Actors You'll Never See In Another Woody Allen Movie

For decades, and the better part of the tail end of the 20th century, being cast in a Woody Allen movie was a career highlight for just about any actor. The Academy Award-winning director write and directed some of the greatest movies ever made, had steered numerous actors to awards and nominations, and simply appearing in one of his films was often a step in the right direction towards building (or revitalizing) a career. Over the years, Allen worked with some of the most talented actors in Hollywood, many of whom he used repeatedly.

While for some stars, the desire to be in a Woody Allen project hasn't gone away, it has significantly diminished. It all began in 1992, as allegations were made against Allen that he sexually molested his then-seven-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow. While these claims have been investigated and didn't lead to formal charges, the stink of what some claimed Allen did remains.

This was only exacerbated by the unusual manner in which he began a relationship with the woman (and adopted daughter of longtime partner Mia Farrow) he would eventually marry, Soon-Yi-Previn. While Allen continued his unprecedented output of nearly a movie a year well into the 2010s, the emerging #MeToo movement, coupled with a vitriolic renewal of allegations by Mia, Ronan and Dylan Farrow seemed to turn the tide of public opinion at the very least. Allen has since lost work, struggled to get his films made, and had multiple actors distance themselves from him. 

Below, a list of Allen veterans who were once happy to step in front of his lens — but are unlikely to do so ever again.

The following article includes allegations of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

Mira Sorvino may be Paul Sorvino's daughter, but she paid her dues in Hollywood without the benefit of nepotism. She had several minor roles in films and television before landing a starring role in "Mighty Aphrodite." The film didn't only make her a household name; it also earned her an Academy Award for best supporting actress. Doors were opened, and she spent the next couple of decades leading films like "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion," which has become a cult classic.

Still, even though "Mighty Aphrodite" made Sorvino a star, and decades later remains arguably the best film she's ever been in, it's the one role she's ashamed of taking. Soon after Dylan Farrow's open letter was published, Sorvino published an open letter of her own, apologizing to Dylan and Mia Farrow. "I confess that at the time I worked for Woody Allen, I was a naïve young actress. I swallowed the media's portrayal of your abuse allegations against your father as an outgrowth of a twisted custody battle between Mia Farrow and him and did not look further into the situation, for which I am terribly sorry. For this, I also owe an apology to Mia."

Sorvino was one of many women whose career was likely sidelined by Harvey Weinstein. She was one of the first actors to speak out about Weinstein's sexual misconduct as the #MeToo movement began. Sorvino told People her early career is tainted by both men, and it "ruins" both her Oscar performance and "Mighty Aphrodite" itself. 

"It's so crazy that so much of much of my early career is tainted by [Allen] and by Harvey Weinstein," she said. "It's sort of breathtaking."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Brosnahan's career has been meteoric, as she has jumped from one successful project to another, first gaining attention in "House of Cards" and "Manhattan," then becoming a household name with "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." Brosnahan plays the eponymous Mrs. Maisel on the popular Amazon series, which earned her four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and one win. She worked with Allen on four of the six episodes of "Crisis in Six Scenes," a 2016 miniseries Allen created for Amazon.

In January 2018, Brosnahan appeared on The Hollywood Reporter's podcast a month after Dylan Farrow published an op-ed, "Dylan Farrow: Why has the #MeToo revolution spared Woody Allen?" The topic was raised, and she said, "I had a great experience working on that project. But I do have to take this opportunity to say that for me, I have really struggled with the decision to do that project for a long time. ... While I can't take it back, it's important to me, moving forward, to make decisions that better reflect the things that I value and my worldview."

In the podcast, she concluded, "I do think that we need to make sure that we don't keep letting s****y men dominate the conversation about extraordinary women," referencing her work on "House of Cards" as the allegations made against Kevin Spacey came to light. Brosnahan's career has continued to flourish since giving the interview, and while she won't work with Allen again, she's finding plenty of work elsewhere. 

Timothée Chalamet has had a relatively short and impressive career since he started acting professionally in 2008. He went on to land roles in "Interstellar," "Call Me by Your Name," "Lady Bird," and "Dune" among others. He also played Gatsby in "Rainy Day" opposite Hall; his role was considerably more significant, as he played not only one of the leads, but the so-called "Woody Allen surrogate" role, much like John Cusack, Will Ferrell, Jason Biggs and Larry David before him. 

Just as Hall did, Chalamet spent the nearly two years between wrapping "Rainy Day" and its release evolving his stance on Allen.

