Woody Allen was born Heywood Allen on November 30, 1935. The famous personality has gained huge recognition as a filmmaker, actor, and comedian. Allen is also recognized for having the most nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
The filmmaker has also won four awards, establishing himself as one of the best directors and writers. Allen’s career began in the 1950s, and until this date, he has continued to engage in various works.
Early Life and Education
Allen was born in the Bronx, New York City. His father Martin Konigsberg was a jewelry engraver and waiter, while his mother Nettie was a bookkeeper. Allen studied in various schools including Midwood High School where he graduated from in 1953.
Allen changed his name to Heywood Allen when he was 17 and began calling himself Woody in later years. He loved playing football in high school and was picked up in the first round. Allen joined the City College of New York but dropped out during the first semester. He went on to teach himself rather than learning in a classroom.
Career
Allen’s carer began in 1955 when he was still young. He used to write jokes and would sell them on Broadway. Abe Burrows loved his writings and he bought them, encouraging him to continue writing.
As a result of the success of the letters, Allen emailed them to many other writers, until he got a job at the age of 19, to join NBC’s Development Program. Allen was also given a job on The NBC Comedy Hour and later a full-time job as a writer for Herb Shriner, where he was paid $25 per week.
He went on to work as a writer for The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, and Caesar’s Hour, which paid him $1500 a week. The writer worked alongside other famous writers including Danny Simon, whom Allen credits for helping him form his writing style.
In 1962 alone, Allen wrote about twenty thousand jokes for various comics. He also wrote for Candid Camera and appeared in a couple of episodes. In later years, Allen began writing short stories and cartoon captions after he was inspired by the tradition of New Yorker humorists Robert Benchley and Max Shulman among others.
From 1960 to 1969, Allen performed as a comedian. He performed in various places around Greenwich volage, The Bitter Need and Café Au Go Go. Allen has over 75 writing credits under his name alongside many credits as an actor.
He wrote Annie Hall and starred in the film alongside Diane Keaton. The film is considered one of his best.
Net Worth
Woody Allen has a net worth of $140 million. The famous personality has accumulated his wealth through various ventures in filmmaking, writing, comedy, and film director among other roles.
Woody’s brilliant performance in the entertainment sector has seen him receive numerous nominations and four awards. Three of Allen’s awards are for his writing skills and the other for his work as a director.
