Woody Allen is a polarizing figure in Hollywood, to say the least. He has been involved in the film industry for more than six decades and has left his mark on audiences, for better or worse.
Whether he's responsible for your favorite film or he just kinda creeps you out, there's much to learn about the 80-year-old director from his new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The awkward Q&A covered a broad range of topics, from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to modern films and why Hannah Montana was "a silly little show" that he really enjoyed.
Here are the 14 bizarre things Allen said in the interview, which took place in his private screening theatre in the Upper East Side of New York City.
1. He dissed his whole industry.
"There aren't a lot of films that interest me."
1. He dissed his whole industry.
"There aren't a lot of films that interest me."
2. He admitted to watching Hannah Montana.
"I noticed years ago that my kids would be watching Hannah Montana. And I would say: 'Who is that girl? She's got such a good delivery. You know, she snaps those lines off so well. The show is a silly little show, but she's very good at what she does.'"
"I noticed years ago that my kids would be watching Hannah Montana. And I would say: 'Who is that girl? She's got such a good delivery. You know, she snaps those lines off so well. The show is a silly little show, but she's very good at what she does.'"
3. He said he knew that Miley Cyrus had to star in his untitled Amazon series.
"She came in and we chatted for a few minutes — a perfunctory chat, just getting to know the person. But I wanted to hire her. I didn't need that five minutes of silly chat."
4. He explained why he would never live in Los Angeles.
"It's just not a place that I could live in because I don't like sunny weather."
5. He got Steve Carell to replace Bruce Willis in his latest film, Cafe Society.
"I shot a few scenes in California with Bruce Willis, and Bruce was going to do something on Broadway [Misery] and it was just too much for him. So we replaced him with Steve Carell." 6. He lives in a bubble in terms of what the media says about him and his work.
"I never, ever, ever read anything about myself. Not my interviews, not stories about me. I never, ever read any criticism of my films." 7. He shaded his ex-wife, and mother of three of his children, Mia Farrow.
"I don't think she lives in New York. I think she lives in Connecticut. I'm not sure. Or travels for UNICEF or something." 8. He used a question about his current wife, Soon-Yi, as an opportunity to brag about how much he feels he contributed to her life.
"She was an orphan on the streets, living out of trash cans and starving as a 6-year-old. And she was picked up and put in an orphanage. And so I've been able to really make her life better. I provided her with enormous opportunities, and she has sparked to them. She's educated herself and has tons of friends and children and got a college degree and went to graduate school, and she has traveled all over with me now." 9. He still couldn't manage to say anything too specific about her.
"She's very sophisticated and has been to all the great capitals of Europe. She has just become a different person. So the contributions I've made to her life have given me more pleasure than all my films." 10. He actually had nothing to say about his wife beyond his feeling that she improved his own life.
"Well, she's given me a lot of pleasure. I adore her, and she's given me a wonderful life. We've been married 20 years. And we were together for a few years before that. And she has given me the great years of my life, personally. She's a great companion and a great wife. She has given me a stable and wonderful home life and great companionship." 11. He has never sent an email.
"No, never emailed anybody." 12. He said he sleeps like a dead person.
"I sleep like a dead person." 13. He likes Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, but Clinton more.
"I'm a Hillary fan. I like Bernie very much. I think what he espouses is wonderful. But I think Hillary will get more done of what Bernie would like than Bernie could get done." 14. He also likes Donald Trump, but only as a person.
"He's very affable, and I run into him at basketball games and at Lincoln Center. And he is always very nice and pleasant — [which is] hard to put together with many of the things he has said in his campaign."
"She came in and we chatted for a few minutes — a perfunctory chat, just getting to know the person. But I wanted to hire her. I didn't need that five minutes of silly chat."
4. He explained why he would never live in Los Angeles.
"It's just not a place that I could live in because I don't like sunny weather."
5. He got Steve Carell to replace Bruce Willis in his latest film, Cafe Society.
"I shot a few scenes in California with Bruce Willis, and Bruce was going to do something on Broadway [Misery] and it was just too much for him. So we replaced him with Steve Carell." 6. He lives in a bubble in terms of what the media says about him and his work.
"I never, ever, ever read anything about myself. Not my interviews, not stories about me. I never, ever read any criticism of my films." 7. He shaded his ex-wife, and mother of three of his children, Mia Farrow.
"I don't think she lives in New York. I think she lives in Connecticut. I'm not sure. Or travels for UNICEF or something." 8. He used a question about his current wife, Soon-Yi, as an opportunity to brag about how much he feels he contributed to her life.
"She was an orphan on the streets, living out of trash cans and starving as a 6-year-old. And she was picked up and put in an orphanage. And so I've been able to really make her life better. I provided her with enormous opportunities, and she has sparked to them. She's educated herself and has tons of friends and children and got a college degree and went to graduate school, and she has traveled all over with me now." 9. He still couldn't manage to say anything too specific about her.
"She's very sophisticated and has been to all the great capitals of Europe. She has just become a different person. So the contributions I've made to her life have given me more pleasure than all my films." 10. He actually had nothing to say about his wife beyond his feeling that she improved his own life.
"Well, she's given me a lot of pleasure. I adore her, and she's given me a wonderful life. We've been married 20 years. And we were together for a few years before that. And she has given me the great years of my life, personally. She's a great companion and a great wife. She has given me a stable and wonderful home life and great companionship." 11. He has never sent an email.
"No, never emailed anybody." 12. He said he sleeps like a dead person.
"I sleep like a dead person." 13. He likes Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, but Clinton more.
"I'm a Hillary fan. I like Bernie very much. I think what he espouses is wonderful. But I think Hillary will get more done of what Bernie would like than Bernie could get done." 14. He also likes Donald Trump, but only as a person.
"He's very affable, and I run into him at basketball games and at Lincoln Center. And he is always very nice and pleasant — [which is] hard to put together with many of the things he has said in his campaign."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT