Female Celebrities You Didn’t Realize Were Tall
The leading women in Hollywood come in all shapes and sizes. The average American woman is only 5'4 and many actresses are that same height or shorter, but not all of them.
Some actresses are taller than most and have found it can be both a good and bad thing. Many have openly admitted to struggling with everything from confidence, to refusing to wear high heels, and even finding clothes that fit. Others have loved their extra-long figures since they were kids and used it to their advantage. One of your favorite royals topped the list! Read on to see which ladies are much taller than you think.
Jane Lynch Stands At 6'0" Tall
No, Jane Lynch's height as Coach Sue Sylvester in Glee wasn't just because she was powerful and even a little scary at McKinley High; she's actually very tall in real life. And according to the actress herself, it's something most people don't realize about her until they've had the chance to meet her in person.
"I don’t have really long arms or legs. It’s not until I stand up that people go, ‘Oh, my God. You’re tall!’" Jane told More in an interview. "I guess I wasn’t creepy tall. A lot of it had to do with the way I presented myself." Um, nothing about Jane is creepy at all, so that makes total sense.
Charlize Theron Has A Lot Of Feelings About Being 5'10"
At 5'10", Charlize Theron has definitely towered over her male costars more than once. She's been open about the fact that being tall hasn't always helped her get the roles she's most interested in taking on in her career.
"Jobs with real gravitas go to people that are physically right for them and that's the end of the story," she said in a controversial interview with GQ in 2016. "How many roles are out there for the gorgeous, [expletive], gown-wearing, eight-foot model? When meaty roles come through, I've been in the room and pretty people get turned away first."
Mandy Moore Is Way Taller Than She Looks
When you watch Mandy Moore on This Is Us, you're probably way too busy sobbing to realize how tall she is... but in reality, at 5'10", she's actually an inch taller than her late onscreen husband, played by Milo Ventimiglia.
Even though she wasn't always crazy about how tall she is, she's said that her mom is the one who helped her realize that being tall was a good thing. "She reminded me to embrace what I was given and stand tall with my shoulders back," Mandy said her mom would tell her when she wished she was shorter. "I guess the grass is always greener.”
Legendary Laura Dern Is 5'10"
You probably last saw her in the most recent Star Wars installment as Holdo, and maybe you even noticed that there, she stood tall, but Laura Dern is actually very tall in real life. At 5'10", she tends to command the attention of any room she walks into, but let's be real: she's Laura Dern. She's a legend. Even if she was short, that would happen!
She hasn't addressed her height very much publicly, but it should definitely be something she's proud of. After all, who doesn't want to grow up to be Laura? We need her to star in, like, every movie from now until the end of time.
Sigourney Weaver Is Also In The Six Foot Club
Just like Jane Lynch (and many other women on this list), Sigourney Weaver is six feet tall, and she's admitted that being tall can take a lot of courage... and a lot of reminding yourself not to compare yourself to those who are smaller. "Being tall has a major impact in general," Sigourney has said in the past. "It takes some courage to be as big as you are - to live up to it and not be intimidated by the graceful tiny people."
We'd say that Sigourney has definitely found a way to live up to being six feet tall, even if many people don't notice her height right away when they watch her in her movies.
Nicole Kidman Was Bullied For Her Height
Standing at 5'11", Nicole comes in one inch taller than her country-singing husband, Keith Urban, but that doesn't seem to bother her... even though it might have when she was younger. When talking to The Sun in 2011, Nicole revealed that in school, the other kids called her Storky because of her height and since the boys were so much shorter than she was, they were among the cruelest.
"I wish I had known I would become more confident about my looks," Nicole said, adding that she was already 5'10' at 13 years old. "It made me very self-conscious. I had no regular boyfriend and no serious relationship until much later."
6'3" Gwendolyn Christie Is Made For Her Powerful Roles
At 6'3", Gwendolyn Christie is made for the roles that made her famous in Game of Thrones and Star Wars. And aside from the roles, she's gotten because of her height, Gwendolyn has also found a few different benefits that come with being tall.
