Small Stature, Big Talent: Hollywood’s Most Successful Short Actors

Small Stature, Big Talent: Hollywood’s Most Successful Short Actors

When we talk about short actors the first name that comes to mind is Tom Cruise, who is 5’7’’. That...

When we talk about short actors the first name that comes to mind is Tom Cruise, who is 5’7’’. That...

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When we talk about short actors the first name that comes to mind is Tom Cruise, who is 5’7’’. That the height is so irrelevant shows us the fact that he is one of the highest-paid and most popular Hollywood actors of all time. 

Being on camera is putting short Hollywood actors in the first plan and we see their advantages more than disadvantages if the height is even a disadvantage. We see how handsome they are, and how talented they are, and their height is not so important anymore.

Some of the best and most talented actors of all time were short, including Alan Ladd and Humphrey Bogart. They used to make female leads wear flat shoes so their male partner doesn’t appear short. Oftentimes the movies with famous short actors were specifically filmed in a way that actors height is not so detectable.

In recent years more short actors have made careers just because of their height. Everyone knows about Peter Dinklage, a star of Game of Thrones, or Danny DeVito, Warwick Davis, and Kevin Hart. Some roles were specifically written for them, which emphasizes their talent over their height.

Short Hollywood Actors:

1. Tony Cox

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3’49” (1.07m)

Age 63

Tony Cox is best known as an elf from Bad Santa, but he won the public in Willow and Star Wars Episode VI. Now one of the best recognizable comedians in Hollywood was studying music and planned to become a professional musician. He has been playing drums since 10 years old.

You might also remember him from the movies Me, Myself, and Irene, Date Movie, Friday, Beetlejuice, and so many more. He has a long filmography and although he is well known, he keeps his life private, so much that even the gender of his child is not known to the public.

2. Warwick Davis

3’6’’ (1.08 m)

Age 51

Warwick Davis is an English actor whose career started in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, as an Ewok. Another movie where he was shoulder to shoulder with Tony Cox is Willow, written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard.

You might know him from Harry Potter, Narnia, and Leprechaun as well. Until recently he was hosting Tenable on ITV, but he has taken some time off to work on his other projects and Sally Linday is helping him out with the show. He was also a presenter at Celebrity Squares and did some producing and directing as well. 

3. Peter Dinklage

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4’4’’ (1.34 m)

Age 52

Peter Dinklage has symbolically started his career by playing an actor who is frustrated by the fact that there are not enough roles for actors with dwarfism in the film industry. That was the movie Living in Oblivion, which helped him tremendously with starting off his career.

Although he is best known worldwide for his role in The Game of Thrones, he also appeared in several movies. Some of which are The Station Agent, The Death At The Funeral, and Elf. He starred in TV shows as well, including Nip/Tuck, Life As We Know It, and Entourage. He is famous for his animal welfare activism and his kind heart.

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4. Danny DeVito

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4’10’’ (1.25 m)

Age 76

As an actor in film, on stage, and TV, he has a very rich career. He is also a writer, director, and producer, and he is living proof that height doesn’t have anything to do with talent. It is hard to believe that someone so likable as Danny DeVito became famous after the most hated character in TV history, dispatcher Louie DePalma in the TV show Taxi.

The majority of his roles were in comedies, like Twins, Romancing The Stone, Ruthless People, and Throw Momma From The Train. He directed Hoffa, and War Of The Roses. For the fifteenth season, he is on the longest live TV show in history, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

5. Rob Schneider

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5’3’’ (1.61 m)

Age 57

Now actor, director, writer, and comedian, Rob Schneider started his career as an opening act for well-known comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. His first role on TV was on Saturday Night Live. His other appearances include comedy movies Men Behaving Badly, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, and The Hot Chick.

Some of the movies that established his career were also The Waterboy and Big Daddy. He often appears in the movies with Adam Sender, a fellow comedian. In recent years he has concentrated more on his projects on the internet and less on the movies. He is also known for his anti-vaccine statements and activism which have cost him a role in State Farm in 2014.

6. Patton Oswalt

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5’3’’ (1.61 m)

Age 52

Established comedian Patton Oswalt had his comedy specials on HBO and Comedy Central. He is also a screenwriter that has written several TV shows and short movies. If you haven’t seen his comedy specials you must know him from the TV series The King of Queens, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Currently, he narrates The Goldbergs as adult Adam F. He came far from a high school and college student stand-up comedian all the way to Hollywood. His role models were Steve Martin, Richard Pryior, and Johnatan Winters.

7. David Faustino

David-faustino-short-hollywood-actor

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5’3’’ (1.61 m)

Age 47

David Faustino is not just an actor, he is also a writer and a singer. In the hip-hop world, he is known as Lil’ Gweed, probably referring to his height. Most people know him from Married With Children, but he also starred in movies Pucked, Robodoc, and The Legend Of Korra. 

People loved Bud Bundy. He started in the show when he was only 13, and the show ended when he was 22. Before becoming Bud Bundy he was in Little House On The Prairie. His most recent roles were as Leggie in the TV show Hollywood.

