Tom Cruise, face of the Mission: Impossible franchise for over two decades, is actually only 5’7". It’s widely known that careful posing and camera angles make him appear taller than actresses such as Cameron Diaz (5’9") or Nicole Kidman (5’11"), yet IRL photos shatter the illusion.
Tom Cruise’s films have grossed over 10.1 billion dollars worldwide, which places him as one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. His career has also landed him with three Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards nominations. He’s definitely came a long way since Risky Business and Top Gun. It’s a miracle they were able to hide his tiny stature for so long.
Comedian Kevin Hart capitalizes on his short king status with self-deprecating jokes that never fail to fill arenas. During a 2015 Mopi interview, Hart said, “I think confidence is what defines you. What defines how tall you really are. For me, it’s never good to think of my height holding me back.” And it surely hasn’t, as one of the few comedians to outsell Jerry Seinfeld.
Kevin Hart chose to make fun of the obvious and beat everyone else to the joke, which is amazing if you think about it. On social media, he’s even in on the joke and posts the hilarious truths behind the pictures he takes and post. There’s oftentimes some strategic angling or a foot stool involved behind the scenes.
Danny DeVito might be one of the shortest actors around due to multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, but he is also the most lovable. Seen in Taxi, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Matilda, it’s safe to say that people will remember this raspy-voiced angel for more than his lack of height.
At only 4’10" Danny DeVito is easy to fall in love with. His short stature is definitely part of his charm and has probably paid off in his acting career. Many of his roles take advantage of his short size for effect, which, in a way, makes his shortness an asset!
Zac Efron, two inches shorter than the 5’10" American average, is actually the tallest star on this list. Best known for his breakout role in the High School Musical franchise, the actor has scored signature roles in a Baywatch remake and movie-musical,The Greatest Showman, since his Disney fame.
Zac Efron came on the scene to prove that not every Hollywood heartthrob has to be tall, dark, and handsome. Some can be short and handsome.
Peter Dinklage is easily the shortest celeb on this list at a whopping 4’4, yet has sent tidal waves throughout Hollywood with his portrayal of Tyrion in HBO’s Game of Thrones. This actor has a version of dwarfism called achondroplasia, and he warned The New Yorker about harmful parenting practices. “If I see a kid and he’s pointing at me, and the parent has him look the other way, what’s that kid going to grow up into? Somebody who can’t make eye contact with somebody who’s four and a half feet tall? That’s sad to me.”
What some may see as a handicap has landed Dinklage some pretty impressive roles that could not be conquered as well by taller actors. He's actually one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood for his work on Game of Thrones, and he's got plenty to be proud of!
Nick Jonas got his start alongside his real-life brothers when they started a boy band called The Jonas Brothers. The Jonas Brothers released their first album It’s About Time in 2006 with Columbia records. The brotherhood band went on to enjoy several years of commercial success with media giant Disney.
Along with Disney, Nick Jonas was featured in the Camp Rock franchise. The Jonas Brothers officially disbanded in 2013, but Nick Jonas continued his career in music releasing his second solo album Nick Jonas in 2014. His third studio album topped charts in 2016, but while that towered over the rest, he stood at a modest 5’6.
Jack Black primary role as one of the most lovable actors—heck, people—to ever exist makes it easy to ignore that he barely reaches the 5’6 marker, not that it even matters! In a 2005 edition of St. Louis Post-Dispatch magazine, Black joked, "I'm 5-7, 5-7 1/2 after doing my yoga.” Spoken like a true comedian.
You'd never know his height when his onscreen persona is so large and boisterous. We could all use a little more Jack Black in our lives. Emphasis on little, apparently.
Up until recently, Oscar Isaac spent most of his time in indie films like Inside Llewyn Davis by the Coen brothers, but then he was in Ex Machina, and it was all up from there. Then he was in Star Wars, X-Men, and most recently, Marvel’s Moon Knight. Is he that short, though?
Watching his movies and TV shows, you wouldn’t know that this style king is also a bit of a short king. He stands at 5’7”. That’s pretty respectable, but it's far from average in America. Isaac goes to show you that height isn’t everything in Hollywood. He has all the good looks, charm, and skill.
Michael J. Fox made waves in Hollywood in Family Ties and Back to the Future back in the ‘80s and ‘90s all while standing at a squat 5’4. In his 2009 book Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, Fox clarified the title’s meaning: "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.”