"You can get to the bar easier," she told Harper's Bazaar. "You can catch the bar person's eye, and mouth what you want, and by the time you're there, you've got it. I'm like a human plow. I also have a selfie-stick arm. To get the same angle as I get with my selfie arm, you'd need a crane."
At 5'9" Julia Roberts Says She's Too Tall To Be A Girl
Julia Roberts is 5'9, and you'll notice that there isn't much of a height difference between her and the majority of her male costars. In the past, she's said that she's "too tall to be a girl," stating that instead, she's somewhere "between a chick and a broad." She also said in an interview that people first noticed her height after Mystic Pizza, when they couldn't help but make comments about it.
"Every day for a week after Mystic Pizza came out, people came up to me and said, 'I thought you were six feet tall,'" Julia said. "To me, I'm of average height. I'm five-foot-nine."
Taylor Swift's Ex Didn't Like When She Wore Heels
You may not have guessed that this Grammy-winning singer has towered over most of her boyfriend, but it's true — Taylor is a solid 5'10", which is why she wore cowboy boots so often in the beginning of her career. When she was younger, Taylor was pretty self-conscious about her height, and in her song, "Begin Again," she even sang about an ex-boyfriend who didn't like when she wore high heels because it made her taller than him.
These days, though? It seems like she's really embraced what makes her different, and you can catch that girl in heels anytime.
Khloe Kardashian Is Much Taller Than Her Sisters
Because the entire Kardashian family is so small, you might assume that Khloe doesn't have much height to her, either — but that's definitely not the truth. Although Kim and Kourtney are on the low end of five feet tall, Khloe is actually 5'10", and being different from the rest of her family is something it seems she's come to love.
"I don't like it when I can't wear high heels in shoots because my sisters are short," she's admitted in the past. "I'm tall, I love high heels and I embrace it!" She should embrace it, because, with legs like hers, it'd be a shame if she missed out on heels!
Tilda Swinton Gets Mistaken For A Man
Six-foot-tall Tilda Swinton is known for her androgynous look — something her height helps her accomplish. She even told a story during an interview with The New York Times about how her height often causes her to be mistaken for a man.
"The other day, I was going through the airport security and I was searched by a male security guard." she said. "I'm very often referred to as 'Sir' in elevators and such. I think it has to do with being this tall and not wearing much lipstick. I think people just can't imagine I'd be a woman if I look like this."
Blake Lively Feels Huge Sometimes
Being that her husband, Ryan Reynolds, is 6'2", it's hard to believe that Blake Lively is actually incredibly tall... but in reality, she's 5'11". Unfortunately, though, it doesn't sound like it's one of her favorite qualities about herself. "I love really high heels, so it becomes a problem sometimes," Blake admitted while talking to Access Hollywood in 2012. "I just feel like huge … you don't want to feel like the man."
It's hard to imagine someone who looks like Blake feeling anything less than gorgeous, so we hope her height is something she's found a way to embrace by now!
Allison Janney Towers Over The Competition
In case you hadn't already guessed, Allison Janney is one tall woman. She's six feet tall, and she's even said that she loves the advantage her height sometimes gives her in her career... even though it wasn't always that way. "I felt like my career started late and I think it was because of my height — and maybe some of my confidence issues," she told NPR in 2014.
"I was playing 40-year-old women when I was 20. I didn't get considered for ingenue roles. Maybe I just wasn't ready, but things started happening when I turned 38... I think my height probably did have something to do with it — but [my height] also helped me in certain parts. It's made me definitely more of a character actress in terms of my love of doing comedy."
Michelle Obama Is Still Shorter Than Barack
Even though the former first lady stands tall at 5'10", you might not have realized it because her husband, Barack, is actually 6'2"... so that helps. What her height doesn't help, though, is avoiding getting recognized in public.
