I think that David Fincher’s Social Network was probably my first exposure to Aaron Sorkin. I’ve never seen an episode of The West Wing or followed any of his other work too closely. I did see Malice — but that was on video — and I think I fell asleep, so the only thing that I remember is that Alec Baldwin is in it and it’s shot by Gordon Willis, I think.
Anyway, he’s an interesting guy for sure. One who seems to take great pride in being a writer, a rarity in Hollywood for sure. He conveys an aristocratic sense of confidence, which I think is reflected a bit in the writing. He’s a writer filled to the brim with classical ideas of drama, which he discusses briefly here.