9. Magic
As a child, Allen became interested in card and magic tricks. This continued into his teenage years and although he was popular with his classmates, he didn't seem to show a lot of social interest preferring to isolate himself, learning more tricks and practising endlessly. When he remembers the effort he put into his tricks he has since described the past time as a "colossal waste of time." and mused
"Allegedly it would make me popular at parties, but I never did anything for anybody. It was the mirror and me!"
Despite this, magic is a hobby he still enjoys today and he has incorporated this with his interest in the supernatural and life after death. Allen was quoted in Stig Bjorkmans book
Woody Allen on Woody Allen as saying-
It has been said, that if I have any one big theme in my movies, its got to do with the difference between reality and fantasy. It comes up very frequently in my films. I think what it boils down to, really, is that I hate reality. And, you know, unfortunately its the only place where we can get a good steak dinner. I think it comes from my childhood, where I constantly escaped into cinema."