Berardinelli|first=James|year=1993|title=Malice: A Film Review|publisher=Reelviews.net|url=http://www.reelviews.net/movies/m/malice.html|url-status=live|access-date=January 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220154644/http://www.reelviews.net/movies/m/malice.html|archive-date=February 20, 2007}} Sorkin has been criticized for often turning in scripts that are overwrought.{{Cite news |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/studio-60-doesnt-take-comedy-seriously-wbna15640559 |title='Studio 60' doesn't take comedy seriously: Show's flailing by focusing on issues, not craziness of the writers' room |last=Holmes |first=Linda |date=November 26, 2006 |access-date=January 25, 2007 |publisher=mbnbc.com |author-link=Linda Holmes (writer) |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925220427/https://www.today.com/popculture/studio-60-doesnt-take-comedy-seriously-wbna15640559 |url-status=live }} His mentor William Goldman has commented that normally in visual media speeches are avoided, but that Sorkin has a talent for dialogue and gets away with breaking this rule. His portrayal of women has been criticized by several commentators, with female characters in his works often subordinate, written to support the main male characters, ditzy and incompetent or ostensibly professional while still being depicted as overly emotional and needing to be rescued by men.{{cite web|access-date=2022-03-31|title=Decoding Aaron Sorkin: A 'competence porn' expert with a possible 'woman problem'|first=Utkarsh |last=Srivastava|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/decoding-aaron-sorkin-a-competence-porn-expert-with-a-possible-woman-problem-4335511.html|date=9 June 2018|website=Firstpost}}{{Cite news|first=Elahe |last=Izadi |title=Analysis {{!}} Aaron Sorkin, reportedly unaware of Hollywood's diversity problem, had many chances to become aware |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/03/27/aaron-sorkin-reportedly-unaware-of-hollywoods-diversity-problem-had-many-chances-to-become-aware/ |date=2017-03-27 |access-date=2022-03-31 |issn=0190-8286}}

In 2012 and 2013, a fan created a YouTube video compilations showing how Sorkin tended to reuse certain lines of dialogue. The creator said the project was not a critique but was intended as a "playful excursion through Sorkin’s wonderful world of words" with Sorkin also getting in touch with him personally.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-26 |title='Sorkinisms' reveals Aaron Sorkin's penchant for recycled dialogue |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-jun-26-la-et-st-sorkinisms-aaron-sorkin-20120626-story.html |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Lindsey |date=2013-07-08 |title=Watch the Aaron Sorkinisms Sequel, Now With More Newsroom |url=https://www.vulture.com/2013/07/sorkinisms-supercut-now-with-more-newsroom.html |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Vulture |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Sorkinisms II |url=http://kevintporter.tumblr.com/post/54911824674/sorkinisms-ii |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723131029/http://kevintporter.tumblr.com/post/54911824674/sorkinisms-ii |archive-date=2013-07-23 |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=Kevin T. Porter |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Kevin Porter’s ‘Sorkinisms’ video is a tribute to the television writer {{!}} JIMROMENESKO.COM |url=http://jimromenesko.com/2012/06/27/kevin-porters-sorkinisms-video-is-a-tribute-to-the-television-writer/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120628185954/http://jimromenesko.com/2012/06/27/kevin-porters-sorkinisms-video-is-a-tribute-to-the-television-writer/ |archive-date=2012-06-28 |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=jimromenesko.com |language=en-US}}

Image:Obama Fundraiser @ Fine Arts Theatre.jpg, 2008.]]

