Trivia

Sorkin was brought on by Steven Spielberg to polish the script for Schindler's List (1993). It was the first time Sorkin acted as an uncredited script doctor.

His sister, Deborah Sorkin, is a Navy Judge Advocate General, who worked with David Iglesias. She told Aaron about a real-life case she had worked on with David, which became the basis of A Few Good Men (1992). The character played by Demi Moore was based on his sister. David Iglesias was a Republican, who would later gain fame as one of the U.S. Attorneys fired by the George W. Bush administration.

Describes his writing process as very active; he often stands and acts out every part. As a result of this process, he once accidentally broke his nose by lunging into the mirror while writing a fight scene.

Describes his creative process as long brainstorming sessions, followed by short writing periods.

As of 2022, has written four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: A Few Good Men (1992), The Social Network (2010), Moneyball (2011), and The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020).

He originally wanted to be an actor and did not discover writing until he was in his early twenties.

In 19 June 2001, a judge sentenced him to a drug-diversion program as a result of his arrest at a California airport for carrying marijuana, rock cocaine and hallucinogenic mushrooms.

He did an uncredited polish on the Jerry Bruckheimer produced action thriller Enemy of the State (1998).

His favorite line of any movie is Chief Brody's "You're gonna need a bigger boat," line from Jaws (1975).

He did an uncredited polish on the script for the Warren Beatty political comedy Bulworth (1998).

All of his four television shows feature a season finale episode entitled "What kind of day has it been?".

Many of his works contain references to the operas of Gilbert & Sullivan. In Malice (1993), the doctor played by Alec Baldwin boasts that he is "never, ever sick at sea", lyrics from "The HMS Pinafore". In The West Wing (1999), Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) says that he was recording secretary of the Princeton Gilbert & Sullivan society, and many of the regular characters welcome Ainsley Hayes (Emily Procter) to her new office by decorating it with G&S posters and singing "He is an Englishman", also from "Pinafore", to her. The second episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006) closes with the cast of the show-within-the-show singing a parody of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" from "The Pirates of Penzance". In Charlie Wilson's War (2007), he gives Gust a throwaway line of "...and I'm never, never sick at sea", which is a line from "HMS Pinafore".

Sorkin has the habit of chain-smoking while he works on scripts for hours.

Was paid $700,000 to rewrite Warren Beatty's astronaut love story "Ocean of Storms" in 1996. He worked on several drafts of the script through 1997, which was originally written by Ben Young Mason & Tony Bill, who sold it in 1989.

He did an uncredited polish on the 'Jerry Bruckheimer' produced action thriller script for The Rock (1996).

After he wrote the screenplay for A Few Good Men (1992), Sorkin rewrote the Broadway play for the National Touring Company, since there were elements added to the film that weren't originally in the play.

Worked odd jobs including limousine driver and singing telegram worker while struggling as an actor.

In July 2000, he signed a four-year deal with Warner Bros. TV for approximately $15 million. The deal marks the first time that he has signed an exclusive long-term production deal.

Graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA in Musical Theatre.

Of all his film screenplays, Malice (1993) is the only film to not get an Oscar nomination in any category. All of his other films received at least one Oscar nomination.

Wrote a 1988 Rolling Stone Magazine article about the top acting schools in the U.S. One of the featured schools was the State University of New York at Purchase (S.U.N.Y. Purchase) where Janel Moloney ("Donna" on The West Wing (1999)) happened to be attending at the time.

His play "The Farnsworth Invention" at the TimeLine Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois, was awarded the 2010 Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Play (Midsize).

He did an uncredited polish on the script for Excess Baggage (1997).

Sorkin seems to have an affinity for Nobel prize-winning economists. His fictional President in The American President (1995), "Andrew Shepherd", studied under a Nobel prize-winning economist. His President on The West Wing (1999), "Jed Bartlet", actually was a Nobel prize-winning economist.

Directed 4 actors to an Oscar nomination: Sacha Baron Cohen, Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, and J.K. Simmons.

Sorkin has a program with his undergraduate Alma Mater, Syracuse University's Department of Drama, called "Sorkin Week: LA Practicum" where selected advanced students get to fly out to Los Angeles and participate in a week long intensive meant to prepare students for transition from training into the professional business through several workshops and first hand access to his studio offices at Warner Bros.

He is considered one of Scarsdale High School's "Distinguished Alumni." His picture hangs among the other alumni near the school's cafeteria.

His daughter, Roxy Sorkin, was born November 17, 2000.

On April 29, 2004, his play The Farnsworth Invention was falsely reported to be adapted at New Line Cinema and it's entry was removed from this website.