8. Kevin Hart

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5’3’’ (1.61 m)

Age 42

Kevin Hart is one of the most popular Hollywood comedians in recent years. He started as a stand-up comedian and went to star in blockbusters like About Last Night, Get Hard, and Central Intelligence. He has his own comedy specials, TV shows, and has worked as a writer and producer as well.

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As his stand-up comedy career started to take off, he was offered a sitcom on ABC. he played himself in The Big House. After that, he released his first stand-up album I’m A Little Grown Man (2006), and a year later the second one was Seriously Funny. However, he became truly famous only after his tour Laugh At My Pain (2011).

9. Nathan McMullen

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5′ 3¾” (1.62 m)

Age 33

Nathan McMullen is an English actor known for his parts in The Driver, Casualty, Dr. Who, and The Misfits. He has acted on the stage as well, in plays like Macbeth, A Clockwork Orange, Paint Your Wagon, and the Big I Am, at Everyman Theater.

At the age of 15, he was named “Young Comic Of The Year” in Liverpool after he won at Liverpool Comic Festival. Since 2010 he has starred on many TV shows, including Shameless, and Kelly and Victor. His talent was recognized in the UK as well as in the US.

10. Joe Pesci

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5’4’’ (1.64 m)

Age 78

Joe Pesci is a veteran actor that started his career as a kid in the TV show Startime Kids. He was famous for his portrayal of mobsters and tough guys in movies like Raging Bull, Once Upon A Time In America, Goodfellas, and the most recent one The Irishman. Together with Al Pacino and director Martin Scorsese he has made history with many movies.

He also starred in a world-famous comedy Home Alone, where he played Harry, one of the thieves that tried to break into McCallister’s home. He also plays guitar and has taken dancing and singing classes in his life. 

11. Tom Hollander

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5’4’’ (1.64 m)

Age 54

Tom Hollander was also a child actor. He started his career at 14 years old in the BBC TV movie John Diamond. After he finished university he continued acting in film and TV. He is a great actor that plays difficult characters, and he also starred in many period dramas like Pride And Prejudice, Gosford Park, and Dr. Thorne.

Comedy is one of his skills too, and he appeared in BBC comedy Rev. Aside from that you might know him also for his roles in American Dad, Us, Harley Quinn, Bird Box, and more. He has given voice to the show Family Guy, and the movie Mowgli: Legend Of A Jungle.

12. Simon Helberg

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5’4’’ (1.64 m)

Age 40

Simon Helberg is an actor and comedian who started his career at 19 with smaller roles in TV and film. His most recognizable role came with The Big Bang Theory, where most of the audience knows him from. He has also been a producer and writer in several series and films.

His recent movie Annette has already received good reviews. You can also watch him at Paint It Black, Florence Foster Jenkins, and Hollywood Adventures. You can recognize his voice in the animated series Kung Fu Panda, The Tom And Jerry Show, and Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil.

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13. Dustin Hoffman

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5’4’’ (1.64 m)

Age 84

Dustin Hoffman is a very successful actor that has won two Oscars, BAFTA award, Golden Globe, and many more awards and honors in his career. Most of the roles he had played were challenging, making him one of the most respected actors in the world.

Some of the roles that made him famous are Rain Man, Midnight Cowboy, and Tootsie. His other movies are Perfume: Story Of A Murderer, Meet The Fockers, Finding Neverland, Family Business, Kramer vs. Kramer, and others. On the stage, he played roles in plays by Beckett, Brecht, and Pinter.

14. Michael J. Fox

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5’4’’ (1.64 m)

Age 60

Like many others, Michael J. Fox started his career as a child actor when he was just 10 years old. His first prominent role was in the TV show Family Ties, after which he started playing mostly nice guys. Another recognizable role he had was as Marty McFly in Back To The Future Movies.

After he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the age of 30 he has taken several roles, although not as many as he would if he was healthy. However, he is a very accomplished actor and also very successful with fundraising for his foundation that researches treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Up until now, he has raised more than 1 billion dollars.

15. Daniel Radcliffe

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5’4’’ (1.64 m)

Age 32

Everyone knows Daniel Radcliffe as Harry in the Harry Potter movie series. After starring in Harry Potter his career didn’t go in the direction that many expected and instead of big blockbuster movies he started accepting roles in horror movies and on the stage.

A very popular play that he was in is “Equus” in the West End in London. He also appeared in movies The Woman in Black, Victor Frankenstein, Kill Your Darlings, Swiss Army Man, Now You See Me 2, and more. He wanted the public to perceive him as a serious actor, and that is why he appeared on stage, but his popularity as a child star will follow him everywhere.

Conclusion

Since the height didn’t stop any of these celebrities from achieving their goals, don’t let height or anything else stop you from achieving yours. Although there is no shame in being short or tall, people often feel inadequate if they are not average. But being average just means being common, and to be extraordinary you should not be common but unique.

Real talent is always recognized by the right people, and not being tall will not play a big role when you come in front of the camera and have to show what you know. For those who live and breathe art, height is just one small obstacle that a good camera operator will know how to deal with.

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