Woody Allen was born on December 1, 1935, as Allen Konigsberg, in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 15, he started selling one-liners to gossip columns. After working a while as a stand up comedian, he was hired to write What's New, Pussycat in 1965. He directed his first film a year later, What's Up, Tiger Lily? in 1966.
What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966): $66,000

Dated Diane Keaton. Daughter Bechet Dumaine born; unknown if she's adopted. [December 1998] Ranked #43 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Barred from visiting his daughter, Dylan, during on-going custody battle. However, visits to Satchel are to resume. [5 December 1996] Speaks French. Refuses to watch any of his movies once released. He and ex-lover Mia Farrow had three children: Moses Farrow (adopted), Dylan O'Sullivan Farrow (adopted daughter), and Satchel Farrow (biological son, b.1988). Suspended from New York University He loves Venice, and helped to raise funds to rebuild the venetian theater La Fenice, which was destroyed by a fire. Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#89). [1995] Adopted second daughter Manzie Tio Allen after she was born in Texas. She is named after Manzie Johnson, a drummer with Sidney Bechet's (jazz clarinetist) band. The news was only announced on 23 August 2000. [February 2000] Brother of Letty Aronson. Frequently hires musical director Dick Hyman to adapt classic American songs and jazz works into his films. Was once invited to appear with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stanley Kubrick also considered casting him in Sydney Pollack's part in Eyes Wide Shut. Among his biggest idols are Ingmar Bergman, Groucho Marx, Federico Fellini, Cole Porter, and Anton Chekhov. One of the most prolific American directors of his generation, he has written, directed, and more often than not starred in a film just about every year since 1969. Accused British interviewer Michael Parkinson of having a "morbid interest" in his private life and rejected questions about the custody battle for his children during his appearance on the BBC's Parkinson in 1999. Born at 10:55 PM EST All of his films are mixed and released in monaural sound. Made what was apparently his first and probably his last appearance at the Oscars in Hollywood in 2002 to make a plea for producers to continue filming their movies in New York, after the 9-11 tragedy. Years ago, wrote the concept for the film Hollywood Ending on the back of a matchbook. Years later, he found the matchbook with the notes for the film on it and made the film. Attended the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in 2002 to receive the Palm of Palms award for lifetime achievement. He has more Academy Award nominations (fourteen) for writing than anyone else. All of them are in the Written Directly for the Screen category. After completing his first musical, Everyone Says I Love You, he stated that he'd like to do another in the future with an all-original score. Since making that statement, however, nothing has yet to materialize. In addition to being a comedian, musician and filmmaker, he is also a respected playwright. Some sources have incorrectly referred to his formal professional name as "Woodrow." In his stand-up days, he referred to himself as "Heywood." Graduated from Midwood High School at Brooklyn College. Son of Martin Konigsberg and Nettie Konigsberg. Biography in "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pp. 13-16. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387 Was voted the 19th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Has been nominated or won 136 awards, more than Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton & Harold Lloyd combined. Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945- 1985". Pages 20-29. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988. Has his look-alike puppet in the French show _"Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988)_ . Directed Carrie Fisher in Hannah and Her Sisters, and Natalie Portman in Everyone Says I Love You. This makes him the only director, other than George Lucas, who has worked with both actresses. #4 in Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Standups of All Time. Biological son Seamus graduated from college at 15 and was accepted into Yale Law School. Suspended from New York University. Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History (#89). [1995] Both of his grandfathers were immigrants, one of Austro-Jewish descent and the other of Russo-Jewish descent. Longtime fan and season ticket holder of the NBA's New York Knicks Although he is barely interested in awards, he's one of the Academy's favorites - his 14 Oscar Nominations for Best Original Screenplay (as of 2005) are a record for that category, and puts him ahead of Billy Wilder who has 19 combined Oscar nominations for Writing and Directing. With 21 nominations in the combination of the top three categories acting, directing and writing, he holds the record there, as well. Directed 14 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Diane Keaton, Geraldine Page, Maureen Stapleton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Caine, Dianne Wiest, Martin Landau, Judy Davis, Chazz Palminteri, Jennifer Tilly, Mira Sorvino, Sean Penn, Samantha Morton and himself. Keaton, Caine, Wiest and Sorvino won Oscars for their performances in one of his movies. Is a fan of Alfredo Zitarrosa, one of the best Uruguayan Musicians. Ranked #10 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Greatest directors ever!" [2005] Directed only one movie in which both of his longtime companions Diane Keaton and Mia Farrow appear in: Radio Days He and Diane Keaton made 8 movies together: Annie Hall, Love and Death, Manhattan, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Radio Days, Play It Again, Sam, Interiors and Sleeper He and Mia Farrow made 13 movies together: Broadway Danny Rose, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Hannah and Her Sisters, Alice, Another Woman, The Purple Rose of Cairo, September, Husbands and Wives, A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, New York Stories, Radio Days, Shadows and Fog and Zelig According to Mia Farrow's biography, "What Falls Away", Frank Sinatra offered to have Allen's legs broken when he was found to be having an affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Married to Mia Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn, from her second marriage with André Previn. Does not allow his films to be edited for airlines and television broadcasts. As a boy growing up in Brooklyn, he spent most of his time alone in his room practicing magic tricks or his clarinet. Got hooked on movies when he was three years, when his mother took him him to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. From that day, he said, theaters became his second home. One of the most prolific directors of all time, averaging almost a film a year since his directorial debut in 1966. Told reporter in December, 2005 that he has earned more money from two real estate transactions than he has from all of his movies combined. Sold his long-held Fifth Avenue penthouse (which he had purchased for $600,000) for a profit of $17 million, then sold renovated townhouse for profit of some $7 million. Four of his movies brought home his actresses Academy Awards: Annie Hall for Diane Keaton as an outgoing and optimistic woman, Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway both for Dianne Wiest, who portrayed an alcoholic woman and an over the top, boozing and fading Broadway star, Helen Synclair; and Mighty Aphrodite for Mira Sorvino as the lovable, ditsy and high pitched hooker/porn star and mother of his adopted son. His Godson Quincy Rose is also a successful writer and actor. Wrote What's Up Tiger Lily, Take The Money And Run, and Bananas with his childhood friend and first writing partner, Mickey Rose. Mickey also co-wrote on all of Woody's earlier comedy albums and had a big hand in writing the famous "Moose" sketch. Said in a 2003 interview that he was "not interested in all that extra stuff on DVDs", and that he hopes his films would speak for themselves. To date [2006] has never recorded an audio commentary, or even so much as be interviewed for a DVD of any films he's been involved with. Distant cousin of Abe Burrows Of his own movies, The Purple Rose of Cairo is his favorite.