Woody Allen

Introduction
Youth and early work
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s and sexual-abuse allegations
The 2000s
The 2010s, 2020s, and renewed controversy

Quotes References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Woody Allen speaking into a microphone with hands raised beside his face during a press conference, against a red background.

Woody Allen as Virgil Starkwell in a blue prison uniform stands in a cafeteria line holding a metal tray in a scene from the film Take the Money and Run.

Woody Allen and Mia Farrow in black-and-white, seated side by side in a scene from the film Shadows and Fog; Allen wears glasses and Farrow wears a wide-brimmed hat.

Woody Allen, Mark Rydell, and Tea Leoni in a living room scene from Hollywood Ending. Allen and Rydell sit on a sofa while Leoni hands Rydell a cup.

Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, and Dianne Wiest stand close together outdoors, smiling, in a publicity photo for the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters.

At a Glance

Woody Allen summary

Quizzes

Empty movie theater and blank screen (theatre, motion pictures, cinema).

Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia

USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood

Pop Culture Quiz

Related Questions

How did Ingmar Bergman influence Woody Allen’s films?
How did Interiors differ from Woody Allen’s earlier comedies?
How did Match Point differ from Woody Allen’s earlier films?
How did Shirley MacLaine help Woody Allen get his first film-screenwriting opportunity?
How did Woody Allen get his start writing jokes for newspaper columnists?
How did Woody Allen perform in the film The Front?
How did Woody Allen turn a Japanese action movie into What’s Up, Tiger Lily?
How does Manhattan portray New York City?
How was Annie Hall connected to Woody Allen’s relationship with Diane Keaton?
What innovative filmmaking technique was used in Zelig?
What is Play It Again, Sam about?
What is the central moral dilemma in Irrational Man?
What is the plot of Take the Money and Run?
What kind of story is Magic in the Moonlight?
What role did Woody Allen have in the television series Crisis in Six Scenes?
What role did Woody Allen play in What’s New, Pussycat?
What role does Woody Allen play in Bananas?
When did Woody Allen begin writing for television?
Which Academy Award did Woody Allen win for Midnight in Paris?
Which Academy Awards did Annie Hall win?
Which Broadway play brought Woody Allen early acclaim in 1966?
Which actor played the leading role in Blue Jasmine?
Which actor won an Academy Award for Vicky Cristina Barcelona?
Which instrument did Woody Allen play as a teenager?
Which interests did Woody Allen have as a child in Brooklyn?
Which lifetime-achievement honor did Woody Allen receive at the Golden Globes in 2014?
Which studio made a three-picture deal with Woody Allen after Take the Money and Run?
Who played Annie Hall in Woody Allen’s 1977 film?
Why did Woody Allen leave New York University and the City College of New York?
Why is Crimes and Misdemeanors considered one of Woody Allen’s major films?
Why was Annie Hall a turning point in Woody Allen’s career?
Why was Annie Hall selected for preservation in the National Film Registry?
Why was Café Society significant in Woody Allen’s filmmaking career?
Why was Vicky Cristina Barcelona successful with audiences?
Who is Chris Rock?
What is Chris Rock known for?
What was the controversy involving Chris Rock and Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars?
Who is Mel Brooks?
What kinds of movies is Mel Brooks known for?
What awards and honors has Mel Brooks received during his career?
Who is Bill Cosby?
Why was Bill Cosby sent to jail?
Who is Adam Sandler?
What TV series is Donald Glover best known for?

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External Websites

Senses of Cinema - Allen, Woody
CBC Archives - Deconstructing Woody Allen
CNN - Woody Allen fast facts
NPR - Woody Allen: Blending Real Life With Fiction

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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Woody Allen - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Woody Allen

American director, writer, and actor

Also known as: Allen Stewart Konigsberg, Heywood Allen

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Sep. 26, 2026 •History

Woody Allen (born November 30, 1935, Bronx, New York, U.S.) is an American motion-picture director, screenwriter, actor, comedian, playwright, and author who is best known for his bittersweet comic films containing elements of parody, slapstick, and the absurd but who also made weighty dramas, often with dark themes and bleak landscapes reminiscent of the work of Swedish director Ingmar Bergman—who, perhaps more than any other filmmaker, influenced Allen’s work. Allen was also known as a...

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