40 Leading Ladies Who Are Far Taller Than You Realized

38. Blake Lively: 5 foot 10 inches

Blake Lively was pictured standing beside co-star Anna Kendrick at the red carpet premier for the 2018 A Simple Favor. PopSugar then published an article about how unexpectedly tall the former was in comparison to the latter. You see, Lively is a whopping 8 inches bigger than Kendrick, and it made for an interesting visual.

37. Elizabeth Debicki: 6 foot 2 inches

Tenet star Elizabeth Debicki told the Daily Mail in 2016, “Granted, it’s not easy to be a super tall woman in Hollywood. But there are times when it works in my favor. In The Night Manager, for example, both of my co-stars – Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston – are also well over 6 feet and it was lovely to look a co-star in the eye and not have them standing on an apple box.”

36. Gwendoline Christie: 6 foot 3 inches

Star Wars and Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie often emphasizes her statuesque height even more by wearing skyscraper heels. She told Vogue, “At 12, I was 5 foot 7 inches. At 14, I was 6’1” [tall]. Then I grew another couple of inches after that when I was around 18. I’m now 6 foot 3 inches and a quarter.” At that height, she’d tower over almost every leading man in Hollywood.

35. Laura Prepon: 5 foot 10 inches

Laura Prepon is known for her starring roles in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black and That ’70s Show. And it’s hard not to notice how tall Prepon is in both of these programs. At 5’10” tall, she’s significantly bigger than most of her female scene partners. But the actress is also 2 inches taller than her real-life husband Ben Foster – star of Hell or High Water and Leave No Trace.

34. Karlie Kloss: 6 foot 1 inch

As Elle magazine put it, with supermodel and actress Karlie Kloss “there’s tall, and then there’s Karlie Kloss tall.” She herself told People magazine in 2016, “I think I would look like a crazy woman walking around [New York City] in heels since I’m 6 foot 1 inch and 6’4” in heels. Plus, I take the subway, so I’d stand out even more!”

33. Sydney Tamiia Poitier: 5 foot 11 inches

Sydney Tamiia Poitier is actually one of the tallest ladies in Hollywood. Perhaps she was always meant to be, though, as her father was the legendary Sidney Poitier, who stood at 6 foot 2 inches. The former has enjoyed recent roles in projects like Amazon’s Homecoming and Canadian crime comedy Carter.

32. Elle Macpherson: 6 foot

In the 1990s Australian model Elle Macpherson transitioned to acting with some success – starring in Sirens, Batman & Robin and Friends. Her tall frame and athletic body also set her apart from everyone else. She told the Daily Mail in 2019, “I was 6 feet tall, 36 hips, 36 bust and broad shoulders from swimming all my life. I just needed to embrace my uniqueness.”

31. Geena Davis: 6 foot

Geena Davis’ resume includes lead roles in a host of classic films – including The Fly, Beetlejuice and Thelma & Louise. Her height was once a subject of angst for the teen Davis, but eventually she embraced it. The actress told Ladies Home Journal, “I’ll admit I’m 6 feet tall. Now I’ve noticed the press saying I’m 6 feet 2 inches. I’m growing. In a few years I’ll be [6’4”]!”

30. Sigourney Weaver: 5 foot 11 inches

The iconic Sigourney Weaver told The Dallas Morning News in 1989, “I am 5 foot 11 inches tall.” So we’re going to go with her, despite the actress’ height on some websites being listed as six feet. Who are we to argue, right? Either way, the Alien and Ghostbusters star is an extremely tall woman, and it’s always helped give her a certain regal presence on-screen.

29. Gwyneth Paltrow: 5 foot 9 inches

Gwyneth Paltrow clocks in at 5 foot 9 inches, which made her a few inches taller than her Iron Man co-star Robert Downey Jr. In fact, whenever the duo appeared on red carpets together and Paltrow sported heels, eagle-eyed fans were convinced Downey Jr. was also wearing elevator-style boots to appear closer to her height. We’re sure there was Hollywood magic at play in the films as well, to make sure Pepper Potts didn’t tower above Tony Stark.

28. Maggie Gyllenhaal: 5 foot 9 inches

Maggie Gyllenhaal is best known for her performances in The Dark Knight, Crazy Heart and HBO drama The Deuce. She is a good height match for most of her male co-stars and is taller than a lot of female actresses. She is also only a few inches shorter than her husband – The Batman star Peter Sarsgaard.

27. Cameron Diaz: 5 foot 9 inches

At a leggy 5 foot 9 inches and with gorgeous good looks, it’s no wonder that Cameron Diaz began her career as a model. And she was significantly taller than Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore when they starred together in the Charlie’s Angels movies. With the latter standing 5 foot 4 inches and Liu an inch smaller than that, it did a lot to highlight Diaz’ tall frame.

26. Julia Roberts: 5 foot 9 inches

Julia Roberts is one of the taller Hollywood leading ladies. In fact, she once said that when Mystic Pizza was released in 1988, members of the public would tell her that she looked 6” tall. Nevertheless, her height, curly hair and long legs still helped establish her as a unique presence on cinema screens.

