DONT MISS THE BEAT

HOLLYWOOD ACTORS UNDER SIX FOOT

They say the camera adds 10 pounds, but can it also add a few inches in height?

By Riesa Pascal

Did you know that the average height for men in the United States is 5 feet 9 inches tall? Upon discovering this fun fact for myself, I was surprised to also learn that many of Hollywood’s leading men are actually shorter than average. In an industry where physical appearance can often be seen as a barrier to success, it’s refreshing to know that plenty of the film industry’s most exciting, larger-than-life actors are actually much smaller than they seem on the silver screen. Thanks to movie magic you would never know that Harry Potter is shorter than Frodo and Ant-Man is actually taller than the Hulk. Here’s a look at some of the biggest Hollywood actors who are all less than the average male height.

TOM CRUISE — 5' 7" In 2011, Cruise spoke about his height insecurities in an interview revealing that he became very sensitive about his stature after it was announced he would be bringing the character of Jack Reacher to life on the big screen. Fans were quick to point out that Cruise was nearly a whole foot shorter than the towering hero of Lee Child's thriller series.

AL PACINO — 5'7" To imagine The Godfather without Al Pacino is like picturing The Matrix without Keanu Reeves, but you may be surprised to know that almost became reality! During a Tribeca Film Festival, it was revealed that Pacino’s height nearly cost him the role of Michael Corleone as Paramount producers thought he was “too short” to play the part.

ELIJAH WOOD — 5'6" Without his short stature, Elijah Wood might not have landed the role that gave him his first big break! At 5’6” he was the ideal height to play a hobbit named Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings franchise—a role which earned him numerous awards and was reprised in the follow-up franchise, The Hobbit.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE — 5'5" When asked by Playboy if he thought his height had held him back in Hollywood, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe said the following: “I don’t think so. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise have very different careers, and they’re both about the same height as I am...If you’re asking, ‘Can you play a really (bleeping) tall person?’ No, obviously not. Can I play a black guy? For similar reasons, no. I couldn’t play something I wouldn’t take myself seriously in.”

KEVIN HART — 5'2” Hart’s shorter stature is especially prominent when he's seen standing with his family, as his wife, Eniko Parrish, stands several inches taller than him. If Hart is at all self-conscious about his 5-foot-4-inch stature, you'd certainly never know it. He regularly draws attention to his height in his shows, laughing along with thousands of people as he jokes about why he’ll never be tough because his legs don’t touch the ground when he sits.

MICHAEL J. FOX — 5'4¼" In his 2009 book Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, the beloved Back to the Future star admitted that the title was a dig at his height, saying, “First off—let's just get this one out of the way—it's a short joke… At a fraction of an inch under five-foot-five, much of my interaction with the world and the people in it has required that I tilt my head backward and direct my gaze upward.”