Career Timeline of Woody Allen: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Woody Allen made an impact.
Woody Allen is a prolific American filmmaker, actor, writer, and comedian recognized for his extensive career spanning eight decades. He is highly acclaimed for his screenplays, receiving a record number of Academy Award nominations in that category. Allen's work has garnered numerous awards including Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award. He has also been recognized with honorary awards such as the Honorary Golden Lion, BAFTA Fellowship, and Honorary Palme d'Or. Several of his films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
2 hours ago : Diane Keaton Defended Woody Allen Until Death Despite Abuse Allegations, Sources Say
Sources reveal Diane Keaton continually defended Woody Allen against sexual assault allegations. Keaton maintained her support for Allen, even nearing her death. Her unwavering loyalty remained a secret for a long time.
1960: Writing for From A to Z
In 1960, Woody Allen began his theater career by writing sketches for the revue From A to Z.
1966: Opening of Don't Drink the Water
In 1966, Woody Allen's play Don't Drink the Water opened and ran for 598 performances on Broadway.
1968: Cast Diane Keaton in Play It Again, Sam
In 1968, Woody Allen cast Diane Keaton in his Broadway show Play It Again, Sam. During the run she and Allen became romantically involved.
February 12, 1969: Play It Again, Sam Opens on Broadway
On February 12, 1969, Woody Allen's play, "Play It Again, Sam," opened on Broadway, starring Allen, Diane Keaton, and Roberts. Clive Barnes of The New York Times gave it a positive review, praising Allen's jokes and sense of character. This play marked an important point in Keaton's acting career, as this was the first time she met Allen.
1969: Take the Money and Run Release
In 1969, Woody Allen directed, starred in, and co-wrote the mockumentary crime comedy "Take the Money and Run," playing Virgil Starkwell. The film received positive reviews with critics like Vincent Canby of The New York Times calling it a feature-length, two-reel comedy.
1969: Opening of Play It Again, Sam
In 1969, Woody Allen's play Play It Again, Sam, starring Allen and Diane Keaton, opened and played for 453 performances. It was nominated for three Tony Awards.
1971: Bananas Release
In 1971, Allen wrote and directed the slapstick comedy film "Bananas," in which he played Fielding Mellish. The film, also starring Louise Lasser, centers around a bumbling New Yorker involved in a Latin American revolution.
1973: Sleeper Release
In 1973, Woody Allen reunited with Diane Keaton in "Sleeper", the first of four screenplays co-written by Allen and Marshall Brickman.
1975: Love and Death Release
In 1975, Woody Allen collaborated again with Diane Keaton in the comedy "Love and Death", set during the Napoleonic era. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it Allen's "grandest work".
1975: Publication of Without Feathers
In 1975, Woody Allen's collection of one-act plays, Without Feathers, which included God and Death, was published.
1976: Stuart Hample begins writing Inside Woody Allen
In 1976, Stuart Hample began writing and drawing Inside Woody Allen, a comic strip based on Allen's film persona.
1976: Allen Stars in The Front
In 1976, Woody Allen starred as Howard Prince in the Hollywood blacklist comedy-drama "The Front", directed by Martin Ritt and co-starring Zero Mostel.
1977: Annie Hall Release
In 1977, Woody Allen wrote, directed, and starred in "Annie Hall", a romantic comedy film which became his seminal and most personal work. The film received widespread acclaim, including four Academy Awards.
1979: Tribute to Bob Hope and Manhattan Release
In 1979, Woody Allen paid tribute to Bob Hope at the Film Society at Lincoln Center. Also in 1979, Allen directed "Manhattan", a comic homage to New York City.
1980: Stardust Memories Release
In 1980, Woody Allen released "Stardust Memories", a film that parodies 8½ and Wild Strawberries. Allen's character in the film expresses a desire to stop making funny movies.
