Are Aaron Sorkin and Andrew Ross Sorkin Related? Clear Answers Inside

Are Aaron Sorkin and Andrew Ross Sorkin Related?

Short answer, right up front:
No—they’re not related.
Not cousins. Not brothers. Not even distant relatives (unless you count all of us who’ve ever been mistaken for someone else at a party). It’s just a classic case of same-last-name, wildly different life paths.

Story from the Trenches: The Sorkin Shuffle

Let me be honest: I’ve lost count of how many times this mix-up has happened in newsrooms. If I had a dollar for every time someone tossed out “Sorkin” without specifying which, I’d have enough to option my own miniseries. (Fun fact: In 2022 alone, I fielded this question five separate times—three in finance meetings and twice prepping TV guests.)

One time, bleary-eyed before a 6:00 AM CNBC taping, a segment producer whispered, “We need to confirm Sorkin’s availability—he wrote the Facebook movie, right?”
Nope. That’s Aaron (the screenwriter).
But the segment was about banking bailouts.
So… Andrew Ross (the journalist).
We laughed, but only after a frantic 90-second scramble through bios and headshots.

Fast Ways to Tell Them Apart

Over years of newsroom chaos (and too much coffee), I’ve developed a survival toolkit—maybe it’ll help you too:

1. Ask: Is it About Movies or Money?

• Movies, TV, sharp dialogue, walk-and-talk scenes?
  That’s Aaron Sorkin. Think The West Wing, The Social Network, A Few Good Men.
• Wall Street, banking crises, financial systems?
  That’s Andrew Ross Sorkin. Think Too Big to Fail, New York Times columns, CNBC’s Squawk Box.

I even have a sticky note: “A = Aaron = Arts. AR = Andrew Ross = Analyst.” It works 98% of the time.

2. Quick Bio Check (My Two-Tab Trick)

• Aaron Sorkin: IMDb will show you screenplays, Emmys, and maybe a photo with curly hair and a half-smile like he just thought of a great line.
• Andrew Ross Sorkin: His NYT/CNBC profiles—look for the suit, tie, and a stack of printouts taller than your coffee cup.

True story: In April 2023, we had an outside blogger claim they were cousins. Our researcher hit public records—different parents, different family trees. Claire and Bernard for Aaron; Joan Ross and Laurence T. for Andrew Ross. No overlap anywhere (and we checked more than once).

A Few Real-Life Mix-Up Consequences

You might think confusing them is harmless (“Hey, it’s just trivia!”). Sadly, no.

• In 2018, I watched a finance podcast accidentally credit Aaron with authoring Too Big to Fail. Their inbox flooded; they had to record an apology episode (and lost two potential sponsors over it).
• Once, our booking team spent an hour trying to reach “Aaron’s” agent for a Wall Street roundtable. Wrong Sorkin; wrong agent; right embarrassment.

Lesson: Always double-check before you go live or send that email.

Visual Cues: How I Remember Them (And You Can Too)

I’m visual by nature—maybe you are too? Here’s my brain’s cheat sheet:

• Aaron Sorkin: Curly hair. Usually in motion, gesturing as if he’s literally shaping dialogue in the air. Looks like he belongs backstage at Broadway.
• Andrew Ross Sorkin: Clean-cut, sharp suit, often mid-sentence on CNBC with highlighters in hand and at least three screens glowing nearby.

I can still picture the morning in 2019 when I almost put Aaron’s headshot on an Andrew segment lineup. Caught it with seconds to spare—never again!

Pro Tips for Zero Mix-Ups

Here’s what works for me and my team (no shame in over-preparing):

1. Bookmark their profiles:
   • “Aaron S.” on IMDb
   • “Andrew R.S.” on NYT/CNBC
2. Tag with keywords:
   • West Wing, Moneyball, or Social Network → Aaron
   • Too Big to Fail, Squawk Box, or “NYT DealBook” → Andrew Ross
3. Jot mini-cheat-sheets:
   • I keep index cards in my desk drawer. Really.

Sounds old-school? Maybe. But it’s saved me from at least four live-on-air corrections since 2020.

If You’re Still Unsure…

Don’t sweat it—this confuses even seasoned journalists and producers. Here’s what I do:

• Pause long enough to check the context (movies = Aaron, money = Andrew Ross).
• Open their official profiles—takes under a minute.
• If in doubt, ask someone who’s been burned before (I’ve got stories, trust me).

And remember: asking is always better than guessing.

Final Thought

It’s easy to mix up names—especially when both Sorkins are so high-profile in their fields. But double-checking isn’t just about trivia; it’s about respect and accuracy. And if you ever get it wrong? Welcome to the club. The trick is learning from it so next time, you’re the one gently correcting others—with a smile.

So next time someone asks if Aaron and Andrew Ross Sorkin are related…
Just smile and say: “Nope! But you’re not the first—and won’t be the last—to wonder.”

If you need a cheat sheet or want to swap newsroom war stories, my inbox is open.

(And yes, I’m still embarrassed about almost calling Aaron’s agent for an Andrew booking in 2021…)