In Hollywood, appearances are everything. How you look can make the difference between an Oscar win or fading away from the audience’s memories. Sometimes the things that distinguish a celebrity’s looks aren’t what you’d expect.
For example, A-list celebrities often have larger heads than the average person, and this makes them stand out on the screen. Height is another critical factor, especially for women. Height helps them command the scene, after all—and these 20 tall celebrities certainly measure up to the task!
1. Taylor Swift: It’s hard to look at this pop diva and think “massively” tall, but the truth is that Taylor Swift is taller than the average woman. She stands at 5’11”, although when she’s in heels, she’s over 6’0″. Don’t mess with tall Tay!
2. Karlie Kloss: It’s not surprising to learn that a supermodel is tall. After all, being vertically blessed is practically a prerequisite for models. Karlie Kloss is no exception to that rule. The model stands at 6’1″ and never wears heels (unless it’s for work).
3. Laura Prepon: Standing at 5’10”, Laura Prepon frequently finds herself to be the tallest person in the room and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She is one of the tallest cast members of Orange Is The New Black
4. Khloe Kardashian: Love ’em or hate ’em, there’s no denying that the Kardashian clan was blessed with good genes—height being one of them. So it’s no surprise that most (if not all) of them have dabbled in modeling. While Khloe Kardashian is the youngest of her sisters, Kourtney and Kim, she towers over them at 5’10”.
5. Kate Middleton: Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge should be renamed Her Royal Tallness! Prince William’s bride stands at 5’10” (just like Princess Diana). Don’t worry, she can still look up to her hubby, who stands at 6’3″.
6. Gwendolyn Christie: On the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, Gwendolyn Christie plays a giant of a woman. While her height is more reasonable in real life, she’s still pretty darn tall; standing at 6’3″, she was born to play Brienne of Tarth!
7. Adriana Lima: Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima has always been successful in her field, and her height has definitely played a key part in her success. This Victoria’s Secret “angel” walks the runway regularly, stunning everyone with her impressive 5’10” physique.
8. Irina Shayk: This model is known both for her relationship with actor Bradley Cooper as well as her strolls down the runway. She’s catching the eyes of more and more people, especially considering that she’s 5’10”.
9. Nicole Kidman: This Aussie actress is 5’11” and her husband Keith Urban is 5’10”. This is the kind of teeny height difference you would never notice… if Kidman wasn’t so obsessed with wearing fancy high heels!
10. Elle MacPherson: When this supermodel was at the “height” of her career, she was known simply as “The Body.” With her girl-next-door good looks, killer cheekbones, and slim 6’0″-tall frame, it’s easy to see why she would earn such a moniker!
11. Blake Lively: The Gossip Girl star, actress, and aspiring lifestyle blogger is 5’10”. Her husband, Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Reynolds, is a whole four inches taller than she is, too. There will be no shorties in this family!
12. Brooke Shields: It’s no wonder that her marriage to tennis player Andre Agassi didn’t work out. The couple was the same height, each standing at 6’0″. If that was all they had in common, clearly a successful marriage wasn’t in the cards.
13. Mandy Moore: The singer and This Is Us star knows that the struggle is real when you’re a tall woman. Standing at 5’10”, she tried to start her own brand of clothing for tall women. A great idea, but in the end, it didn’t pan out. She’s still got her acting career!
14. Jane Lynch: This comedienne is also known for often being the tallest person in the room at 6’0″. It’s not always easy to be a tall lady, but Lynch turned being the center of attention into a career at a young age.
15. Tyra Banks: This actress, model, and media mogul stands at 5’10, which is actually a wee bit short for a professional runway model! Luckily, her “short” status didn’t keep her from making a splash in the world of modeling and then some.
16. Ivanka Trump: Whether she’s gracing the pages of a high fashion magazine or firing people in the boardroom on Celebrity Apprentice, Ivanka Trump’s impeccable poise and natural beauty nicely complement her nearly 6-foot frame.
17. Uma Thurman: When a cutthroat mentality and deadly martial arts skills aren’t enough to sell a killer character, get a tall tough lady like Uma Thurman to play the part, standing tall at 5′ 11″.
18. Sigourney Weaver: Weaver’s 6-foot frame is threatening to even the most sinister of humans and aliens and when you factor in her bad-ass attitude, no one wants to mess with her. Toss in a few special effects, an evil grin, and some snappy dialogue and you’ve got a comic book heroine come to life.
19. Jordin Sparks: Sparks outstanding performance that won her first place on the sixth season of American Idol was more magical than anyone imagined: It made us completely miss that she was 4 inches taller than host Ryan Seacrest, standing tall at 6 foot.
