Woody Allen
![Allen in 2016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Woody_Allen_Cannes_2016.jpg)
Allen began his career writing material for television in the 1950s, alongside Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, and Neil Simon. He also published several books of short stories and wrote humor pieces for ''The New Yorker''. In the early 1960s, he performed as a stand-up comedian in Greenwich Village, where he developed a monologue style (rather than traditional jokes) and the persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful nebbish.}} During this time, he released three comedy albums, earning a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album nomination for the self-titled ''Woody Allen'' (1964).
After writing, directing, and starring in a string of slapstick comedies, such as ''Take the Money and Run'' (1969), ''Bananas'' (1971), ''Sleeper'' (1973), and ''Love and Death'' (1975), he directed his most successful film, ''Annie Hall'' (1977), a romantic comedy-drama featuring Allen and his frequent collaborator Diane Keaton. The film won four Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress for Keaton. Allen has directed many films set in New York City, including ''Manhattan'' (1979), ''Hannah and Her Sisters'' (1986), and ''Crimes and Misdemeanors'' (1989).
Allen continued to garner acclaim, making a film almost every year, and is often identified as part of the New Hollywood wave of auteur filmmakers whose work has been influenced by European art cinema. His films include ''Interiors'' (1978), ''Stardust Memories'' (1980), ''Zelig'' (1983), ''Broadway Danny Rose'' (1984), ''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' (1985), ''Radio Days'' (1987), ''Husbands and Wives'' (1992), ''Bullets Over Broadway'' (1994), ''Deconstructing Harry'' (1997), ''Match Point'' (2005), ''Vicky Cristina Barcelona'' (2008), ''Midnight in Paris'' (2011), and ''Blue Jasmine'' (2013).
In 1979, Allen began a professional and personal relationship with actress Mia Farrow. Over a decade-long period, they collaborated on 13 films. The couple separated after Allen began a relationship in 1991 with Mia's and Andre Previn's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. Allen married Previn in 1997. They have two adopted daughters. In 1992, Farrow publicly accused Allen of sexually abusing their adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow. Provided by Wikipedia