Sorkin married Julia Bingham in 1996 and divorced in 2005, with his workaholic habits and drug abuse reported to be a partial cause.{{cite news|author=Rayner|first=Jay|date=July 10, 2005|title=Wing and a prayer|work=The Guardian|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/jul/10/theatre.foodanddrink|url-status=live|access-date=February 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829064014/http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/jul/10/theatre.foodanddrink|archive-date=August 29, 2013}}{{cite news|author=Gumbel|first=Andrew|date=October 22, 2005|title=After the West Wing...|work=The Independent|location=London|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/after-the-west-wing-511996.html|url-status=dead|access-date=February 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410185653/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/after-the-west-wing-511996.html|archive-date=April 10, 2009}} Sorkin and Bingham have one daughter, Roxanne Sophie, known as Roxy.{{cite web | title=Sources: Kristin Davis Dating Oscar-Winning Writer Aaron Sorkin | url=http://www.eonline.com/news/sources_kristin_davis_dating/318497 | date=May 23, 2012 | first1=Melanie | last1=Bromley | first2=Marc | last2=Malkin | access-date=May 23, 2012 | archive-date=May 25, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525214815/http://www.eonline.com/news/sources_kristin_davis_dating/318497 | url-status=live }} They were going to have a boy called Charlie four years earlier who died before birth. He dated Kristin Chenoweth, who played Annabeth Schott on The West Wing, for several years (after Sorkin had left the show).{{cite book|author=Chenoweth|first=Kristin|title=A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2009|isbn=978-1-4165-8055-3}} He has also reportedly dated columnist Maureen Dowd and actress Kristin Davis.{{cite news|author=Kurtz|first=Howard|date=November 5, 2005|title=Sex & the Single Stiletto|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/04/AR2005110401996_pf.html|url-status=live|access-date=September 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726051110/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/04/AR2005110401996_pf.html|archive-date=July 26, 2008}}{{cite news | title=Kristin Davis, Aaron Sorkin kiss on red carpet, glow with love as they confirm romance | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/kristin-davis-aaron-sorkin-kiss-red-carpet-glowing-love-confirm-romance-article-1.1099956 | date=June 21, 2012 | first=Joyce | last=Chen | location=New York | work=Daily News | access-date=June 26, 2012 | archive-date=June 25, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625004234/http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/kristin-davis-aaron-sorkin-kiss-red-carpet-glowing-love-confirm-romance-article-1.1099956 | url-status=live }} In 2021, Sorkin and Paulina Porizkova dated for a few months.{{cite web | title=Oscars 2021: Aaron Sorkin, Paulina Porizkova make it red carpet official as a couple | last=D'Zurilla |first=Christie |work=Los Angeles Times | date=April 25, 2021 | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-04-25/oscars-2021-aaron-sorkin-paulina-porizkova-dating | access-date=June 27, 2021}}{{cite web | last=Ross | first=Martha | title=Paulina Porizkova splits from 'funny and sexy' Aaron Sorkin: 'We're a duck and a goose' | website=The Mercury News | date=July 20, 2021 | url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/07/20/paulina-porizkova-splits-from-funny-and-sexy-aaron-sorkin-were-a-duck-and-a-goose | access-date=July 20, 2021}}

A consistent supporter of the Democratic Party, Sorkin has made substantial political campaign contributions to candidates between 1999 and 2011, according to CampaignMoney.com.{{cite web |title=Aaron Sorkin Biography and Political Campaign Contributions |publisher=CampaignMoney.com |url=http://www.campaignmoney.com/biography/aaron_sorkin.asp |access-date=January 29, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070203192501/http://www.campaignmoney.com/biography/aaron_sorkin.asp| archive-date= February 3, 2007 | url-status= live}} During the 2004 US presidential election campaign, the liberal advocacy group MoveOn's political action committee enlisted Sorkin and Rob Reiner to create one of their anti-Bush campaign advertisements.{{cite news|author=Cooper|first=Matthew|date=July 3, 2004|title=I'm Rob Reiner, and I Approve this Message|magazine=Time|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040712-660923,00.html|url-status=dead|access-date=January 29, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829230244/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040712-660923,00.html|archive-date=August 29, 2006}} In August 2008, Sorkin was involved in a Generation Obama event at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, California, participating in a panel discussion subsequent to a screening of Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.{{cite news|author=Johnson|first=Ted|date=August 28, 2008|title=Obama's fresh Hollywood faces: Hollywood team: Vitality and donations|work=Variety|url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/obama-s-fresh-hollywood-faces-1117991314/|access-date=September 15, 2008}} However, Sorkin does not consider himself a political activist: "I've met political activists, and they're for real. I've never marched anyplace or done anything that takes more effort than writing a check in terms of activism". In 2016, after President Donald Trump won the election, Sorkin wrote an open letter to his daughter Roxy and her mother Julia.{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/aaron-sorkin-donald-trump-president-letter-daughter|title=Read the Letter Aaron Sorkin Wrote His Daughter After Donald Trump Was Elected President|first=Aaron|last=Sorkin|website=Vanity Fair|date=November 10, 2016|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=May 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512202754/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/aaron-sorkin-donald-trump-president-letter-daughter|url-status=live}}