25. Charlize Theron: 5 foot 10 inches

In a 2004 interview with The Advocate to promote her Academy Award-winning performance as serial killer Aileen Wuornos, Charlize Theron spoke about playing a woman much shorter than her. Theron said, “This is a woman who was 5’3” – which I couldn’t believe – who looks like she’s 6 foot 4 [inches].” To play Wuornos, Theron had to learn to embrace her height by confidently putting her head and shoulders back.

24. Mandy Moore: 5 foot 10 inches

In 2004 Mandy Moore told The Times in Indiana, “I’m 5’10” now, and I love being a tall woman. I was pretty average until I was 14, and then I went through a spurt where I grew 4 inches in one summer. At first, I felt a little gangly, but now I’m proud.” Moore is actually slightly taller than Milo Ventimigila, who portrays her husband in This Is Us.

23. Rebecca Romijn: 5 foot 11 inches

Rebecca Romijn played Mystique in the original X-Men trilogy and joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery in season two. She once revealed on The Ellen Degeneres Show that she suffered from painful scoliosis when she was a teen experiencing a growth spurt. Her 5’11” frame eventually became her calling card as an actress and model, though.

22. Nicole Kidman: 5 foot 11 inches

“I was a teenager who wouldn’t conform, but I had a lot of fears and insecurities because I was very tall,” actress Nicole Kidman told Glamour UK magazine in 2020. “I was 5 foot 10 inches by the time I was 13 years old.” And she is taller than her husband Keith Urban, who was spotted wearing platform shoes when they appeared at the Golden Globes together.

21. Brooke Shields: 6 foot

Brooke Shields is easily in the upper echelon of Hollywood tall ladies. But, interestingly, her daughter Grier may be even bigger. The family were pictured together during the New York City red carpet event for Impractical Jokers: The Movie, which Shields’ husband Chris Henchy directed. And in the shots, Grier looks to be ever-so-slightly taller than her mother. Perhaps she’ll follow her mom into the modeling business!

20. Uma Thurman: 6 foot

Kill Bill star Uma Thurman initially had a tough time with her height when she was growing up. From an early age she was much taller than everyone in her class at school and her feet were also unusually big. Though as a teen her lanky frame leant itself perfectly to modeling, and she would eventually become a Hollywood sex symbol with the movie Dangerous Liaisons.

19. Katie Holmes: 5 foot 9 inches

In a 2005 interview with Florida Today to promote Batman Begins, Katie Holmes spoke about filming scenes with Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. She said that the British actor was “taller than me and very muscular. I’m not a petite little actress – I’m 5’9” – so I made him sweat a little. I was like, ‘I love this!’”

18. Tyra Banks: 5 foot 10 inches

America’s Next Top Model creator and presenter Tyra Banks’ height and enviable figure have certainly benefitted her over the years in her modeling career. In 2014 she told Life & Style magazine about how she went through a transformation at the age of 11 – losing 30 pounds and experiencing a growth spurt.

17. Adrianne Palicki: 5 foot 11 inches

Cosmopolitan write Leanne Bayley couldn’t help marvel at Adrianne Palicki’s stature when the two met in 2013. The former wrote, “At 5 foot 11 inches, with honey blonde hair, Adrianne Palicki is gorgeous, there’s no doubt about that. But we didn’t realize she’d be quite so, well, amazonian.” And this was an apt description, as Palicki played the Amazon superhero Wonder Woman in a 2011 NBC pilot that failed to go to series.

16. Jane Lynch: 6 foot

Glee star Jane Lynch has been flying the flag for both tall women and the LGBTQ community in Hollywood for several decades. She unfortunately had a somewhat angst-ridden childhood because of her differences, though. In 2011 she told Vogue, “When I grew up – just like in Glee – you had to be what they considered ‘normal’ or you got a Slushee in your face. I didn’t want to be too tall. I didn’t want to be too loud. I didn’t want to be gay.”

15. Tilda Swinton: 5 foot 11 inches

“Clichés used to describe Tilda Swinton: impossibly tall, goddess-like, ethereal, androgynous, lit from within,” Esquire wrote in 2014. All of these descriptors are accurate, as Swinton has made a career out of looking different from most other women in Hollywood. She was the perfect choice to portray Jadis the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Why? Well, it didn’t take a whole lot of camera trickery to make her appear more than a foot taller.

14. Jennifer Garner: 5 foot 8 inches

When Jennifer Garner was asked by NW magazine about the minimum height she would look for in a man, she replied, “I’m 5’8” [tall], so [that height] is a good start.” Her ex-husband Ben Affleck certainly fit the bill in terms of height, as he is one of the tallest leading men in Hollywood at 6 foot 3 inches.

