The Tallest Actresses in Hollywood Revealed
It’s not always apparent when actresses are tall. The way scenes are filmed and often downplays a woman’s height, especially if she happens to be taller than her male costars.
However, whether you noticed it or not, plenty of women in Hollywood are tall. It might even be their physical stature that helped get them noticed by talent agents in the first place. These women rank as the tallest in all of Hollywood.
30. Gwyneth Paltrow — 5 Feet 9 Inches
Despite being a popular leading lady in many Hollywood dramas over the years, Gwyneth Paltrow’s height is likely not something that has stood out. At 5 feet 9 inches, she is a fairly tall woman Hollywood. Her most successful role was Shakespeare in Love, for which she won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actress..
That said, Paltrow has also starred in countless other box-office hits. More recently, she has turned to superhero films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe such as Iron Man.
29. Maggie Gyllenhaal — 5 Feet 9 Inches
Hollywood superstar actor and director Maggie Gyllenhaal is almost as tall as her equally famous younger brother Jake Gyllenhaal. They stand at 5 foot 9 and 5 foot 11 inches tall respectively. It doesn’t seem like Gyllenhaal’s height has played much of a part in the roles she’s been cast in, although being a tall, beautiful woman usually doesn’t hurt.
Gyllenhaal’s first break-out role was in the 2002 black comedy Secretary, though she is better known for her role in the 2008 superhero film The Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins.
28. Gal Gadot — 5 Feet 9 Inches
Israeli actress Gal Godot is famous after starring in Wonder Woman. She is majorly talented, although her height of 5 feet 9 inches may have at least nudged her forward the leading role in such a major franchise.
The 2017 film Wonder Woman was the highest-grossing superhero origin movie of all time. Gadot has also starred in plenty of other action films, which the actress believes she may have selected for in part due to her mandatory two years in the Israeli military.
27. Jennifer Garner — 5 Feet 9 Inches
Jennifer Garner’s height, 5 feet 9 inches, may have helped make her the perfect star for the ABC television series Alias, an action thriller where she was a double agent for the CIA and an international criminal and spy organization. After winning a Golden Globe for her performance, her career truly off, particularly in Hollywood films.
On top of her massive talent, Garner’s height probably hasn’t hurt her ability to score other major Hollywood action roles. Her sweet persona has also made her a perfect fit for dramas.
26. Julia Roberts — 5 Feet 9 Inches
Julia Robert’s casting as the leading role in Pretty Woman launched her international success as an actress in 1990. To date, she has won three Golden Globes and four Academy Award nominations as well as the Academy Award for Best Actress for the 2000 film Erin Brockovich.
Roberts left Georgia State University to pursue a career in acting in New York City. Her 5-foot-9-inch stature may have gotten her signed with her first modeling agency, but it was her immense talent that provided her an astoundingly successful acting tenure.
25. Cameron Diaz — 5 Feet 9 Inches
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Cameron Diaz on the big screen, though her decades-long career has already established her as a Hollywood superstar. Even so, many people may not realize how tall she is, as it’s not something that has been highlighted in the roles she has played.
Diaz is 5 feet 9 inches tall, but her success has reached heights far beyond her physical stature. Her starring roles in 90s box-office hits My Best Friend’s Wedding and There’s Something About Mary helped her make quite the name for herself.
24. Mandy Moore — 5 Feet 10 Inches
Mandy Moore stands at 5 feet 10 inches tall, though it’s doubtful that has mattered much in her successful career as a singer and actress. While she started off as a musician doing bubblegum pop in the late 90s, she eventually moved to more serious music and acting.
Moore’s starring role in the 2002 box-office hit A Walk to Remember helped to establish her as one of America’s sweethearts. Her ongoing role in the NBS series This Is Us has now cemented Moore in the hearts of viewers around the world.
23. Khloe Kardashian — 5 Feet 10 Inches
Where Khloe Kardashian got her height is a mystery, because almost every other member of the Kardashian clan is pretty short. Her dad, Robert Kardashian, was 5 feet 7 inches, while her mom, Kris, is 5 feet 6 inches.
Knowing that, it makes more sense that their other daughters are short. Kourtney is 5 feet flat and Kim is 5 feet two inches. However, Khloe’s brother, Rob, is 6 feet 1 inches, which at least confirms that one of the parents must have some tall genes in there somewhere.
22. Lucy Lawless — 5 Feet 10 Inches
While the towering height of some actresses comes as a shock, that’s not the case for Lucy Lawless. She’s 5 feet 10 inches tall, which matches perfectly with the starring role she became famous for in Xena: Warrior Princess. Lawless was the original female Hollywood warrior.
Since her days as a television warrior princess, Lawless has expanded her horizons with a recurring role on the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. However, she has also continued working in the action and supernatural genre as well.
21. Charlize Theron — 5 feet 10 inches
A talent agent discovered Charlize Theron in a bank when she was begging a teller to cash a check. Her striking beauty, including her height at 5 feet 10 inches, may have been what first got that talent agent’s attention, but her exceptional acting ability is what brought her to be one of the most successful Hollywood actresses to date.