In 1987, Sorkin started using marijuana and cocaine. He said cocaine gave him relief from certain nervous tensions that occur on a regular basis. In 1995, he sought rehabilitation at the Hazelden Institute in Minnesota, on the advice of Bingham to combat his addiction.{{cite news|author=Rayner|first=Jay|date=July 31, 2005|title=West Wing creator brings his play to West End|work=The Guardian|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/jul/10/theatre.foodanddrink|url-status=live|access-date=January 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829064014/http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/jul/10/theatre.foodanddrink|archive-date=August 29, 2013}} In early 2001, Sorkin and his colleagues John Spencer and Martin Sheen received the Phoenix Rising Award for overcoming their drug abuse. However, on April 15, 2001, Sorkin was arrested when security guards at Hollywood Burbank Airport found that he was in possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana, crack cocaine, and a metal crack pipe.{{cite news|author=Cieply|first=Michael|date=September 2001|title=The Crack-Up|work=Talk magazine}} He was court-ordered to a drug diversion program,{{cite news|author=Weber|first=Bruce|date=November 4, 2007|title=Prodigal Returns, Bearing Dialogue|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/theater/04webe.html|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116193356/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/theater/04webe.html|archive-date=January 16, 2018|quote="I've been healthy for six and a half years," he said. "But like any addict I'm one phone call away from that not being true."}}{{cite news|title=Aaron Sorkin Says He Used Drugs |agency=Associated Press |url=http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/2001_08.html |access-date=June 7, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504064223/http://b4a.healthyinterest.net/news/2001_08.html |archive-date=May 4, 2007 |url-status=dead }} while still working on The West Wing. In a commencement speech for Syracuse University on May 13, 2012, Sorkin said he has not used cocaine for eleven years.{{cite web|title=Aaron Sorkin's Commencement Speech - 13 May 2012|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwvilfPWHYI|work=YouTube|publisher=Google, Inc|access-date=July 15, 2013|author=Syracuse|format=Video upload|date=May 14, 2012|archive-date=July 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130714073241/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwvilfPWHYI|url-status=live}}

In November 2022, Sorkin had a stroke which was caused by hypertension. He later called it "a loud wake-up call" to improve his health, and said he quit smoking, changed his diet, and began exercising daily as a result.{{Cite news |last=Paulson |first=Michael |date=2023-03-22 |title=Aaron Sorkin Revamps 'Camelot,' With Challenges Classic and New |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/22/theater/aaron-sorkin-camelot-broadway.html |access-date=2025-03-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

In August 2014, he signed an open letter from members of the Hollywood community condemning Hamas rocket attacks on Israel during the 2014 Gaza War.{{Cite web |author=T. H. R. Staff |date=2014-08-23 |title=More Than 190 Hollywood Notables Sign Pro-Israel Statement Criticizing Hamas |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/more-190-hollywood-notables-sign-727221/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2014-08-25 |title=Creative Community For Peace - Commitment to Peace & Justice |url=http://www.creativecommunityforpeace.com/justice |access-date=2025-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140825191905/http://www.creativecommunityforpeace.com/justice |archive-date=August 25, 2014 }} In October 2023, he was one of many Hollywood signatories of a letter calling on President Biden to work toward the release of all Israeli hostages after the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel.{{Cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Matt |date=2023-10-23 |title=Hollywood Stars and Executives Thank President Biden for Leadership, Call for Release of All Hamas Hostages |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/hamas-hostages-hollywood-stars-open-letter-biden-1235765726/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-10-24 |title=NoHostageLeftBehind |url=https://www.nohostageleftbehind.com/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024000623/https://www.nohostageleftbehind.com/ |archive-date=October 24, 2023 }}

In October 2023, Sorkin dropped CAA over a post critical of Israel made by its co-chief of the motion pictures department, Maha Dakhil, during the Gaza war.{{Cite web |last=Zee |first=Michaela |date=2023-10-25 |title=Aaron Sorkin Drops CAA After Agent Maha Dakhil's Controversial Israel-Hamas Posts |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/aaron-sorkin-drops-caa-maha-dakhil-israel-hamas-posts-1235767529/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last1=Hayden |first1=Kim Masters, Erik |last2=Masters |first2=Kim |last3=Hayden |first3=Erik |date=2023-10-25 |title=Aaron Sorkin Drops CAA After Maha Dakhil's Israel-Hamas Post: "She's Just Wrong" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/aaron-sorkin-drops-caa-after-maha-dakhils-israel-hamas-post-1235626852/ |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Citation |title=Aaron Sorkin, Live From D.C. |date=2024-04-26 |url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qQr4fcvSguMOedx4TXc2g |access-date=2025-03-08 |language=en}}

Acting roles

Playwright

{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Aaron Sorkin}}

Sorkin has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following films:

• 83rd Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, win, The Social Network (2010){{Cite web|title=The 83rd Academy Awards {{!}} 2011|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2011|access-date=2022-01-08|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 7, 2014 |language=en}}
• 84th Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, nomination, Moneyball (2011){{Cite web|title=The 84th Academy Awards {{!}} 2012|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2012|access-date=2022-01-08|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|date=October 7, 2014 |language=en}}
• 90th Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, nomination, Molly's Game (2017){{Cite web|title=The 89th Academy Awards {{!}} 2018|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2018|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-08|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029012409/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2018 |archive-date=October 29, 2017 }}
• 93rd Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay, nomination, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020){{Cite web|title=The 93rd Academy Awards {{!}} 2021|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021|access-date=2022-01-08|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|language=en}}