In a now-deleted Instagram message addressing their collaboration, Chalamet acknowledged he was asked about working with Allen in several interviews. As a result, he felt he should address the issue directly because of his contractual obligations that prohibited comment elsewhere. "What I can say is this: I don't want to profit from my work on the film, and to that end, I am going to donate my entire salary to three charities: TIME's UP, The LGBT Center in New York, and Rainn [Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network]" (via The Guardian).

He concluded, saying he wanted to be worthy of standing beside the other "brave artists who are fighting for all people to be treated with respect and dignity they deserve." Chalamet's decision was met with derision by Allen, who claimed in his 2020 memoir "Apropos of Nothing" that the young actor donated his salary and publicly denounced him in a bid to win an Academy Award for his work in "Call Me by Your Name" (via Entertainment Weekly).

Newman, best known for his portrayal of Arthur on Amazon Studios' "The Tick" and voicing Orko on "Masters of the Universe: Revelation," has a couple of voice credits to his name; he's been working in Hollywood for nearly two decades, and although few would point to him for his work with Allen, he did appear in one of his movies. In fact, Newman appeared in only one scene, also in "A Rainy Day in New York."

While his part was small, it significantly impacted the actor. Newman struggled with his decision to work on the film, and when the allegations against Harvey Weinstein came out, he felt it necessary to take to Twitter to explain his thinking and apologize. Newman's tweets, which have since been deleted, are filled with regrets and apologies with the following highlights:

"I worked on Woody Allen's next movie. I believe he is guilty. I donated my entire salary to RAINN." He went on to explain that he appears in a single scene, considered quitting for a month and regretted his decision to remain. Newman went on to explain he chose to stay because his parents were proud of him, he hoped to gain experience from the work, and he was a coward (via Business Insider). Newman showed remorse in his comments, and it's clear he won't work with Allen again.

Elliot Page has been acting since the turn of the century, and appearances in "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "Juno" put him on the map. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on "Juno," and ever since, he's been landing high-profile gigs. He's well known for his work on "The Umbrella Academy," and in 2020, he became the first openly trans man to appear on the cover of Time Magazine. His interview in the magazine was the first since coming out, and his career has continued to grow.

One of Page's credits is the Woody Allen film "To Rome with Love," in which he played Monica in the vignette "John's Story." In late 2017, Page took to Facebook to discuss some of the issues he had in his earlier filmmaking experiences in a now-deleted post. He described several men who abused women who trusted them, including Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski, both of whom were convicted for sex-related crimes. Another he mentioned was Allen, writing the following:

"I did a Woody Allen movie, and it is the biggest regret of my career. I am ashamed I did this. I had yet to find my voice and was not who I am now and felt pressured because 'of course, you have to say yes to this Woody Allen film.' Ultimately, however, it is my choice what films I decide to do, and I made the wrong choice. I made an awful mistake" (via Business Insider).

An offspring of Hollywood royalty, Drew Barrymore has been a household name since she played Gertie Taylor in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." She has acted continuously since, throughout her childhood and into some wild years, yielding an extremely busy career on both sides of the camera. These days, Barrymore hosts "The Drew Barrymore Show" and continues producing through her production company Flower Films.

Over the years, Barrymore has had the opportunity to work with many of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers, including Steven Spielberg, Wes Craven, and of course, Allen. Barrymore appeared in 1996's "Everyone Says I Love You," which is Allen's only musical. In the film, Barrymore plays Skylar Dandridge, but she did not record her own music. In his review of the film, Roger Ebert wrote that Barrymore "just plain can't sing" and was the only cast member to be dubbed.

In 2021, Barrymore had Dylan Farrow on her show, and she explained that "There was no higher career calling card than to work with Woody Allen. Then I had children, and it changed me because I realized that I was one of the people who was basically gaslit into not looking at a narrative beyond what I was being told" (via Variety).

Evan Rachel Wood began acting in the late 1990s, earning praise for her performances in "Practical Magic" and "Thirteen." She's since appeared in numerous high-profile films, including "Across the Universe" and "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story," in which she played Madonna. Wood isn't just a talented actress; she's also an accomplished singer. Wood is also no stranger to the small screen, playing leading roles in "Once and Again" and "Westworld," among others.

One of Wood's film credits is Woody Allen's "Whatever Works." The film starred Larry David and was written and directed by Allen. In the movie, Wood played Melody, a young runaway who forms a romantic attachment to David's Boris (a man 40 years her senior). That disparity earned Allen's film another EDA Special Mention Award from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists for most egregious age difference between the leading man and the love interest.

During a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Wood disclosed that she was the victim of sexual assault twice in her life. She shared what she called her "confession letter" in a now-deleted tweet. While she didn't mention Allen in her letter, a fan pointed out that she had worked with him, to which she replied, "That was years before I read Dylan's letter. Unfortunately, I can't say that I would again" (via BRIT+CO).