“There are times when I do disguise it up," she said during an appearance on Live! With Jimmy Kimmel in 2012. It’s a little hard because I’m so tall, so you see people just kind of looking at me just because I’m so tall. And then it’s like you, ‘Oh, it’s you!’ But every now and then I try to sneak out... but I don’t get to do it that much.”
Kate Middleton Was Bullied For Her Height, Too
Even though she's a member of the royal family these days, Kate Middleton — who proudly stands at 5'11 — used to get made fun of when she was younger because she was so tall. In fact, according to what a former classmate has said about the Duchess of Cambridge, it sounds like she had a pretty rough go of it.
"She had run into a pack of bullies who reduced her to an emotional wreck," the classmate said. "She was the outsider who was probably too nice for her own good. It didn’t help that she was so tall and self-conscious about her eczema." Wonder how those bullies feel today?
Uma Thurman Had To Find Her Confidence
It seems fitting that Uma Thurman is 6'0", considering how strong she's been over the course of her career (and especially recently) — but it wasn't always something that she was very proud of. In fact, as she told The Sun in 2012, as a teenager, she really struggled with her height, and only recently has she been able to embrace it.
"Was my height an issue? At nearly 6 feet tall, with large feet, of course, it was!" she said. "Once you get a job, you will feel different about yourself and establish your own identity. It took me until about 35 to walk without being self-conscious."
Gwyneth Paltrow Is A Little Bit "Gangly"
You may not have realized it, but Gwyneth Paltrow is actually very tall. She stands at 5'9", but it's something she's easily been able to disguise since her new fiancé, Brad Falchuk, is actually taller than she is. But even though Gwyneth is all about loving herself these days, unfortunately, she struggled a lot with her height when she was in high school.
“I am kind of a gangly girl, but it was a lot worse when I was a teenager," she's said. If only that self-conscious teenager had realized who she was destined to become when she grew up — maybe then she would have been a little easier on herself!
Jordin Sparks Is 6'0"
Despite the fact that she's a card-carrying member of the six-foot club, American Idol star Jordin Sparks isn't about to let anyone get in the way of her embracing her true height — as she made very clear in a Twitter rant a few years ago. "Yes, I'm really tall," she wrote in 2014. "Yes, I still get nervous before I perform. Yes, I'm mad as hell about the BRICK WALLS I have to keep breaking 4 music."
Fortunately, since she shared those words, her career has only grown. And now that she's expecting her first baby, we can't wait to find out if her height is something she'll pass on to her children.
Aisha Tyler Is 6'0"
You may not have noticed, but comedian Aisha Tyler is actually six feet tall. And for her, that height didn't come in an unexpected growth spurt — she's been tall for her entire life, even as a child.
In her book, Self Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation, she wrote, "For one thing, I was extraordinarily tall. In third grade, I was almost twice as tall as some of the other kids." That had to be really hard, but if anyone made fun of her, we have a feeling they're regretting it after seeing where her life has taken her as an adult.
Geena Davis Can Boast 6 Feet, Too
Although being six feet tall is something that Geena Davis has finally managed to come to accept about herself, it wasn't always that way. While talking to ESPN in 2015, she admitted that she was "tall from minute one," a thought that consumed her thinking in her childhood. "My fantasy was to take up less space in the world," Geena said. "I found this fairy tale about a princess that was 1-foot tall, and I wore that book out. That's all I wanted, to be petite and attractive. I was afraid I'd never stop growing."
Fortunately, she did, and when she went to Sweden to study at 18, she finally realized that there are people who found her height attractive.
Karlie Kloss Doesn't Flaunt Her Height
There's no missing this fresh-faced model standing at 6'1. Karlie Kloss knows her height has made a difference on her modeling career and she loves it. Despite appreciating her height for work, she doesn't exactly flaunt it off the runway.
