Film director Woody Allen was born on December 1, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, USA. From an early age, he was interested in movies, jazz, comics, and magic. He debuted as a gag writer while in high school. He later worked as a writer and television writer, and began his career as a stand-up comedian in 1960. He made his acting debut in Clive Donner's film "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" in 1965, and his directorial debut the following year with "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" (1966). In 1977, he won four major Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Director, for the love story "Annie Hall," in which he co-starred with his then-girlfriend Diane Keaton. The Ralph Lauren jackets and plaid shirts he wore in the film also became huge hits. In the 1980s, he teamed up with his partner Mia Farrow to produce films such as "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985) and "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986), which was nominated for eight Academy Awards.

He continued to be active at the forefront of both his directing and acting careers, and in 2011 his film "Midnight in Paris" was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the first time in 25 years that it had been nominated, and won for Best Original Screenplay. His latest film, "Blue Jasmine," starring Cate Blanchett, has been attracting attention for the costumes provided by Karl Lagerfeld, and is scheduled to be released in Japan in May next year.