History Creator / WOODYALLEN

He started directing movies in 1965. Since then, he has directed over 60 movies that range from ScrewballComedy to {{drama|Tropes}}. He has been nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward twenty-four times, including a record sixteen nominations for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestOriginalScreenplay Best Original Screenplay]]. He has won four Oscars -- three for Best Original Screenplay (''Film/AnnieHall'', ''Film/HannahAndHerSisters'' and ''Film/MidnightInParis'') and one for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestDirecting Best Director]] (''Annie Hall''). ''Annie Hall'' also won [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestPicture Best Picture]], famously [[AwardSnub beating out]] ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]''. Allen himself is not really interested in awards; he showed up at the Oscars ceremony only once in 2002, when he encouraged producers to continue filming their movies in New York after 9/11.

* ''Film/AnnieHall'' (1977) - Allen's most famous movie -- and, perhaps, along with ''Manhattan'', his best (though Allen himself doesn't think much of either of them). It focuses on the difficult relationship between a [[AuthorAvatar comedian]] and the [[TheDitz ditzy]] Annie Hall. [[spoiler: In the end, they split up.]] Winner of four UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s: Best Picture (for which it beat ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]''), Best Director (Allen), and Best Screenplay (Allen), Best Actress ( Diane Keaton). (Allen was also nominated for Best Actor.)

* CelebrityToons[=/=]NotQuiteStarring:

* CloudCuckooLander: A mild case, but Allen ''never'' watches films in which he appears. He never even looks at the ''dailies'', which means he relies completely on the editor to complete his films. It doesn't end there: he refused to look at his ''animated'' self in ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'', even ''stills''.

Allen's childhood [[DarkAndTroubledPast wasn't particularly happy]], and so he began writing dark-tinged humor -- and [[TeenGenius was already selling the occasional joke by his mid-teens]]. At seventeen, he entered NYU and the City College, but was quickly expelled. He started to write scripts to shows like ''Series/TheTonightShow'', appeared in ''Series/CandidCamera'' segments like when he had temp secretaries dictating a love letter, and doing RecordedAndStandUpComedy [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerating]] his own traits. He's never stopped, though the medium, and eventually the AuthorAvatar, has varied. Among other traits, his character is nearly always a SicklyNeuroticGeek, and full of JewishComplaining.

Allen is also notorious for being a [[KavorkaMan heavy womanizer]] (having been involved with Harlene Rosen, Creator/LouiseLasser, Creator/DianeKeaton, Creator/StaceyNelkin, Creator/MiaFarrow, and Soon-Yi Previn) as well as an [[BreadEggsMilkSquick accused child molester]]. He adopted Dylan and Moses Farrow, two of Mia Farrow's adopted children, and would go on to engage in an affair with Mia's other adopted daughter Soon-Yi when she was 19, resulting in an outcry and a bitter legal battle that to this day [[OvershadowedByControversy defines his image]]. He has also been accused of sexually assaulting his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven. Dylan has since maintained for decades that this had happened, while Allen denies it. His [[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/movies/mia-farrow-woody-allen-abuse.html other adopted child]], Moses Farrow, has since parted ways with Mia and befriended Allen, whom he insists is innocent. Meanwhile, Allen's son with Mia, Ronan Farrow, supports Dylan and Mia and denounces Allen (alongside every single child of Mia's except for Moses and Soon-Yi). Ronan would also later become famous for his investigative journalism work in uncovering sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood.

Allen is also notorious for being a [[KavorkaMan heavy womanizer]] as well as an [[BreadEggsMilkSquick accused child molester]]. He has been involved with Harlene Rosen, Creator/LouiseLasser, Creator/DianeKeaton, Creator/StaceyNelkin, Creator/MiaFarrow, and Soon-Yi Previn. Woody had adopted Dylan and Moses Farrow, two of Mia's adopted children, and would go on to engage in an affair with Mia's other adopted daughter Soon-Yi when she was 19, resulting in an outcry and a bitter legal battle that to this day [[OvershadowedByControversy defines his image]]. He has also been accused of sexually assaulting his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven. Dylan has since maintained for decades that this had happened, while Allen denies it. His [[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/movies/mia-farrow-woody-allen-abuse.html other adopted child]], Moses Farrow, has since parted ways with Mia and befriended Allen, whom he insists is innocent. Meanwhile, Allen's son with Mia, Ronan Farrow, supports Dylan and Mia and denounces Allen (alongside every single child of Mia's except for Moses and Soon-Yi). Ronan would also later become famous for his investigative journalism work in uncovering sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood.

