Woody Allen

Allen at the 2009 premiere of Whatever Works

Allen Stewart Konigsberg

Born December 1, 1935 (age 74)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Actor
Director
Screenwriter
Occupation
Comedian
Musician
Playwright

Years active 1950–present

Harlene Rosen (1954–1959)

Spouse(s) Louise Lasser (1966–1969)
Soon-Yi Previn (1997–present)

Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Konigsberg; December 1, 1935) is an American screenwriter, film
director, actor, comedian, writer, musician, and playwright.

Allen's distinctive films, which run the gamut from dramas to screwball sex comedies, have made him
a notable American director. He is also distinguished by his rapid rate of production and his very large
body of work.[1] Allen writes and directs his movies and has also acted in the majority of them. For
inspiration, Allen draws heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and
the history of cinema, among a wealth of other fields of interest.

Allen developed a passion for music early on and is a celebrated jazz clarinetist. What began as a
teenage avocation has led to regular public performances at various small venues in his hometown of
Manhattan, with occasional appearances at various jazz festivals. Allen joined the Preservation Hall
Jazz Band and the New Orleans Funeral Ragtime Orchestra in performances that provided the film
score for his 1973 comedy Sleeper, and performed in a rare European tour in 1996, which became the
subject of the documentary Wild Man Blues.