Woody Allen enjoying perks of fame

Woody Allen has admitted he thinks it's better to be famous than an unknown because "the perks are better".

The filmmaker told the Hollywood Reporter that although fame has its down sides, on the whole he would rather be a celebrity.

The 76-year-old, who has been involved in movies since the 60s, said: "You get better seats at the basketball game, and you get better tables and reservation places, and if I call a doctor on Saturday morning I can get him. There's a lot of things that you don't get if you're not famous."

Woody, who won an Oscar for last year's Midnight In Paris, went on: "There are drawbacks in being famous, but you can live with those too. They're not life-threatening.

"You know, if the paparazzi are outside your restaurant or your house and actors make such a big thing and scurry into the car and drape things over their head - you think they're going to be crucified or something - but it's not a big deal. You can get used to that."

The director, who is currently promoting his new film To Rome With Love, admitted the disparity between being famous and ordinary are "kind of disgusting" and added: "But I can't say I don't enjoy it."