The South African actress has since won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her performance as a serial killer in Monster, plus numerous other accolades. She’s also become quite the action star, with roles in high-grossing box office films like Mad Max: Fury Road.
20. Laura Dern — 5 Feet 10 Inches
Laura Dern is not only gifted with tremendous acting talent, but also the gift of height. Dern is 5 feet 10 inches tall, although it was her acting ability that earned her five Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy and three Academy Award nominations.
Over the years, her parts in classic films like Jurrasic Park and October Sky have made her a Hollywood icon. Most recently, she has risen to the top once again as a star in HBO’s Big Little Lies and the critically acclaimed films Wild and The Marriage Story.
19. Blake Lively — 5 Feet 10 Inches
If you’re a 5-foot-10 bombshell blonde like Blake Lively, it might give you a headstart in life. However, Lively has more than proven it’s her talent, not just her physical appearance, that has made her a Hollywood star. It was her role as Serena van der Woodsen in the CW hit drama Gossip Girl that truly got her acting career going.
Since then, she has become one half of a Hollywood power couple opposite Ryan Reynolds, who is even taller than she is. She now mainly stars in films, but perhaps she’ll get back to television eventually,
18. Laura Prepon — 5 Feet 10 Inches
Laura Prepon’s height was noticeable since the beginning of her career as an actress largely thanks to the fact that her main co-star on That ’70s Show, Topher Grace, is a fairly short actor. Prepon’s character always looked like she was towering over him.
Many of Prepon’s co-stars in Orange Is the New Black were also notably short. This made it obvious once again that she’s still one of the tallest actresses in Hollywood.
17. Kristanna Loken — 5 Feet 11 Inches
Kristanna Loken is 5 feet 11 inches tall and as pretty as they come, which is no doubt part of why her mom encouraged her to become a model as a teenager. Placing third in Elite Model Look’s 1994 competition prompted her to start an acting career, and she scored appearances in Boy Meets World, Philly and Unhappily Ever After.
After that, Loken went into starring in action films, including Mortal Kombat: Conquest, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Mercenaries. She was also the title character in the Sci-Fi Channel’s Painkiller Jane, which had a four-year run.
16. Missi Pyle — 5 Feet 11 Inches
It seems unlikely that being 5 feet 11 inches tall is what led Missi Pyle to such great success. Her growing list of box-office hits, including Big Fish, The Artist, Gone Girl and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is more likely due to her incredible talent as an actress.
Aside from acting, Pyle was also part of the desert country-rock duo Smith & Pyle, claiming it was always her dream to be in a rock band. Once that was accomplished, she let it go and went back to focusing solely on her acting career.
15. Nicole Kidman — 5 Feet 11 Inches
Most recently, fans know and love Nicole Kidman as Celeste Wright on the HBO hit series Big Little Lies. While her skill as an actor is no secret, her height, 5 feet 11 inches, has recently become more noticeable now that audiences have seen her stand next to the notoriously short Reese Witherspoon.
Kidman has unsurprisingly won an Academy Award, five Golden Globes, two Primetime Emmys and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her countless breathtaking performances in film and television alike. It’s not surprising that she is one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses.
14. Tilda Swinton — 5 feet 11 Inches
Tilda Swinton stands at 5 feet 11 inches tall, but that’s hardly her most notable feature. She’s also strikingly beautiful and a profound, versatile actress as well. Whether she’s starring in a hyper-serious drama like We Need To Talk About Kevin Vanilla Sky or Adaptation or she making people laugh in comedies like Trainwreck, Swinton’s spectrum of acting skills seems limitless.
She’s even dabbled in fantasy and superhero films like The Chronicles of Narnia and Marvel’s Doctor Strange. It’s exciting to see what the future will bring us from this extraordinary and also very tall actress.
13. Adrianne Palicki — 5 Feet 11 Inches
Adrianne Palicki is famous for her role as Tyra Collete in the hit NBC series Friday Night Lights, but not for being one of the tallest actresses in Hollywood at 5 feet 11 inches. Viewers seemingly didn’t notice how tall she was despite being one of the star characters on the show.
Palicki has had roles in plenty of other television series, such as her current role as Commander Kelly Grayson on Fox’s The Orville. In addition, she’s scored a few supporting roles in major films, including G.I. Joe: Retaliation and John Wick.
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12. Kristen Johnston — 6 Feet
Kristen Johnston’s claim to fame began with her part in the NBC hit series 3rd Rock from the Sun. She is 6 feet tall, but unlike some altitude-blessed actresses, her height used to be a source of shame for her.
When she was growing up, Johnston said being so tall that she felt like a freak. Hopefully, she no longer feels that way, what with her wild Hollywood successes in both television and film these days.
