Aaron Sorkin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aaron Sorkin
Sorkin in 2016
Born	Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (1961-06-09) June 9, 1961 (age 64) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Film director screenwriter playwright
Education	Syracuse University (BFA)
Years active	1984–present
Spouse	Julia Bingham ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2005)​
Children	1

Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American writer and director. He writes for movies, TV shows, and plays. Aaron Sorkin was born in New York City and loved writing from a young age.

He is known for his special writing style. His characters often talk very fast, sometimes in long speeches. He also uses a cool filming trick called "walk and talk". This is when characters walk and talk at the same time, and the camera follows them without cutting away.

Aaron Sorkin has won many important awards for his work. These include an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar), a BAFTA Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globes.

He became famous for creating and writing popular TV shows like Sports Night (1998–2000), The West Wing (1999–2006), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–07), and The Newsroom (2012–14). He also wrote plays for Broadway, such as A Few Good Men (1989) and To Kill a Mockingbird (2018).

Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplays for movies like A Few Good Men (1992) and The American President (1995). He also wrote movies about real people, like Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Moneyball (2011), and Steve Jobs (2015). He won an Oscar for writing The Social Network (2010). Later, he started directing movies too, including Molly's Game (2017), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), and Being the Ricardos (2021).

Early Life and Education

Aaron Sorkin was born in Manhattan, New York City, on June 9, 1961. He grew up in a town called Scarsdale. His mother was a teacher, and his father was a lawyer. His older sister and brother also became lawyers.

From a young age, Aaron was very interested in acting. His parents often took him to see plays at the theater.

He went to Scarsdale High School and was very involved in the drama club. He even played a character named General Bullmoose in a musical called Li'l Abner when he was in eighth grade. He graduated from high school in 1979.

In 1979, Aaron Sorkin started college at Syracuse University. He wanted to be an actor. His theater teacher, Arthur Storch, was a big influence on him. Sorkin remembers Storch telling him, "Dare to fail." This advice helped Sorkin to always try his best. He graduated in 1983 with a degree in musical theater.

Career Highlights

Starting as a Writer

After college, Aaron Sorkin moved to New York City. He worked many different jobs, like delivering singing telegrams and bartending. One day, he found a typewriter and started writing. He felt a great joy and confidence he had never felt before.

He kept writing and finished his first play, Removing All Doubt, in 1984. His old teacher, Arthur Storch, was very impressed. Later, he wrote another play called Hidden in This Picture, which was shown in New York City in 1988. These plays helped him get a literary agent.

Aaron Sorkin got the idea for his famous play, A Few Good Men, from a phone call with his sister. She was a lawyer in the U.S. Navy and told him about a case involving Marines. Sorkin wrote much of the story on cocktail napkins while working as a bartender.

In 1988, before the play even opened, Aaron Sorkin sold the movie rights for A Few Good Men. The play opened on Broadway in 1989 and was a big success, running for almost 500 shows.

Writing for Movies

Aaron Sorkin then worked on the movie version of A Few Good Men. He learned how to write screenplays from a book and worked closely with director Rob Reiner. The movie, starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, came out in 1992. It was a huge hit, earning over $243 million worldwide.

He also wrote the movie The American President, which was released in 1995. This film was also directed by Rob Reiner and was well-liked by critics.

Television Success

Sports Night

Aaron Sorkin got the idea for Sports Night while watching a sports news show late at night. He decided to create a TV comedy series about what happens behind the scenes of a sports show. The show started on ABC in 1998.

Sports Night was praised by critics, but it ended after two seasons because not enough people watched it.

The West Wing

In 1997, Aaron Sorkin thought of a political TV show called The West Wing. It was about the people who work closely with the President in the White House. The show started in 1999 and was a massive success.

The West Wing won many awards, including nine Primetime Emmy Awards for its first season. Aaron Sorkin wrote almost every episode for the first four seasons. He left the show in 2003 due to some disagreements.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

In 2005, Aaron Sorkin started working on a new TV series called Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. This show was about a late-night comedy sketch show, similar to Saturday Night Live. It started airing in 2006.

The first episode was very popular, but the number of viewers dropped later on. Studio 60 only had one season.

The Newsroom

Aaron Sorkin later created another TV drama for HBO called The Newsroom. This show was about the people who work at a cable news program. He wanted to show how news reporters try to do their best, even with challenges.

The Newsroom started in 2012 and ran for three seasons. It showed characters reacting to real-world news events, which made it feel very realistic.

Return to Film Directing and Broadway

The Social Network and Moneyball

In 2008, Aaron Sorkin agreed to write a movie script about the beginning of Facebook. The movie, The Social Network, came out in 2010. It was a big hit and won him an Oscar, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for his writing.

A year later, he was nominated for the same awards for co-writing Moneyball (2011). This movie was about a baseball team and how their manager tried to build a winning team in a new way.

Steve Jobs

In 2015, Aaron Sorkin wrote the movie Steve Jobs, which was about the life of the Apple co-founder. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay for this film.

Molly's Game and Directing Debut

Aaron Sorkin made his first movie as a director with Molly's Game (2017). He also wrote the script for this film. It was about a woman who ran high-stakes poker games. The movie received good reviews, and Sorkin was nominated for another Oscar for his writing.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Being the Ricardos

He then wrote and directed The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). This movie was about a famous trial that happened after protests in Chicago in 1968. Sorkin won a Golden Globe for Best Screenplay for this film.

In 2021, he directed Being the Ricardos, a movie about the marriage of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who starred in the TV show I Love Lucy.

To Kill a Mockingbird and Camelot on Broadway

In 2016, it was announced that Aaron Sorkin would adapt Harper Lee's famous book To Kill a Mockingbird for the stage. The play opened on Broadway in 2018 and was very popular.

In 2023, he worked on a new version of the musical Camelot for Broadway.

Writing Style

Aaron Sorkin is known for his unique writing style. He often writes very fast-paced dialogue, where characters talk quickly and smartly. He also includes long speeches that characters give.

His writing often features the "walk and talk" technique. This is where the camera follows characters as they walk and talk, making the scenes feel very active and real. He is also known for creating memorable lines that people remember from his movies and shows.

Personal Life

Aaron Sorkin married Julia Bingham in 1996, and they divorced in 2005. They have one daughter named Roxanne Sophie, who they call Roxy.

He has been a supporter of the Democratic Party and has contributed to political campaigns. However, he says he is not a political activist. He believes his main way of helping is through his writing.

In November 2022, Aaron Sorkin had a stroke. He said it was a "wake-up call" to take better care of his health. Since then, he has stopped smoking, changed his diet, and started exercising every day.

Filmography

Film

Acting roles

Television

Acting roles

Theater

Playwright

Awards and Nominations

Aaron Sorkin has been recognized for his work in films:

• He won an Oscar for The Social Network (2010).
• He was nominated for an Oscar for Moneyball (2011), Molly's Game (2017), and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020).

He has won three Golden Globe Awards for Best Screenplay for The Social Network (2011), Steve Jobs (2015), and The Trial of the Chicago Seven (2020). He also won a BAFTA for The Social Network (2010).

For his television work, Aaron Sorkin has won five Primetime Emmy Awards. Four of these were for Outstanding Drama Series for The West Wing (in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003). He also won an Emmy for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for The West Wing episode "In Excelsis Deo" in 2000.

Images for kids

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  A Few Good Men at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket on August 31, 2005.

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  Sorkin discussing The Farnsworth Invention at the Music Box Theatre, November 2007

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  Sorkin interviewed William Goldman at the Screenwriting Expo, 2008

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  Sorkin at a Generation Obama event, following a screening of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Aaron Sorkin para niños