She's said you won't catch her wearing high heels just for running errands in New York. Kloss told People magazine that "I think I would look like a crazy woman walking around N.Y.C. in heels."
Leslie Jones Is 6 Feet Of Funny
It seems like Leslie Jones has the full package and a big part of that is her height. Jones has a loud and proud personality and a body to match it. The Saturday Night Live actress is absolutely killing it with her comedy on the late-night show and has extended it to feature films like Ghostbusters 2.
It would almost be strange to have such a commanding personality coming from someone only 5'2 or 5'3.
Elizabeth Debicki Is A Fierce 6'2" Actress
Elizabeth Debecki is a relative newcomer to the Hollywood scene, but that hasn't stopped her from making waves and turning heads with her height. The Australian actress made her mark on Hollywood in 2013 after being cast in the role of Jordan in The Great Gatsby.
Debecki downplayed her height in The Great Gatsby, but highlighted it a few years later when she landed the role of Ayesha in Guardians Of The Galaxy: Part 2.
Kendall Jenner Is Tall Like Her Step-Sister
Khloe must feel a little bit better in family photos now that her half-sister Kendall has matured and grown to the same height. The fashion model stands over 6 feet in heels on the runway, which is basically a minimum in fashion nowadays.
Jenner probably gets her height from her father Caitlyn Jenner's side, since her mom Kris and sister Kylie only stand at 5'5.
Brooke Sheilds Tries To Seem Even Taller
While most of the women on this list have struggled with accepting their height and have even tried to look shorter at times, Brooke Shields is the exact opposite. The former '90s supermodel and actress says that she's always loved her height and used it to her advantage.
Shields says that to this day, she still tries to make herself look even taller and regularly wears the highest heels she can get her hands on.
Kimora Lee Simmons Has Always Been Tall
The model turned reality star has always been proud of her height. The Baby Phat founder has said that she was already 5'10 by the time she was 11, so she had to learn about confidence quickly. In order to help out, Kimora's mother enrolled her in modeling classes.
The modeling classes must have helped out because Kimora landed a modeling contract with Chanel by the time she was 14.
Ivanka Trump Is Nearly 6 Feet Tall
Considering the fact that Ivanka used to be a model, it's no surprise to hear she's on the taller side. Still, we had no idea that she was pushing six feet tall. The Trump heiress has worked in fashion as well, so she knows how to dress her tall physique.
This makes a lot of sense when you catch her standing next to her father. President Trump is 6'2 but looks short when flanked by his daughter wearing high heels.
Liv Tyler Uses Her Height To Her Advantage
Liv Tyler has made good use of her height in different roles, particularly playing the tall, beautiful elf Arwen Undómiel in the Lord of the Rings franchise. Tyler didn't have much of a problem accepting her height after she learned about her true origins.
Tyler is the daughter of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, but she didn't know it until she was 8 years old. Her confidence shot through the roof after she learned the truth, and now she's actually the same height as her dad.
Maria Sharapova Towers Over The Competition
Not only is tennis player Maria Sharapova one of the tallest women in show business today, but she's also one of the tallest female athletes. For context, Venus Williams is 6'0 while her sister Serena is only 5'8.
The Russian beauty has used her height to her advantage to win 36 world tennis finals and 4 international tennis titles. Her height must not have been enough though as she failed a drug test in 2016.
Rebecca Romjin Doesn't Take Her Height Seriously
This model turned actress hasn't always embraced her height, but not for confidence reasons. Romjin revealed that she had serious health issues growing up thanks to her lanky figure. She says she suffered scoliosis and felt to be in constant pain thanks to the growth spurt in her adolescence.
Thankfully, she's now grown out of the health issues and can use her height to her advantage. Still, she calls herself the "Jolly Blonde Giant" for fun.
Gal Gadot Embraces Her Amazonian Role
Gal Gadot used her taller figure to her advantage when she was cast in the role as Wonder Woman. Like her predecessors, Gadot has made sure to focus on Diana, Princess of the Amazon's physical feature. To get ready for the role she worked on adding muscle to her already tall frame to fit the Amazonian mold.