13. Gal Gadot: 5 foot 10 inches

Despite a recurring role in the Fast & Furious franchise, when Gal Gadot was cast as Wonder Woman she was still a virtual unknown to most movie audiences. Unsurprisingly, given her physical attributes, the Israeli beauty was originally a model. In 2004 at the age of only 18, she won the Miss Israel pageant and also took part in Miss Universe that same year.

12. Kristen Johnston: 6 foot

These days, 3rd Rock From The Sun star Kristen Johnston is comfortable in her own skin, but as a teenager she struggled with her stature. In 1996 she told Entertainment Weekly, “I was 5 foot 11.5 inches at age 13. I was enormous, a monstrosity, a freak. I’ve always been an outsider.”

11. Brigitte Nielsen: 6 foot

Brigitte Nielsen is so tall that, while filming a small role in Creed II, she was able to hide her pregnancy from the cast and crew. Then aged 54, she told Fox News, “But you also have to remember, I’m 6 feet. Almost 6 foot 1 inch. So, a bump on me looks much less on me than a lady who’s 5’2”, for example. So even when we were shooting, and I was wearing my first outfit, which was an ivory suit, no one could tell.”

10. Allison Janney: 6 foot

In 2015 The West Wing and Mom star Allison Janney told Stuff about how she didn’t know if she would make it in Hollywood due to her tall stature. She said, “When I first started out in this business, with my size and whatever, I couldn’t even get arrested in this business. I was ecstatically surprised when it turned out there was a place for me in this industry.”

9. Leslie Jones: 6 foot

In 2014 Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones confirmed on Saturday Night Live that she was 6 feet tall and weighed 233 pounds. While it certainly has led to Jones having a unique look among Hollywood women, she did tweet that it has made dating difficult for her. In fact, she once claimed that her height and stature are why she is still single.

8. Famke Janssen: 5 foot 11 inches

When Famke Janssen was starring in the X-Men franchise as Jean Grey, her height caused a few issues with her co-stars. Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman is 6’2” – making him a foot taller than the character in the comics. And James Marsden – who played Grey’s lover Scott Summers aka Cyclops – is only 5 foot 9 inches tall. As a result, he had to wear lifts in his shoes to appear as tall as her.

7. Missi Pyle: 5 foot 11 inches

You may know Missi Pyle from her hilarious roles in movies like Dodgeball and Galaxy Quest, or her amusing guest spots in sitcoms like Friends and Two and a Half Men. In 2016 Pyle told The A.V. Club that she started booking those comedy guest spots out of necessity. She said, “I was so tall. I was just too tall to play the romantics, so I kind of went into comedy because of that.”

6. Lucy Lawless: 5 foot 9 inches

Lucy Lawless is a sci-fi icon to a whole generation of fans thanks to Xena: Warrior Princess – the cult action fantasy show from the 1990s. Yet the role led to a bit of typecasting for Lawless. She told Zap2it in 2005, “I’m sure there are people who wouldn’t want to see me because they are convinced I am 7 feet tall. I’m only 5 foot 9 inches…” She added, “But then, I think the average man is, what, 5’8”, so I guess I am still a little taller.”

5. Karen Gillan: 5 foot 11 inches

In 2019 Jumanji and Guardians Of The Galaxy star Karen Gillan claimed that male co-stars have had to stand on boxes in scenes with her. She told the Beauty Fashion Friends podcast, “It’s happened usually during kissing scenes because it doesn’t look good when the guy is looking up to kiss.” She added, “But I’m a giant. I’m 5 foot 11 inches.” Sadly, she didn’t specify the names of her short co-stars.

4. Laura Dern: 5 foot 10 inches

Marriage Story star Laura Dern is super tall, but she’s never let it hold her back in life. In fact, in 2020 she revealed to Style magazine that she and Big Little Lies co-star Nicole Kidman sent the daughter of a mutual friend an empowering video. The girl was struggling with being an unusually tall 13-year-old, but Dern and Kidman explained that she should be proud of her height.

3. Lena Olin: 5 foot 11 inches

Lena Olin has been working in movies for over four decades – forging a path with memorable roles in films such as Chocolat, The Reader and Queen of the Damned. With piercing cheekbones and exotic features, it’s no surprise that the beautiful Olin began as a model before turning to acting. In fact, she won Miss Scandinavia in 1974 at the age of 19.

2. Tricia Helfer: 5 foot 11 inches

Former supermodel Tricia Helfer is best known for playing Number Six in Battlestar Galactica. Over the course of her career, the star has also appeared as take-no-prisoners women in shows like Lucifer, Killer Women and Van Helsing. In 2014 she told HuffPost, “Part of the reason I find myself doing strong roles is because it’s what people hire me for. You know, I’m tall, I have a stronger, deeper voice than a girly one.”

1. Anjelica Huston: 5 foot 10 inches

In 2019 The Los Angeles Times conducted an interview with Anjelica Huston – the legendary star of The Addams Family and The Witches. The newspaper wrote, “Huston is a tall woman, striding confidently to the rose garden on her sprawling, wildish ranch…” But how tall is she? Well, the actress is 5 foot 10 inches, to be exact.