Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American filmmaker. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing early on. As a writer for stage, television, and film, Sorkin is recognised for his trademark fast-paced dialogue and extended monologues, complemented by frequent use of the "walk and talk" storytelling technique. Sorkin has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globes. Sorkin rose to prominence as a writer-creator and showrunner of the television series Sports Night (1998–2000), The West Wing (1999–2006), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–07), and The Newsroom (2012–14). He is also known for his work on Broadway, including the plays A Few Good Men (1989), The Farnsworth Invention (2007), To Kill a Mockingbird (2018), and the revival of Lerner and Loewe's musical Camelot (2023). He wrote the film screenplays for A Few Good Men (1992), The American President (1995), and several biopics, including Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Moneyball (2011), and Steve Jobs (2015). For writing The Social Network (2010), he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He made his directorial film debut with Molly's Game (2017), followed by The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) and Being the Ricardos (2021).
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 9, 1961 (65)
- Manhattan, New York, USA
- Writer, actor, producer and director
- 19 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
What are Aaron Sorkin's films like?
Across their 15 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 14
A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 4 · Dark 6
Grounded 8 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 0
A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 6
Steady 6 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 0
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 2
Casual 2 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 6
A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 6
Resolved 10 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet10
- Cyclical1
- Other1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Aaron Sorkin's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Aaron Sorkin's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
23 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 18 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Social Reckoning(2026)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Studio(2025)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Newscasters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Being the Ricardos(2021)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Molly's Game(2017)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Steve Jobs(2015)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
The Newsroom(2012)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Moneyball(2011)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Melvilasom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
The Social Network(2010)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Shaurya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Charlie Wilson's War(2007)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
30 Rock(2006)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
The Colbert Report (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Entourage(2004)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
The West Wing(1999)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Sports Night(1998)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
The American President(1995)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Malice(1993)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
A Few Good Men(1992)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 23 titles from 1992 to 2026.
Biggest box office
A Few Good Men (1992)
Highest rated
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020)
Most popular right now
The Social Reckoning (2026)
Film career
- 1992Screen debut· A Few Good Men
- 1992Golden Globe nomination· A Few Good Men
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
Awards
an Oscar, 6 Primetime Emmys, 3 Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award and 8 other major awards from 67 major nominations, 1993–2022.
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Original)
+2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Original Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
- Oscar, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
- Golden Globe, won · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Original)
+3 other major bodies · 4 nominations
- Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Original Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
- Oscar, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
+3 other major bodies · 3 nominations
- Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Feature Film
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Writers Guild Award, won
- Golden Globe, won · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
+2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · New Series
- Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
+2 other major bodies · 1 win and 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Oscar, won · Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
- Golden Globe, won · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, won · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
+2 other major bodies · 2 wins
- Writers Guild Award, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
- Critics Choice Award, won · Best Screenplay, Adapted
Show 11 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Writer
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · New Series
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Dramatic Series
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
+2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Special Class Program
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
+2 other major bodies · 1 win and 2 nominations
- Writers Guild Award, nominated ×2 · Episodic Drama
- Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
+2 other major bodies · 2 wins and 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, won · Episodic Drama
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Drama
- Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
+1 other major body · 1 win and 2 nominations
- Producers Guild Award, won · Most Promising Producer in Television
- Producers Guild Award, nominated ×2 · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Aaron Sorkin's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 91st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up16
- 50th to 74th3
Shape of the crowd
None of their 19 titles divides audiences: 10 are Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved10
- Crowd Pleaser9
Reviewers score the dialogue 77/100 and the plot and story 61/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Aaron Sorkin's work okay for kids?
Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films and violence & gore lighter.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Aaron Sorkin work with?
People who share at least 2 of Aaron Sorkin's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alan Baumgarten shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Rob ReinerShared titles: The American President (1995), A Few Good Men (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Rob Reiner
Actors
- Jeremy StrongShared titles: The Social Reckoning (2026), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Molly's Game (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Jeremy Strong
- Nicole KidmanShared titles: Being the Ricardos (2021), Malice (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Nicole Kidman
- Anna Deavere SmithShared titles: A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020), The American President (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Anna Deavere Smith
- Martin SheenShared titles: A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020), The American President (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Martin Sheen
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Alan BaumgartenShared titles: The Social Reckoning (2026), Being the Ricardos (2021), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Molly's Game (2017)See all 4 shared titles with Alan Baumgarten
- Daniel PembertonShared titles: Being the Ricardos (2021), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Molly's Game (2017), Steve Jobs (2015)See all 4 shared titles with Daniel Pemberton
- Jeff CronenwethShared titles: The Social Reckoning (2026), Being the Ricardos (2021), The Social Network (2010)See all 3 shared titles with Jeff Cronenweth
- W.G. Snuffy WaldenShared titles: A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020), Up to Snuff (2018)See all 2 shared titles with W.G. Snuffy Walden
Producers
- Stuart M. BesserShared titles: The Social Reckoning (2026), Being the Ricardos (2021), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Molly's Game (2017)See all 4 shared titles with Stuart M. Besser
- Lauren LohmanShared titles: The Social Reckoning (2026), Being the Ricardos (2021), Molly's Game (2017)See all 3 shared titles with Lauren Lohman
- Todd BlackShared titles: The Social Reckoning (2026), Being the Ricardos (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Todd Black
- Matt JacksonShared titles: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Molly's Game (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Matt Jackson
