research

Aaron Sorkin Spent 30 Minutes at 1 Oak for Molly’s Game Research to ‘See What Went on There’

Sorkin. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for CinemaCon

What’s the ideal amount of time to spend at 1 Oak? One hour? Two? Long enough to run into Leo? Aaron Sorkin needed to experience 1 Oak for a scene he shot for his Molly’s Game adaption of Molly Bloom’s memoir of running high-stakes poker games for Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tobey Maguire. He didn’t venture into 1 Oak with any of those guys, or his Molly’s Game star, Jessica Chastain. He went alone, and stayed for only 30 minutes. “I went to … there’s two scenes that take place in a club. You know 1 Oak? I’d never been to a club before, so just knowing I’d have to film a scene at one, I had to know what one looks like and what went on there. So I went and sat in 1 Oak for about half an hour,” Sorkin said, recounting to Entertainment Weekly possibly the least fun, least sexy time anyone has ever had at 1 Oak. He continues:

How did that go?

That was the extent of my research into that.


I assume you didn’t have the best time?

Oh no, it seemed like a perfectly fine place. I’m not really…I learned everything I needed to know in that 30 minutes. If I had of been out with friends, I would have stayed longer. It’s a terrific place. Fine time at 1 Oak. I don’t want to flag 1 Oak. I had a fine time at 1 Oak, but I was really… I was there by myself and I just needed to see what went on there.

Eighteen-hundred seconds — seated — at 1 Oak, and Aaron Sorkin had a nice time.

Aaron Sorkin Spent 30 Minutes at 1 Oak for Research