Aaron Sorkin is an American screenwriter, playwright, and filmmaker known for his work in film, television and theatre. Over his career he has received several awards including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Writers Guild of America Awards, as well as a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award and two Directors Guild of America Awards.
Sorkin gained stardom and acclaim for creating and writing the ABC drama series Sports Night (1998–2000), the NBC political drama series The West Wing (1999–2006), the NBC comedy-drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007), and the HBO political comedy-drama series The Newsroom (2013–2015). For The West Wing, Sorkin received four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "In Excelsis Deo" in 2000.
On film, Sorkin won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the David Fincher drama The Social Network (2010). He was Oscar-nominated for the sports drama Moneyball (2011), the thriller Molly's Game (2017), and the political drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020). He is also known for writing the screenplays for the legal drama A Few Good Men (1992), the romantic comedy The American President (1995), the political drama Charlie Wilson's War (2007), and the biographical dramas Steve Jobs (2015), and Being the Ricardos (2021).
Sorkin made his Broadway debut in 1989 with A Few Good Men. He followed it up with his original play The Farnsworth Invention (2007) and with the stage adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in 2018 starring Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch. The latter play ran for a year with Daniels in the lead role and received nine Tony Award nominations. The play transferred to the West End where it was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. He adapted the Broadway musical revival of the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot (2022).
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2010 Best Adapted Screenplay The Social Network 2011 Moneyball 2017 Molly's Game 2020 Best Original Screenplay The Trial of the Chicago 7
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result British Academy Film Awards2010 Best Adapted Screenplay The Social Network 2011 Moneyball 2015 Steve Jobs 2017 Molly's Game 2020Best Original Screenplay The Trial of the Chicago 7 2021 Being the Ricardos
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2008 Best Writer Charlie Wilson's War 2011 Best Adapted Screenplay The Social Network 2012 Moneyball 2016 Steve Jobs 2018 Molly's Game 2021 Best Director The Trial of the Chicago 7 Best Original Screenplay 2022Being the Ricardos
Emmy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 1999 Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Sports Night (episode: "The Apology") 2000 Outstanding Drama Series The West Wing (season one) Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The West Wing (episode: "Pilot") Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The West Wing (episode: "In Excelsis Deo") 2001 Outstanding Drama Series The West Wing (season two) Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The West Wing (episode: "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen") 2002 Outstanding Drama Series The West Wing (season three) Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The West Wing (episode: "Posse Comitatus") 2003 Outstanding Drama Series The West Wing (season four) Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The West Wing (episode: "Twenty Five") 2021 Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1992 Best Screenplay – Motion Picture A Few Good Men 1995 The American President 2007 Charlie Wilson's War 2010 The Social Network 2011 Moneyball 2015 Steve Jobs 2017 Molly's Game 2020 The Trial of the Chicago 7 2021 Being the Ricardos
Laurence Olivier Award Year Category Nominated work Result 2023 Best New Play To Kill a Mockingbird
Guild awards Directors Guild of America Award Year Category Nominated work Result 2018 Outstanding Achievement in First-Time Feature Film Molly's Game 2021 Outstanding Directional Achievement in Feature Film The Trial of the Chicago Seven
Writers Guild of America Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 1995 Best Original Screenplay The American President 2000 Episodic Drama ("In Excelsis Deo") The West Wing Episodic Drama ("Take This Sabbath Day") 2001 Episodic Drama ("Two Cathedrals" & "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail") 2002 Episodic Drama ("Game On") 2005 Dramatic Series 2006 New Series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Episodic Drama ("Pilot") 2010 Best Adapted Screenplay The Social Network 2011 Moneyball 2012 New Series The Newsroom 2015 Best Adapted Screenplay Steve Jobs 2017 Best Adapted Screenplay Molly's Game 2020Best Original Screenplay The Trial of the Chicago 7 2021 Being the Ricardos
Accolades earned for Sorkin's directed films YearFilmAcademy AwardsBAFTAsGolden GlobesNominationsWinsNominationsWinsNominationsWins2017Molly's Game1122020The Trial of the Chicago 763512021Being the Ricardos3231Total106102
Directed Academy Award performancesUnder Sorkin's direction, these actors have received Academy Award nominations for their performances in their respective roles. +YearPerformerFilmResultAcademy Award for Best Actor2021Javier BardemBeing the RicardosAcademy Award for Best Actress2021Nicole KidmanBeing the RicardosAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor2020Sacha Baron CohenThe Trial of the Chicago 72021J. K. SimmonsBeing the Ricardos References