Sorkin has been nominated for ten Golden Globe Awards, winning three for Best Screenplay for: The Social Network (2011), Steve Jobs (2015), and The Trial of the Chicago Seven (2020).{{Cite web|title=Aaron Sorkin|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/aaron-sorkin|access-date=2022-01-08|website=www.goldenglobes.com|language=en}} He has also received five British Academy Film Awards nominations, winning one for The Social Network (2010).{{Cite web|others=Search for "Aaron Sorkin"|title=BAFTA Awards Search {{!}} BAFTA Awards|url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-08|website=awards.bafta.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213123523/http://awards.bafta.org:80/keyword-search? |archive-date=February 13, 2013 }} He has also received fourteen Writers Guild of America Award nominations winning twice for The West Wing, and The Social Network (2010).{{Cite web|title=Writers Guild Awards Winners 2012-2006|url=https://awards.wga.org/awards/nominees-winners/2012-2006|access-date=2022-01-08|website=awards.wga.org}}{{Cite web|title=Writers Guild Awards Winners 2005-1996|url=https://awards.wga.org/awards/nominees-winners/2005-1996|access-date=2022-01-08|website=awards.wga.org}} He has received seven Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominations winning consecutively for Best Screenplay for The Social Network and Moneyball.

For his work on television Sorkin has received nine Primetime Emmy Award nominations winning four awards for Outstanding Drama Series for The West Wing in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. He also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for The West Wing episode "In Excelsis Deo" in 2000.

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |title=The West Wing Script Book |author=Aaron Sorkin |date=July 2002 |publisher=Newmarket Press |isbn=978-1-55704-549-2 }}
• {{cite book |title=The West Wing Seasons 3 & 4: The Shooting Scripts: Eight Teleplays |author=Aaron Sorkin |date=February 2004 |publisher=Newmarket Press |isbn=978-1-55704-612-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/westwingseasons30000sork }}
• {{cite web |title=Interview with Aaron Sorkin |publisher=The Writers Guild of America, East, Inc. |access-date=January 10, 2007 |page=6 |work=On Writing Magazine, Issue 18|date=February 2003 |url=http://www.wgaeast.org/newsletter_and_publications/pdf/onwriting18.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070128072902/http://www.wgaeast.org/newsletter_and_publications/pdf/onwriting18.pdf

| archive-date = January 28, 2007 }}

• {{cite web|title=Early draft of the Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip pilot script |author=Aaron Sorkin |url=http://www.geocities.com/seekergurl/studio60.html |access-date=February 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025231720/http://geocities.com/seekergurl/studio60.html |archive-date=October 25, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}
• {{cite video |people=Aaron Sorkin and Rob Reiner |title=From Stage to Screen with Aaron Sorkin and Rob Reiner, A Few Good Men (Special Edition DVD) |date=2001 |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005B6JZ/ |medium=Documentary}}
• {{cite podcast|title=Aaron Sorkin, in his own words |date=January 21, 2007 |website=TV Barn |host=Aaron Barnhart |url=http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/files/TVBP8.mp3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221073400/http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/files/TVBP8.mp3|archive-date=21 February 2007}}

{{wikiquote}}

{{Commons category|Aaron Sorkin}}

• {{IMDb name|0815070}}
• [http://www.moviefone.com/celebrity/aaron-sorkin/1871793/main Aaron Sorkin] at Moviefone
• {{Rotten Tomatoes person|aaron_sorkin}}
• [https://www.huffpost.com/author/aaron-sorkin Blog Entries by Aaron Sorkin] at HuffPost
• [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aaron-Sorkin Aaron Sorkin], on Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc
• [https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL667257A/Aaron_Sorkin Aaron Sorkin], on Open Library, Internet Archive
• [https://www.allmovie.com/artist/aaron-sorkin-vn6779381 Aaron Sorkin], on AllMovie, All Media Network
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20111226141851/http://www.tv.com/people/aaron-sorkin/ Aaron Sorkin], on TV.com, Red Ventures (archived 1º January 2012)
• [https://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=3871 Aaron Sorkin], on Internet Broadway Database, The Broadway League

{{Aaron Sorkin}}

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|list =

{{AcademyAwardBestAdaptedScreenplay 2001–2020}}

{{AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Director}}

{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Screenwriter}}

{{Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2000–2019}}

{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{EmmyAward DramaWriting 2000s}}

{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{GoldenGlobeBestScreenplayMotionPicture 2001–2020}}

{{Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement}}

{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Screenwriter of the Year}}

{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{National Board of Review Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{Satellite Award Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{St. Louis Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{TFCA Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{USC Scripter Awards — Film}}

{{Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay}}

{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay}}

{{WritersGuildofAmericaEpisodicDramaScreenplay 2000s}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sorkin, Aaron}}

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