Sorkin, Aaron 1961–

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SORKIN, Aaron 1961–

PERSONAL

Full name, Aaron Benjamin Sorkin; born June 9, 1961, in New York, NY; father, a lawyer; married Megan Gallagher (an actress; divorced); married Julia Bingham (an entertainment lawyer and studio executive), April 13, 1996 (separated); children: (second marriage) Roxy. Education: Syracuse University, B.F.A.; some sources cite attendance at College at Purchase State University of New York.

Addresses:

Agent—Ariel Emanuel, Endeavor, 9601 Wilshire Blvd., Third Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Publicist—PMK/HBH Public Relations, 700 San Vicente Blvd., Suite G910, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (some sources cite 8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211).

Career:

Writer and producer. Founder of the Playwrights Unit of Playwrights Horizons. Traveling Playhouse, toured southern American cities as an actor; appeared in print advertisements. Worked as a bartender.

Member:

Writers Guild of America.

Awards, Honors:

Outer Critics Circle Award, outstanding American playwright, 1989, for A Few Good Men; Golden Globe Award nomination, best screenplay for a motion picture, and Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination, best motion picture, Mystery Writers of America, both 1993, for A Few Good Men; Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination, best motion picture, 1994, for Malice; Golden Globe Award nomination, best screenplay for a motion picture, and Writers Guild of America Screen Award nomination, best screenplay written directly for the screen, both 1996, for The American President; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding writing for a comedy series, 1999, for "The Apology," Sports Night; Humanitas Prize, thirty–minute category, Human Family Educational and Cultural Institute, 1999, TV Guide Award, "the best show you're not watching," 2000, and nomination for Norman Felton Television Producer of the Year Award, episodic category, Golden Laurel awards, Producers Guild of America, 2000, all with others, for Sports Night; Golden Satellite awards, best television drama series, International Press Academy, 1999 and 2000, TV Guide Award nomination, favorite new series, 2000, Television Critics Association Award nomination, individual achievement in writing, 2000, Emmy awards, outstanding drama series, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003, nominations for Norman Felton Television Producer of the Year Award, episodic category, 2000, 2003, and 2004, and Norman Felton Television Producer of the Year Award, episodic category, 2001 and 2002, all with others, all for The West Wing; Nova Award, most promising producer in television, Golden Laurel awards, 2000, for Sports Night and The West Wing; Prism Award, 2000; Emmy Award, outstanding writing for a drama series, 2000, and Writers Guild of America Television Award, episodic drama, 2001, both with Rick Cleveland, for "Excelsis Deo," The West Wing; Humanitas Prize, sixty–minute category, 2000, and Writers Guild of America Television Award nomination, episodic drama, 2001, both with others, for "Take This Sabbath Day," The West Wing; Emmy Award nominations, outstanding writing for a drama series, 2000, for the pilot episode, 2001, for "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Parts 1 & 2," 2002, for "Posse Comitatus," and 2003, for "Twenty Five," all episodes of The West Wing; Emmy Award (with others), outstanding special class program, 2002, for The West Wing Documentary Special; Humanitas Prize, sixty–minute category, and Writers Guild of America Television Award nomination, episodic category, both with others, 2002, for "Two Cathedrals," The West Wing; Writers Guild of America Television Award nomination (with Paul Redford), episodic drama, 2002, for "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail," The West Wing; Writers Guild of America Television Award nomination (with Redford), episodic drama, 2003, for "Game On," The West Wing.

CREDITS

Television Work; Series:

Cocreator and executive producer, Sports Night, ABC, 1998–2000.

Creator and executive producer, The West Wing, NBC, 1999–2003.

Television Work; Specials:

Executive producer, The West Wing Documentary Special, NBC, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials:

AFI's 100 Years … 100 Passions, CBS, 2002.

Emmy's Greatest Moments, TV Land, 2004.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Prism Awards 2000, syndicated, 2000.

Himself, The 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, NBC, 2002.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Man at bar, "Small Town," Sports Night, ABC, 1999.

Himself, The Charlie Rose Show, PBS, 2003.

Film Co–Executive Producer:

The Farnsworth Invention, New Line Cinema, 2005.

Film Appearances:

Man in bar, A Few Good Men, Columbia, 1992.

Aide in bar, The American President, Columbia, 1995.

Stage Appearances:

"Hidden in This Picture" (one–act), Uncounted Blessings, St. Clement's Theatre, New York City, 1988.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Code of Conduct (short documentary), 2001.

A Few Good Men: From Stage to Screen (short documentary), 2001.

WRITINGS

Teleplays; Series:

Sports Night, ABC, 1998–2000.

The West Wing (based on his screenplay The American President), NBC, 1999–2003, some teleplays published in The West Wing Script Book, Newmarket Press, 2002.

Teleplays; Pilots:

Sports Night, ABC, 1998.

The West Wing (based on his screenplay The American President), NBC, 1999.

Screenplays:

A Few Good Men (based on his play), Columbia, 1992.

(And story) Malice, Columbia, 1993.

The American President, Columbia, 1995.

The Farnsworth Invention, New Line Cinema, 2005.

Charlie Wilson's War, Universal, 2006.

Screenplays with Others; Uncredited Author of Revisions:

Schindler's List, Universal, 1993.

The Rock, Buena Vista, 1996.

Excess Baggage, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 1997.

Bulworth (also known as Tribulations), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1998.

Enemy of the State, Buena Vista, 1998.

Stage Plays:

Removing All Doubt (also known as Removing Doubt), 1984.

"Hidden in This Picture" (one–act), Uncounted Blessings, St. Clement's Theatre, New York City, 1988, expanded version produced as Making Movies, Promenade Theatre, New York City, 1990.

A Few Good Men, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1989, and other productions.

Nonfiction:

Contributor to periodicals, including Rolling Stone.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 55, Gale, 2004.

Fahy, Thomas, editor, Considering Aaron Sorkin, McFarland and Co., 2005.

Newsmakers, Issue 2, Gale, 2003.

Periodicals:

Newsweek, October 11, 1999, p. 80; May 12, 2003, p. 67.

New York Post, August 1, 2001.

TV Guide, August 11, 2001, pp. 19, 44–46.