| NET WORTH: | $85 Million |
|---|---|
| Source of Wealth: | Director |
| Born: | December 1, 1935 |
| Spouse: | Soon-Yi Previn |
| Children: | 5 |
| Birth Name: | Allan Stewart Konigsberg |
| Height: | 5 ft 5 in (1.65m) |
Woody Allen is most well-known for directing films such as Manhatten, Midnight in Paris, and Annie Hall. In total, his films grossed nearly $600 million, with Manhatten grossing $40million alone.
Awards
Allen's talent as a director earned him many awards and nominations, including the Academy Award for 'Best Director.' He also obtained the record for the highest number of Academy Awards nominations in the 'Best Original Screenplay' category after earning 16 nominations while winning three.
"Comedy pokes fun at problems and rarely confronts them squarely. Drama's are like a plate of meat and potatoes, and comedy is the dessert, a bit like meringue" - Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris, Annie Hall and Hannah and Her Sisters all earned the award for 'Best Picture.' When receiving each award, Allen famously made it clear that he is not a big fan of award ceremonies due to their subjective nature.
However, his road to becoming a director was not a smooth one. Allen's internship as a student at New York University (film specialization) and City College of New York were interrupted by poor grades and irregular attendance. He wanted to learn-by-doing rather than following teachers' instructions.
In a recent biography titled, 'Woody,' friends from his youth reminisce about Allen as 'the funniest person' with an unwavering goal of becoming a comedian. They say he rehearsed 'in front of the mirror for seven hours a day.'
He decided to start writing and began sending jokes and comedic scripts to industry pros. It didn't take long for the agencies to take notice of his work. He began taking home good money from his rising workload. Soon, Allen surpassed his parents' salaries, combined.
For almost a decade, Allen wrote jokes for TV shows and other comedians. He honed his humor and writing technique for years before taking to the stage himself. Allen quickly developed a name for himself for his self-deprecating and intellectual form of comedy.
Early Life
Woody Allen grew up especially close to his younger sister, who later collaborated with him as a producer. As a boy, he fell in love with sports, magic, moving pictures, and jazz (the clarinet grew up as a teenager, although his musical idol was the saxophonist Sidney Bechet).
"The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have." - Woody Allen
Then he got into the fight between intelligence and popularity, as well as between seriousness and playfulness. Eventually, his early New York writings confronted Judaism and Judaism in a way that would make his movies later. Through humor, they reveal their attitude towards Judaism, which usually arouses admiration, if not hostile.
Relationships
Allan is currently married to his third wife. His first was to Harlene Rosen in 1956 before a divorce just three years later in 1959. Woody was 19 at the time, and Rosen only 16. The relationship took a turn for the worse when Allen referred to his partner as a 'generic wife' in public.
He married Louise Lasser in 1966 before divorcing in 1970. During their marriage, Lasser featured in four of Allen's films.
Allen met his third wife in 1997. Soon-Yi Previn and Allen married in have remained together to this day.
Work
Manhatten is arguable Allen's most famous work. It is a love letter to his favorite city and openly exposes his worldview. It feels like his most honest piece and manages to capture his opinion of himself in an incredibly personal way. Allen plays Isaac Davis, who has a mid-life crisis and leaves his job to work on his memoir.
