Trivia

La dame de Shanghai (1947) is one of his favourite films.

Turned down an offer to direct Sister Act (1992).

By his own admission, he usually starts writing his movies with a really important scene that ends up placed in the middle of the movie.

Was approached to direct at some point both Le secret de Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Paperboy (2012).

Has been romantically involved with photographer Fernando Iglesias, whom he frequently casts in small roles in his films, since 2002.

Has expressed his desire to work with Marion Cotillard and Catherine Deneuve.

Mother Francisca Caballero and brother Agustín Almodóvar often appear in cameo roles in his movies.

His favourite Spanish films are: Grand-rue (1956), Ça s'est passé en plein jour (1958), Le bourreau (1963), La tía Tula (1964), El extraño viaje (1964), Peppermint Frappé (1967), Furtivos (1975), Arrebato (1979), El Sur (1983), Jambon, jambon (1992), Tesis (1996), Blancanieves (2012) and La niña de fuego (2014).

In the film Bad Education (2004), Almodóvar mix past and present, fiction and reality in a manner very similar to that used by writer Zlatko Topcic earlier in the hit film Remake (2003).

Directed 2 actors in Oscar nominated performances: Penélope Cruz (twice) and Antonio Banderas.

Often films rehearsals of his movies and includes them in the movie if he likes the scene better that the one shot during proper production. Especially in comedies, when the actors would improvise things, if something would happen unexpectedly, they would incorporate it into the scene.

Attended a Catholic boarding school in the 1960s where some of his fellow students were abused by priests. He asserts that he himself wasn't abused.

Celebrity chef Rachael Ray is a big fan of his and named a chicken dish after him.

1992: Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival.

He was president of the jury at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

Favorite American actress is Meryl Streep.

Born on the 24th of September, his parents officially registered him the next day.

Even though he doesn't watch TV, a lot of the main cast of 7 vidas (1999) have appeared on his movies: Blanca Portillo, Carmen Machi, Javier Cámara, Paz Vega, Guillermo Toledo, Leandro Rivera and Yolanda Ramos. Toni Cantó and Anabel Alonso have also worked with him, but before the show started.

Le doulos (1962) and Le cercle rouge (1970) are two of his favorite movies directed by Jean-Pierre Melville.

Lead singer of the infamous music duo "Almodóvar & McNamara", a legendary bizarre project that personified the image of "la movida madrileña" during the early 1980s in Madrid. He appears in that role in his own film Le labyrinthe des passions (1982) (a.k.a. "Labyrinth of Passion") wearing women's clothes and lots of black makeup.

Was judged Best Director at the 2002 European Film Awards.

New York, NY: Interviewed by journalist Lorne Manly as part of TimesTalks series at the New York TimesCenter building. (June 2013)

Has a brother, Agustin, and two older sisters.