Great Scott! We never realized Mr. Fox was so short. But that does make more sense for how he was able to play a teenager for so many years.
Daniel Radcliffe, with his hard-to-beat reputation as worldwide phenomenon Harry Potter, is married to the lovely actress Erin Darke. The only "problem?" Darke is actually two inches taller than the actor! This isn’t an actually problem, of course, as they've looked adorable in pictures since their 2013 wedding.
'The boy who lived' grew up grew up into an actor with a rich career. He just didn't do much literal growing along the way.
Robert Downey Jr. started his career forever and a day ago. The man’s first role was when he was just five years old, and he did it so well that it began a seriously amazing acting career. It had a few bumps and derailments thanks to his drug abuse (which landed him in jail at one point), but that’s all water under the bridge.
Downey got his act together and began staring in Iron Man, which really earned him major bank. Now, he’s working on a few films here and there since he was finally released from Marvel after over a decade. The famous actor is 5’7”, but you wouldn’t know that while he’s standing in his Iron Man suit.
Whether or not we count the height of his curly locks, Bruno Mars obviously wasn’t granted much in the height department. Despite hoards of Tweets mocking his height after the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, Mars never seems bothered by his teeny stature. Just look at his fashion sense; that is not a man lacking confidence!
What does height have to do with making catchy pop tunes? Well, if Bruno Mars is any indication, it's safe to say: the shorter the better.
Goodfellas and Home Alone actor Joe Pesci is barely taller than Kevin Hart, yet it doesn’t prevent him from being casted in roles of volatile “mobster” characters. If his height bothers him, he doesn’t let on, bluntly telling The Freelance Star back in 1992, “I’m not tall.” Enough said.
You could give Pesci a hard time about his height, but we wouldn't recommend it. If he's anything like the characters he portrays, you may end up on the wrong end of a gun.
Lil Wayne, often cited as one of the greatest rappers to ever live, certainly stacks up to his stage name. With a net worth of nearly $150 million and platinum hits, his influence is so much bigger than his IRL 5'5 height.
Most people don't take the term "lil" in a person's stage name to be so literal. Regardless, the New Orleans rapper has a lot more to be known for beyond his height.
Maybe we never noticed how tall Josh Hutcherson was because he started his career as a kid. His role in the Bridge to Terabithia brought pretty much everyone to tears no matter how macho you were. Then, when he grew up, he acted alongside Jennifer Lawrence. The funny thing is, she’s taller than him.
Lawrence stands a solid four inches taller than our man Hutcherson. He’s certainly on the lower end of the height chart at 5’5”. This actor goes to show that big things come in small packages. Since Hunger Games, he’s spent time acting in TV shows, but movies are in the future.
Canadian actor, Elliot Page has been in the business since he was only 10 years old. Elliot was known in his early days for his hit role in Pit Pony and Trailer Park Boys. However, his breakout role came in 2007 for his lead role in Juno. Elliot’s portrayal of Juno earned rave reviews from critics and several high-profile nominations.
While Elliot found his fame early on, his talent for acting didn’t stop there. Recently, you may have seen Elliot on Netflix in a show called The Umbrella Academy. Elliot played a frighteningly powerful violinist named Vanya. The power the character exudes is quite shocking considering Elliot as a person is only 5’1.
James McAvoy is one of those indie actors that went mainstream without losing his quirky odd charm. As a Glasgow native, James attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (Now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). But before that he considered going into priesthood as a way to travel the world and also the Royal Navy!
James’s career as an actor has landed him several interesting roles. He’s been a voice actor and even played Charles Xavier in several installments of the X-Men franchise. James has performed several critically acclaimed roles throughout his career, one of the most notable was for playing a man with 23 alternate personalities in Split. While his career towers over most, his true height is only 5’7.
Woody Allen is considered Hollywood royalty. His career spans nearly six decades in comedy and film. As a native New Yorker, Woody started out performing comedy routines in Greenwich Village alongside the likes of Lenny Bruce, Elaine May, Mike Nichols, and even Joan Rivers.
Woody Allen holds the record for the most nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, with 16 nominations under his belt as well as countless other awards. Woody’s comedy and talent undoubtedly overshadows most, and it’s a good thing too because he’s only 5’5.
