Despite the fact that usually tall women work in fashion industry or conquer the sports peaks, today, there are many high height women in the acting world. They’re not just talented actresses but also known for being really tall.
1. Gwendoline Christie, 6’3’’
Gwendoline Christie has stood out in recent years thanks to her iconic roles in shows like Game of Thrones and Wednesday, but it’s been challenging for her. Because of her being 6’3″ tall, she used to only get very specific roles.
“I’d been told, just simply because I was a tall woman, with somewhat unusual looks, that I would probably never work on-screen,” the 44-year-old star recalled in an interview with Vogue. However, thanks to Wednesday, she felt that her “body was beautiful” regardless of her height. In contrast to the growth of the main character height, 5′ 1″, performed by Jenna Ortega, Gwendoline looked even more spectacular. The success of the Netflix series was indisputable and has led to the actress’s rise to the top. Christie’s character has also been widely applauded.
2. Tilda Swinton, 5’11’’
Tilda Swinton is an actress from Scotland. She began her career in unique movies made by Derek Jarman, like The Garden. Later, she starred in artistic films such as Orlando, earning nominations and winning awards for her performances. After that, she moved into more popular movies like Vanilla Sky, Adaptation, and Michael Clayton.
3. Elizabeth Debicki, 6’3’’
Elizabeth Debicki dabbled in modeling in her native Australia, taking advantage of her uncommon height and slim figure. However, entering the world of acting was a different experience. The roles she was cast in were the glamorous, villainous, and even alien type, like her part in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
It wasn’t until 2018, in the movie, Widows, that Debicki could finally play an ordinary person. “There is something really beautiful for me to get asked to play somebody ’ordinary’ and ’normal.’ I guess what I mean by that is to play a housewife, to play someone young, of a low socioeconomic background. I really haven’t gotten the chance to play a lot of those characters before,” she said in an interview.
4. Charlize Theron, 5’9’’
The South African actress has portrayed all types of roles, from dramatic ones, like in Monster, for which she won an Oscar in 2003, to action roles and villainous ones, like in The Fast and Furious saga.
However, her fame did not come easy to her. In interviews, she recalled that her height did not help her open the necessary doors for the roles she desired. “Jobs with real gravitas go to people that are physically right for them, and that’s the end of the story. How many roles are out there for the gorgeous, gown-wearing 8-foot model?” the actress explained.
5. Sigourney Weaver, 6′
The star of movies like Alien and Avatar has always been characterized by being tall, which allowed her to attract interesting roles that allowed her to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
However, when she was young, Sigourney Weaver’s growing height was considered abnormal, and her parents even took her in for medical tests. She said that she reached her current height when she was still a child, which caused great concern among her family and at school. “I was this tall when I was 11, like a giant spider,” she shared. “I think (my parents) were afraid I’d just keep growing.”
6. Blake Lively, 5’10’’
The actress, who’s also Ryan Reynolds’ wife, revealed in an interview that her classmates teased her and even called her Abelardo (like the huge yellow bird from Sesame Street).
“Kids used to make fun of me in elementary school by calling me Big Bird (because I was ’too tall’ and had ’yellow’ hair). Here’s to making best buddies with the things that once hurt you,” she wrote on Instagram. After her bitter experience, Lively now insists on discussing body acceptance on social media.
7. Abbey Lee, 5’11’’
Before Abbey Lee became an actress, she worked as a model. She started acting in Mad Max: Fury Road and has been in movies like The Neon Demon, The Dark Tower, and The Gods of Egypt.” She’s also been on TV in a show called Lovecraft Country. Abbey Lee shows she’s good at both modeling and acting.
Once she admitted: «I’m six foot tall. You know, actors are short. I just feel like some of the characters I’d really like to play might not fit me physically.»
8. Kristen Johnson, 6′
The actress, who became famous after playing a very peculiar alien in the ’90s series, 3rd Rock From the Sun, suffered a lot as a child because, at the age of 11, she was already 6′ tall.
In the book she wrote in 2012, she confessed that she had to wear orthopedic shoes that only added to her impressive height. Furthermore, she was classified as a disabled learner. All this caused her to be teased and even beaten by her schoolmates. But these problems helped her grow, and she overcame them through acting.
9. Jennifer Lawrence, 5’9’’
Jennifer Lawrence is a famous actress known for her roles in movies like «The Hunger Games» and «Silver Linings Playbook.» She’s also praised for her down-to-earth personality and humor. Jennifer is around 5 feet 9 inches tall, which is taller than average for a woman.
Once she told: ’’When I’m in high heels I feel like an ogre, I can’t walk and my feet are uncomfortable. I’m at that awkward height where I’m already kind of tall, so when I put heels on, everyone is like: ’Oh, well, where’s the ball?’”
10. Allison Janney, 6′
Allison Janney is a well-known actress with a solid film, TV, and theater career. She also earned an Oscar for her dramatic role in I, Tonya.
She confessed in an interview that her height made it very difficult for her to get good roles. «I felt like my career started late, and I think it was because of my height and maybe some of my confidence issues. I was playing 40-year-old women when I was 20. I didn’t get considered for ingénue roles.» All this led her to the comedy side of entertainment, where she succeeded. She has been nominated multiple times for her leading role in the series, Mom, and has several projects in the making.
In the world of movies and TV shows, finding the right role can be tough for celebrities of all sizes. It’s not just tall stars who face challenges, shorter actors do too. But what really matters is their talent, not their height. So let’s focus on celebrating their talent, because that’s what truly makes them stars.