11. Sigourney Weaver — 6 Feet
Sigourney Weaver’s acting career is prolific, to say the least. Her immense talent landed her the leading role as the sci-fi heroine in the Alien franchise, although her height probably didn’t hurt, either.
She’s starred in plenty more action films since. However, her skills are not limited to action parts. She’s also shown her versatility by starring in highly successful dramas and comedies as well, including Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl.
10. Brooke Shields — 6 Feet
Brooke Shields started out as a fashion model. At age 14, she appeared on the cover of Vogue and was the youngest model to ever achieve that feat. Perhaps her height played a role in her initial success, being that she’s 6 feet tall.
While her height and beauty may have helped her rise to stardom in the beginning, it’s her talent that kept her there. From being the youngest host of Saturday Night Live to eventually playing the leading role in the twice Golden-Globe-nominated Suddenly Susan, Shields has had a highly successful career.
9. Leslie Jones — 6 Feet
Leslie Jones is hilarious. Her larger-than-life humor even outdoes her larger-than-life stature of 6 feet. She’s been working hard as a stand-up comedian since the 80s, but her career finally took off when she landed a spot on Saturday Night Live in 2013.
Jones also spiced up the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics via her Twitter account, with the Huffington Post calling her commentary more entertaining than watching the actual games. This led to ABC asking her to join them down in Rio to cover the events. Now she’s killing it with standup specials as well.
8. Geena Davis — 6 Feet
Geena Davis has plenty of worthy accomplishments to her name, both as an actress and an activist. She’s won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe and was nominated for countless others. She also received a Humanitarian Award at the 2019 Academy Awards.
Davis’ most notable roles are Thelma in feminist cult classic Thelma & Louise and as the president of the United States in the ABC series Commander in Chief. Her activism for equal gender rights has also made her stand out from the rest of the Hollywood pack.
7. Aisha Tyler — 6 Feet
Aisha Tyler is an actress, comedian, talk show host and director who also happens to be 6 feet tall. Her most famous roles are as Lana Kane on Archer, Mother Nature in The Santa Clause and as co-host of CBS talk shows The Talk and Whose Line Is It Anyway?
It’s definitely not her height that has got her famous, but rather her great sense of humor. Tyler’s ability to make people laugh plays a much bigger role in her Hollywood status than the fact that she towers over many of her female peers.
6. Allison Janney — 6 Feet
Allison Janney’s career as an outstanding actress won her an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, seven Primetime Emmys and a Bafta Award. Some of her stand-out film roles include American Beauty, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Help, Finding Dory and The Girl on the Train.
Janney is also known for her television roles in Mom and Masters of Sex, though her acting career expands far beyond these few noted parts. She’s been in countless films and television series, and she’s not done yet.
5. Jane Lynch — 6 Feet
Jane Lynch has a lot of awards under her belt. She won Emmy Awards for her roles in Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Hollywood Game Night; a Golden Globe Award for her role in Glee; and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her roles in Glee and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, among countless other nominations.
It doesn’t seem like Lynch’s 6-foot tall stature has much to do with all of those awards. Instead, it’s her pure talent that has made her the prominent Hollywood actress and comedian that she is.
4. Uma Thurman — 6 Feet
Uma Thurman. Her rise to fame as a model and actress came long before her internationally acclaimed role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, although it was certainly that part that brought her the kind of major Hollywood success she now enjoys.
Thurman’s height has likely helped make her an excellent candidate for action films like Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2, though she brought it home with her incredible ability to act. Most of her work is outside of the action realm, where her height does not appear to be much of a factor.
3. Brigitte Nielsen — 6 Feet 1 Inch
When you’re a tall woman in Hollywood like Brigitte Nielsen, who stands at 6 feet 1 inch tall, odds are you can be a successful action star. Between her roles in the Rocky series, Beverly Hills Cop, Cobra and The Double 0 Kid, Nielsen has made quite the name for herself in the world of action films.
The Danish actress actually started out as a model in the 80s, her height no doubt playing a role there, as people love tall models. She even earned herself the Playboy cover in 1987.
2. Caitlyn Jenner — 6 Feet 2 Inches
At 6 feet 2 inches tall, Caitlyn Jenner takes the cake in her family for height. Jenner came out publicly as a transgender woman in 2015 after years of dealing with gender dysphoria and largely keeping her real gender identity to herself during her marriage with Kris Kardashian.
It might be tempting to assume that height runs in the family among the Kardashians and Jenners alike, as both Caitlyn’s daughter Kendall and her unrelated step-daughter Khloe Kardashian are 5 feet 10 inches tall. However, the majority of the Kardashian side is famously short.
1. Gwendoline Christie — 6 Foot 3 Three
Most people know Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, in which her towering height, clocking in at 6 feet 3 inches, made perfect sense for the role. While Christie had been acting in England since long before Game of Thrones, starring in the widely successful HBO series truly launched her career.
She’s now gone on to be cast in major roles in both Star Wars and The Hunger Games franchises, which has turned her from a small-time TV actress to an international star.