20. Ireland Baldwin: This beauty got her model-quality looks from both parents, Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, but her 6-feet-plus height likely comes from dad’s genes; he’s six feet even.
While these celebrities are way taller than you might’ve thought, these huge Hollywood stars are probably way shorter than you thought…
1. Jack Black: Actor, comedian, and erstwhile musician Jack Black is perhaps best known for his comedic work in movies like The School of Rock. While his presence might be massive on the big screen, in reality, he is just 5’5″.
2. Elijah Wood: Bursting on to the scene in Hollywood as a child actor, Elijah Wood proved to have more staying power that no one expected. His role in the Lord of the Rings movies made him a giant of the cinema, when in reality this hobbit is just 5’5″.
3. Kate Hudson: Model-turned-actress Kate Hudson is a descendant of majorly huge star Goldie Hawn! However, while Kate takes after her mother when it comes to star appeal, she also takes after her when it comes to height. She stands at just 5’5″.
4. Miley Cyrus: This country singer-turned-pop sensation is known as much for her outrageous fashion choices as she is her tunes. While her pipes and persona might seem larger than life, Miley really stands at just 5’4″. A pint-sized diva, to be sure.
5. Emma Watson: When she played the role of Hermione in the Harry Potter franchise, Emma Watson magicked her way into all of our hearts. She might be all grown up now, but you might not notice it if you met her, since she’s just 5’4″.
6. Daniel Radcliffe: Here’s another Harry Potter star whose smaller stature might surprise you. To transition into adult roles, Daniel Radcliffe famously bared all on the London stage for Equus. Strangely, the biggest topic of conversation this spurred was just how short he stood at just 5’5″.
7. Chloe Moretz: When Chloe Moretz entered the scene, she did so literally kicking ass… in the movie Kick Ass. She may be able to pack one heck of a punch onscreen and leave an impression that lasts, but it’s got nothing to do with her height. After all, she’s just 5’3″.
8. Seth Green: Seth Green has been a Hollywood fixture since his mother first took him out for infant casting calls. While he’s known for his quippy internet presence, his passion for cartoons, and his red hair, you might not know that Seth is actually just 5’3″.
9. Mila Kunis: This actress made a name for herself with her dynamic presence in comedies like TV’s That 70’s Show and in Darren Aronofsky’s dark drama Black Swan. While she might be a real stunner, she’s not a tall one, standing at just 5’3″.
10. Natalie Portman: Since her first turn in Luc Besson’s The Professional, Natalie Portman has always seemed older than her relatively young years. She is not afraid to make a strong choice, which is saying something for a woman who is just 5’2″.
11. Scarlett Johansson: When Scarlett Johansson was still just a teenager, she was already making a big impression in the film world in movies like North and The Horse Whisperer. Scarlett continues to take home choice roles, even though she stands at just 5’2″.
12. Vanessa Paradis: In France, Vanessa Paradis has enjoyed a career as a celebrated singer and actress, though in Hollywood she is better known as the former Mrs. Johnny Depp. With her doe eyes and model good looks, she seems like a titanic presence, which is amazing considering that she is just 5’2″.
13. Emilia Clarke: Without the blonde wig, she might be hard to peg, but Emilia Clarke has made a name for herself as the Mother of Dragons on Game of Thrones. While she might have convinced an entire Dothraki army to follow her into battle, it wasn’t her size that had them standing at heel. She’s just 5’1″.
14. Salma Hayek: There is almost nothing that this A-List celebrity can’t do. She’s starred in movies, she’s married a millionaire, she has a beauty line, and she’s a vocal advocate for women’s rights. Pretty impressive for a woman who is just 5’1″!
15. Shakira: This Colombian bombshell is a singing sensation with dance moves like no one else around. Her name along can pack entire stadiums and have them on their feet cheering, which isn’t too shabby for a woman who stands but 5’1″ tall!
16. Vanessa Hudgens: Vanessa Hudgens is an established member of the former Disney-teen-star club, whose following is quite devoted to the actress. You’d think since she attracts so much attention she’d be pretty darn tall, but the truth is she is just 5 feet.
17. Christina Ricci: She was every girl next door’s role model when she appeared in movies like Casper and Now and Then. Today, she plays the nominal role in Lizzie Borden, a TV show about the famed alleged axe murderer. At 5 feet, she would have tough time killing anyone with an axe!
18. Ellen Page: When Ellen Page burst onto the scene in the teen pregnancy film Juno, people couldn’t get enough of this precious tomboy. That hasn’t changed! While Ellen might play like of the guys, she’s a lot shorter than most of them at just 5 feet tall.