1981: The Floating Light Bulb Premieres on Broadway
In 1981, Woody Allen's play "The Floating Light Bulb", starring Danny Aiello and Bea Arthur, premiered on Broadway for 65 performances. It received a mild review from The New York Times.
1982: Farrow stars in Allen's films
From 1982 to 1992 Mia Farrow starred in 13 of Woody Allen's films.
1982: A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy Release
In 1982, Woody Allen released "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy," which was the first movie Allen made with Mia Farrow. Allen also directed "Zelig" in 1982.
1984: Stuart Hample stops writing Inside Woody Allen
From 1976 to 1984 Stuart Hample wrote and drew Inside Woody Allen, a comic strip based on Allen's film persona.
1986: Meetin' WA short film released
In 1986 the short film Meetin' WA, in which Allen is interviewed by French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard, was released.
1987: Keaton's cameo in Radio Days
In 1987, Diane Keaton had a cameo as a nightclub singer in Woody Allen's film Radio Days.
1987: Testimony against film colorization
In 1987, Woody Allen testified before a Senate Judiciary committee against the colorization of films without the artists' consent, joining Ginger Rogers, Sydney Pollack, and Miloš Forman.
1989: New York Stories Release
In 1989, Woody Allen, along with directors Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, created "New York Stories", an anthology film about New Yorkers. Allen's contribution was "Oedipus Wrecks".
1990: Founding of The Film Foundation
In 1990, Woody Allen was a founding member and sat on the original board of directors of The Film Foundation, a nonprofit film preservation organization.
1991: Shadows and Fog Release
In 1991, Woody Allen released "Shadows and Fog", a black-and-white homage to German expressionism.
1992: Farrow stars in Allen's films
From 1982 to 1992 Mia Farrow starred in 13 of Woody Allen's films.
1992: Husbands and Wives Release
In 1992, Woody Allen made his critically acclaimed comedy-drama "Husbands and Wives", which received two Oscar nominations.
1993: Release of The Bunk Project
In 1993, Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band released the album The Bunk Project.
1994: Bullets Over Broadway Release
In 1994, Woody Allen released "Bullets Over Broadway", a showbiz comedy involving mobsters. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
March 8, 1995: Central Park West Opens Off-Broadway
On March 8, 1995, Woody Allen's one-act play "Central Park West" opened off-Broadway as part of "Death Defying Acts".
1995: Mighty Aphrodite Release
In 1995, Woody Allen released the comedy "Mighty Aphrodite". Mira Sorvino won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film.
1995: Return to Theater with Central Park West
In 1995, after a long hiatus from the stage, Woody Allen returned to theater with the one-act play Central Park West, part of the Death Defying Acts evening of theater.
1996: European tour and documentary film
In 1996, Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band went on a European tour, which was documented in the film Wild Man Blues, directed by Barbara Kopple.
1996: Everyone Says I Love You Release
In 1996, Woody Allen released the musical film, "Everyone Says I Love You".
1997: Release of Wild Man Blues soundtrack
In 1997, Woody Allen and his band released the soundtrack of the documentary film Wild Man Blues.
1997: Just Shoot Me! Appearance
In 1997, Woody Allen made a sitcom "appearance" via telephone in the "My Dinner with Woody" episode of "Just Shoot Me!", which paid tribute to several of his films.
1997: Deconstructing Harry Release
In 1997, Woody Allen released the darker satire, "Deconstructing Harry".
1997: Wild Man Blues documentary released
In 1997, the documentary Wild Man Blues, directed by Barbara Kopple, focusing on Woody Allen was released.
1998: Antz Voice Acting Role
In 1998, Woody Allen provided the voice of Z in DreamWorks' first animated film, "Antz".
1998: Celebrity Release
In 1998, Woody Allen released the dark satire, "Celebrity".
1999: Sweet and Lowdown Release
In 1999, Woody Allen's jazz-based comedy-drama "Sweet and Lowdown" was released. It was nominated for two Academy Awards.
