Josh Charles: Aaron Sorkin's dialogue isn't as fun to deliver as it looks

Esquire

Asked by Esquire if receiving a Sorkin script is "like Christmas morning," the former Sports Night star responded: "Eh," adding: "Well, I mean, that's going to sound wrong. Let me say that clearly. Yes, doing (Sports Night), there were certain scripts that were absolutely mind-blowing. The man has a gift. No one would dispute that he has an incredible gift for writing. But I don't know if it's like… I wouldn't look at every one and open it up like it was Christmas. Everybody's human and some are better than others." Charles says Sorkin's dialogue "works incredibly well," but "Aaron's stuff even sings more" when it's handled by an acclaimed director like David Fincher, Warren Beatty or Rob Reiner. "When you're doing a steady diet of it I think it feels a little self-conscious to me, honestly. I find it very aware of itself," says Charles, adding: "I feel like you always notice the writer's in the room, and I acknowledge that there's a brilliance in that. He has a gift and it's remarkable. But when you're performing it, at least on a television show where it's a weekly thing, I found that tricky. I find it very self-conscious if you want to know the truth. So there, I said it. Sorry to burst your bubble."