‘I’d rather die than visit my wife’s homeland’

EVEN after 23 years of marriage to South Korean-born Soon-yi Previn, Woody Allen would rather die than visit his significant other’s homeland. “Soon-yi is dying to go to Seoul. She’s been on at me for years but I don’t really want to go,” Allen says, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ve spent years fobbing her off, saying, ‘Let’s go to Paris, let’s go to Barcelona.’ She’s now at the point of saying, ‘Enough Paris! Enough Barcelona! You’re going to be 80 years old in December; you’ll be dead soon and I’d like to go to Seoul!’ He deadpans. “So, I’m stalling as long as I can; maybe if I’m lucky I’ll be dead.”
Mortality is a recurring theme in the work of this iconic director-writer-actor, from as far back as Love and Death (1975) to his current upcoming movie, Irrational Man, a dark comedy in which an alcoholic philosophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) plans the perfect murder. Surprisingly though, Allen seems unfazed at the prospect of turning 80.
“I have always been obsessed with mortality, since I was five years old. There’s not a big change between age 5 and 85, to me. I was always at death’s door every second. I mean, I was always petrified. I am not planning anything big because I don’t like to do that,” he explains. “There’s a sadness when people get together and drink and celebrate and there’s a great exchange of insincerities all over the place,” he says. “It’s just not for me. I’ll be very happy to go with my family to a restaurant and have a quiet dinner. It’s the same thing New Year’s Eve. I’d prefer to sleep through it and not get involved.”

Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi are one of the exceptional Hollywood couples that have stood the test of time. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI Source: AFP

His family is happily intact, though if there was ever a marriage destined to fail it was the Allen-Previn union. Born out of controversy (Soon-yi was the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, Allen’s then-girlfriend of 10-plus years and the leading lady in 13 of his films), the relationship came to light when Farrow found nude photos of Soon-yi in Allen’s apartment.

At age 44, Soon-yi is 35 years younger yet, against the odds, the couple is still going strong and raising their two adopted daughters: Bechet, born in 1999 in China, and Manzie, born in 2000, in Texas.
He smiles. “Soon-yi is fine, she’s great. She took the kids to see An American in Paris this afternoon on Broadway.”

Mia Farrow and Woody Allen and Farrow's adopted daughter (now wife) Soon-Yi Previn (centre) arriving at the airport in an undated picture. Source: News Limited

Irrational Man addresses fate and the random decisions we make in life that can often be the most impactful. “A random moment for me that was very meaningful was when I once threw a New Year’s Party. I got a nice thank you present after the party from Mia Farrow,” he recounts. “She sent me a book and said, ‘It was a lovely party; here is a book you might like.” Randomly, I called to say thanks for the book. I happened to say, ‘Should we have lunch next week?’” He pauses. “And from that, grew a worldwide industry.” (The demise of the Allen-Farrow relationship was one of the most acrimonious in Hollywood history and kept many attorneys employed.)
With the United States already in the middle of the 2016 presidential race, what does Allen make of his former employee, Donald Trump, throwing his hat into the ring?
He chuckles. “Donald Trump was in my movie Celebrity. Actually, he was very good. I think it’s amusing, and I think Donald Trump adds a lot of spice. I am sure everybody will at least watch the debates if he is in it. Otherwise, it’ll be a group of carbon copy, vapid attitudes and everybody saying the same thing. Trump would liven it up.
“But I don’t think he really wants the job. I think he’s flamboyant and he lends a theatrical element.
“Perhaps the eccentricity and arrogance of Trump might make for a good character in one of Allen’s future movies?
“I could make individual jokes about it but it wouldn’t stimulate me enough to write a whole script because the issue is that only right now it’s very hot. Every television program would make hilarious Donald Trump jokes; the mere mention of his name will get a laugh and it would be very commercial. But cut to five years or even two years, it will be old news, unless he gets elected president. But from what it looks like, it will be fun for everybody except the Republicans,” he laughs, “but then it will go away and be old news and my movie will look like yesterday’s newspaper.”
Allen has the stamina of a man half his age and remains one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors. What’s his secret? “I’ve been lucky. I have had good health and I’ve remained active, athletic and energetic. It’s genetic, plus there’s the fact that I don’t lead a sedentary life. I exercise and I eat well. I don’t smoke and I don’t have any terrible health-ruining habits, and I enjoy working.”
“If tomorrow I get a stroke and I can’t remember my name, then it’s over. But if my health holds out and if I turn out to be as healthy as my father, actually both my parents lived to be 100, I see no reason why I couldn’t continue to make films. I’ve got a million ideas and I like to write,” he says. “I don’t know what else I would do. I really don’t.”