2000: Small Time Crooks Release
In 2000, Woody Allen's film "Small Time Crooks" was released. This film was Allen's first with the DreamWorks studio and represented a change in direction: he began giving more interviews and made an attempt to return to his slapstick roots.
2002: Woody Allen: A Life in Film documentary released
The 2002 cable television documentary Woody Allen: A Life in Film, directed by Time film critic Richard Schickel, which interlaces interviews of Allen with clips of his films, was released.
2003: Return to stage with Writer's Block
In 2003, Woody Allen returned to the stage with Writer's Block, an evening of two one-acts, Old Saybrook and Riverside Drive, which played Off-Broadway's Atlantic Theatre. It marked his stage-directing debut and the production sold out the entire run.
2004: A Second Hand Memory directed by Allen
In 2004, Woody Allen's first full-length play since 1981, A Second Hand Memory, was directed by Allen and enjoyed an extended run Off-Broadway.
2005: Match Point Release
In 2005, Woody Allen released "Match Point", a film set in London starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson, marking a shift from the intellectual upper class of New York to the moneyed upper class of London. It was one of his most successful films of the decade, and garnered his first Academy Award nomination since 1998.
2005: Release of Woody With Strings
In 2005, Woody Allen, Eddy Davis, and Conal Fowkes released the trio album Woody With Strings.
June 2007: Announcement of creative debuts in theater
In June 2007, it was announced that Woody Allen would make two more creative debuts in the theater: directing a work he did not write and an opera.
July 9, 2007: Vicky Cristina Barcelona Filming Begins
On July 9, 2007, filming for Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" began in Avilés, Barcelona, and Oviedo, Spain. The movie featured Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall and Penélope Cruz.
April 2008: Filming of Whatever Works begins
In April 2008, Woody Allen began filming "Whatever Works", a film starring Larry David, Patricia Clarkson, and Evan Rachel Wood.
September 6, 2008: Debut of Gianni Schicchi
On September 6, 2008, Woody Allen's reinterpretation of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi debuted at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the Los Angeles Opera.
2008: Vicky Cristina Barcelona Premieres
In 2008, Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews and became a box office success.
June 2009: Opera at Festival of Two Worlds
In June 2009, Woody Allen's production of the opera Gianni Schicchi opened the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.
July 2009: Filming of You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Begins
In July 2009, Woody Allen began filming "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" in London, starring Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Anupam Kher, Freida Pinto, and Naomi Watts.
October 2011: Premiere of Honeymoon Motel
In October 2011, Woody Allen's one-act play Honeymoon Motel premiered as part of a series of one-act plays on Broadway titled Relatively Speaking.
October 20, 2011: Honeymoon Motel Opens on Broadway
On October 20, 2011, Woody Allen's one-act play "Honeymoon Motel" opened on Broadway as part of "Relatively Speaking", a larger piece with plays by Ethan Coen and Elaine May.
2011: Review of Allen's jazz band concert
In 2011, a review in the Los Angeles Times suggested Woody Allen should be regarded a competent musical hobbyist with a sincere appreciation for early jazz.
February 2012: Announcement of Bullets over Broadway musical adaptation
In February 2012, it was announced that Woody Allen would adapt Bullets over Broadway into a Broadway musical.
July 2013: Blue Jasmine Debuts
In July 2013, Woody Allen's film "Blue Jasmine", starring Alec Baldwin and Cate Blanchett, debuted to critical acclaim.
September 2013: Fading Gigolo Premieres
In September 2013, Woody Allen co-starred with John Turturro in "Fading Gigolo", which premiered this month. Allen also shot the romantic comedy "Magic in the Moonlight" this year.
March 11, 2014: Bullets over Broadway Opens on Broadway
On March 11, 2014, "Bullets over Broadway", Woody Allen's musical, opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman. Allen received a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical.
August 2014: Filming Irrational Man
In July and August 2014, Allen filmed the mystery drama Irrational Man in Newport, Rhode Island.
August 24, 2014: End of Bullets over Broadway musical run
On August 24, 2014, the Broadway musical adaptation of Woody Allen's Bullets over Broadway concluded its run. It received mixed reviews and six Tony Award nominations.
January 14, 2015: Amazon Studios Announces Amazon Prime Series
On January 14, 2015, Amazon Studios announced a full-season order for a half-hour Amazon Prime Instant Video series that Allen would write and direct.
May 11, 2016: Café Society Opens Cannes Film Festival
On May 11, 2016, Woody Allen's film "Café Society", distributed by Amazon Studios, opened the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
September 2016: Filming of Wonder Wheel Begins
In September 2016, Woody Allen began filming the drama film "Wonder Wheel", set in the 1950s in Coney Island and starring Kate Winslet and Justin Timberlake.
September 30, 2016: Crisis in Six Scenes Debuts on Amazon Video
On September 30, 2016, Amazon Video debuted Woody Allen's first television series production, Crisis in Six Scenes.
September 2017: Production of A Rainy Day in New York Begins
In September 2017, Woody Allen began production of the romantic film "A Rainy Day in New York" in New York City, starring Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez.
October 15, 2017: Wonder Wheel Serves as Closing Night Selection at New York Film Festival
On October 15, 2017, "Wonder Wheel" served as the closing night selection at the 55th New York Film Festival.
December 1, 2017: Wonder Wheel Theatrical Release
On December 1, 2017, "Wonder Wheel" was theatrically released as the first movie self-distributed to theaters by Amazon Studios.
May 2019: Announcement of Rifkin's Festival
In May 2019, it was announced that Woody Allen's next film would be titled "Rifkin's Festival", starring Christoph Waltz and Elena Anaya.
October 2019: Filming of Rifkin's Festival Completed
In October 2019, filming of "Rifkin's Festival" was completed.
March 2, 2020: Announcement of Autobiography Release
On March 2, 2020, it was announced that Grand Central Publishing would release Woody Allen's autobiography, "Apropos of Nothing", on April 7, 2020.
March 2020: Hachette cancels Apropos of Nothing
In early March 2020, Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, announced that it would publish Allen's memoir, Apropos of Nothing, on April 7, 2020. Days later, after employee walkouts, parent company Hachette announced that the title was canceled and rights had reverted to Allen. On March 23, 2020, Skyhorse Publishing announced that it had acquired and released Apropos of Nothing through its Arcade imprint.
March 23, 2020: Memoir Published by Arcade
On March 23, 2020, Woody Allen's memoir, "Apropos of Nothing", was published by Arcade.
April 7, 2020: Original Release Date of Apropos of Nothing
April 7, 2020, was the originally planned release date of Woody Allen's autobiography, Apropos of Nothing, which was later cancelled before being picked up by another publisher.
February 2021: Release of Allen v. Farrow Documentary
In February 2021, HBO released the four-part documentary "Allen v. Farrow" by Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, exploring sexual abuse allegations against Woody Allen. The documentary received largely positive reviews, with some critics suggesting it could mark the end of Allen's career. Allen and Previn denounced the documentary as a biased 'hatchet job'.
September 2022: Allen Suggests Possible Retirement from Filmmaking
In September 2022, Woody Allen suggested he might retire from filmmaking after his next film's release, but his publicist clarified he was considering focusing on writing due to his preference for the cinema experience over streaming platforms.
February 2024: Interest in starting a new film
In February 2024, Woody Allen expressed interest in starting a new film as soon as the summer of 2024, planning to shoot it in Italy. However, these plans were later canceled due to a lack of funding.
November 7, 2025: Premiere of Pure Madness in Budapest
On November 7, 2025, the Central Theater in Budapest premiered another new Woody Allen play, Pure Madness, performed in Hungarian.
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