While his films from the '70s and '80s are all almost universally loved by fans, his '90s films and (especially) his output since the TurnOfTheMillennium have gotten far more of a mixed response from critics and audiences, with some pictures (''Film/MatchPoint'', ''Film/VickyCristinaBarcelona'', ''Film/MidnightInParis'', ''Film/BlueJasmine'') receiving high praise and others (''Film/TheCurseOfTheJadeScorpion'', ''Film/HollywoodEnding'', ''Film/AnythingElse'', ''Film/MelindaAndMelinda'') being not well thought of by most. It should be noted, however, that even the most critically-derided of his films still tend to have a few fans here and there.

His childhood [[DarkAndTroubledPast wasn't particularly happy]], and so he began writing dark-tinged humor -- and [[TeenGenius was already selling the occasional joke by his mid-teens.]] At seventeen, he entered NYU and the City College, but was quickly expelled. He started to write scripts to shows like ''Series/TheTonightShow'', appeared in ''Series/CandidCamera'' segments like when he had temp secretaries dictating a love letter, and doing RecordedAndStandUpComedy [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerating]] his own traits. He's never stopped, though the medium, and eventually the AuthorAvatar, has varied. Among other traits, his character is nearly always a SicklyNeuroticGeek, and full of JewishComplaining.

He started directing movies in 1965. Since then, he has directed nearly movies that range from ScrewballComedy to {{Drama|Tropes}}. He was nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward twenty-four times, including a record sixteen nominations for Best Screenplay. He has won four UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s -- three for Best Screenplay (''Film/AnnieHall'', ''Film/HannahAndHerSisters'' and ''Film/MidnightInParis'') and one for Best Director (''Annie Hall''). ''Annie Hall'' famously [[AwardSnub beat]] ''[[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]]'' for the Best Picture Oscar. Allen himself is not really interested in awards; he showed up at the Oscars ceremony only once in 2002, when he encouraged producers to continue filming their movies in New York after 9/11.

Most of his comedies have a certain amount of drama, varying with his mood over time. Most of his dramas have a certain amount of comedy, but the comedy is more diluted in them.

The soundtracks of his movies tend to be jazz music and old (as in 1920s-'30s-'40s) standards, no matter when or where the film is set. He did write a {{musical}} once, ''Film/EveryoneSaysILoveYou'', but the songs are all lifted directly from that era.

He's undergone psychoanalysis for ''30 years''. Exactly what good it's doing, no one knows, but his [[FreudianExcuse experience]] with psychiatrists has made its way into numerous works.

He's also notorious for being a [[KavorkaMan heavy womanizer]] as well as an [[BreadEggsMilkSquick accused child molester]]. He has been involved with Harlene Rosen, Creator/LouiseLasser, Creator/DianeKeaton, Creator/StaceyNelkin, Creator/MiaFarrow -- and Soon-Yi Previn. Woody had adopted Dylan and Moses Farrow, two of Mia's adopted children, and would go on to engage in an affair with Mia's other adopted daughter Soon-Yi when she was 19, resulting in an outcry and a bitter legal battle that to this day [[OvershadowedByControversy defines his image]]. He has also been accused of sexually assaulting his adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow when she was seven. Dylan has since maintained for decades that this had happened, while Allen denies it. His [[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/movies/mia-farrow-woody-allen-abuse.html other adopted child]], Moses Farrow, has since parted ways with Mia Farrow and befriended Woody, whom he insists is innocent. Meanwhile, Allen's son with Farrow, Ronan Farrow, supports Dylan and Mia and denounces Woody (alongside every single Mia Farrow child except for Moses and Soon-Yi). Ronan would also later become famous for his investigative journalism work in uncovering sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood.

Naturally, almost every single plotline of Allen's scripts is about [[AuthorAppeal sex, adultery and relationships]].

[[HeAlsoDid He also plays the clarinet and has written humorous essays and short stories.]] (There's one about Count {{Dracula}} who finds what looks like a perfect lunch -- only to find out he woke up during a solar eclipse. And the apartment is Danish modern with no shades)

Naturally, almost every single plotline of Allen's scripts is about [[AuthorAppeal sex, adultery and relationships.]]

[[HeAlsoDid He also plays the clarinet and has written humorous essays and short stories]]. (There's one about Count {{Dracula}} who finds what looks like a perfect lunch -- only to find out he woke up during a solar eclipse. And the apartment is Danish modern with no shades.)