It totally worked in her favor and maybe her confidence will inspire younger tall girls to feel like Wonder Woman.
Kristen Johnston Had A Growth Spurt When She Was 11
Kristen Johnston joins our list of actresses who hit their growth spurt early on in life and paid for it. Johnston has said that she was already 6 feet tall by the age of 11 and that it was a "vulnerable age." She admits it didn't help she was "loud" and always "a freak."
Johnston shut the bullies down when she landed the role as everyone's favorite alien lieutenant Sally Solomon on 3rd Rock From The Sun.
Gisele Bündchen Is A Brazillian Tall Beauty
It's no surprise that this Brazilian supermodel is on the top of the list for tall women in Hollywood. Gisele's height was half the reason she had such staggering success in the '90s.
It seems like she's finally met her match though in NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Gisele might be 5'11 but Brady is an impressive 6'4, which must be a nice change of pace for her.
Anjelica Huston Is 5'10"
This former fashion model turned actress, director, and producer knows that her height runs in the family Born in Santa Monica, California, Huston admitted that she used to poke fun at her half-sister Allegra by calling her "legs" as a nickname.
Huston could have the same nickname if she wanted since she towers over the competition at 5'10". Luckily that never stopped her from pursuing her dreams and she got into acting in the 1960s.
Tyra Banks Is A Cool 5'11"
The first African-American to featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue admits that she used to feel like an "ugly duckling." Banks has said that growing up in Los Angeles, she was teased a lot for her height. It got even worse when she turned 11 and grew 3 inches and lost 30 pounds in just three months.
Luckily that didn't stop her and four years after her growth spurt, she began taking modeling lessons and found her true calling.
Adrianne Palicki Is 5'11"
She might have chosen acting over modeling but Adrianne Palicki could definitely have been tall enough to make it in the fashion industry. At 5'11" Palicki stands tall among her male co-stars.
Palicki is best known for her role at Tyra Collette on Friday Night Lights. Maybe she took inspiration from Tyra Banks, who is also 5'11", for the role. You can also see Palicki's height and talent as Commander Kelly Grayson in The Orville.
Queen Latifah Is 5'10" Of Royalty
Before she was beat boxing and serving us all fresh tunes on the radio, Queen Latifah AKA Dana Elaine Owens was using her height to her advantage in sports. She was always tall as a kid and at 5'10" she played power forward on her high school basketball team.
She didn't let her height change her outward appearance though and her stage name Latifah actually means "delicate" and "very kind" in Arabic.
Laura Prepon Is Also 5'10"
Laura Prepon rose to fame playing Donna on the hit sitcom That '70s Show but now she's best known for her role of Alex Vause on Orange Is The New Black. In both roles, she has risen above her costars at 5'10".
Prepon is the youngest of five children and is of Russian-Jewish and Irish-Catholic descent. She rarely speaks about her height and makes sure not to let it keep her from landing the roles she wants.
Sydney Tamiia Poitier Is Tall Like Her Father
If this stunning actress' name sounds familiar it might be because she was named after her father, the legendary actor Sidney Poitier. Sidney stood at a strong 6'2" and his daughter inherited the genes and stands tall at 5'11".
While the younger Sydney is busy making her way in Hollywood as an actress she certainly has large (and tall) shoes to fill, since her father was the first Bahamian and first Black actor to win a Best Actor Academy Award.
Bella And Gigi Hadid Know Height Runs In The Family
The modeling sister Bella and Gigi Hadid stand at 5'9" and 5'10" respectfully. The pair have used their height to their advantage by getting into the modeling industry. They're both following in the footsteps of their mother Yolanda Hadid who was herself a model.
They certainly don't get their height from their mother though. Believe it or not, Yolanda is only 5'5". She still managed to have a successful modeling career despite being below-average height.
