Allan Stewart Konigsberg grew up in a working-class Jewish family, the son of a jewelry engraver and a bookkeeper. Comedy came early: as a teenager he sold one-liners to newspaper columnists, adopting the name Woody Allen, and by the mid-1950s he was writing for television, including Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. He later performed his own stand-up, developing a persona that was anxious, self-deprecating, and verbally quick.
He wrote the Broadway plays Don't Drink the Water and Play It Again, Sam and began directing films with Take the Money and Run (1969). A run of comedies, including Bananas, Sleeper, and Love and Death, led to Annie Hall (1977), which won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Manhattan (1979) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) confirmed his seriousness as a writer-director, while Zelig, The Purple Rose of Cairo, and Radio Days showed his interest in fantasy and nostalgia.
In films such as Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands and Wives, and Match Point, Allen turned to moral compromise, infidelity, and chance. He won another screenplay Oscar for Midnight in Paris (2011); Blue Jasmine (2013) earned Cate Blanchett an Academy Award. He has also published writing, performed regularly on clarinet, and maintained a prolific schedule, often releasing a film a year.
His personal life has been closely followed. He was married to Harlene Rosen and later to actress Louise Lasser, and he had a long relationship with Mia Farrow. His relationship with Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, whom he later married, and a bitter custody dispute became tabloid and legal fixtures in the 1990s. Dylan Farrow has alleged that Allen sexually abused her when she was a child; Allen has denied the allegation, and the matter has remained contested. These controversies have complicated his reputation and shaped debates about separating his work from his conduct.
Woody Allen was born on December 1, 1935. In Cardology (Destiny Cards), December 1, 1935 corresponds to the Four of Diamonds, making the Four of Diamonds his Birth Card.
In numerology, the name adds another layer to the birth-date profile. The letters of a person’s name are used to explore inner motivation, personality, expression, and the qualities they bring into relationships and everyday life. Explore how his original name Allan Stewart Konigsberg influences his life and personality.
Woody Allen Quotes
“I feel that life is divided into the horrible and the miserable. That's the two categories. The horrible are like, I don't know, terminal cases, you know, and blind people, crippled. I don't know how they get through life. It's amazing to me. And the miserable is everyone else. So you should be thankful that you're miserable, because that's very lucky, to be miserable.” - Woody Allen
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