While most actresses are cast to look shorter than their male cohorts, there is a large number of women in Hollywood who buck this trend. The tallest actresses are women who prove that size matters. These talented and beautiful ladies of the screen often use their height to help enhance the characters they are playing.
Being tall also helps them stand out and command the screen. It’s hard to look away when these women are doing their thing. These leading ladies don’t need platform shoes to measure up to their male co-stars (although the men might need lifts, just ask Tom Cruise).
So in celebration of these tall Hollywood beauties, here are 24 of the tallest actresses who are absolutely killing it.
1. Sonam Kapoor – 5’9
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Indian actress Sonam Kapoor is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars. The daughter of actor Anil Kapoor, her career didn’t start too well, with Kapoor appearing in several box office bombs and being dragged by critics for her acting. That all changed when the 5’9 star appeared in the 2013 romantic drama Raanjhanaa. The movie was a huge hit that finally established Kapoor as a bonafide movie star.
The past decade has seen Kappor star in some of India’s biggest movies, marry successful businessman Anand Ahuja, and become known for her activism work.
2. Mandy Moore – 5’10
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Mandy Moore has had some career. While most remember her as a singer, Moore has also had a successful acting career. Breaking out in the music world with the single “Candy” at the age of 15, Moore soon found herself thrust into the spotlight with fellow pop superstars Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
As her music career took off, Moore then ventured into the world of acting, voicing a character in the movie Dr. Dolittle 2 and appearing in The Princess Diaries alongside Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.
For the last two decades, Moore has remained in the limelight thanks to her music and acting. While she hasn’t appeared in a movie or TV show since 2019, she did release an album in 2022, In Real Life, which has been well received by critics.
3. Lucy Lawless – 5’10
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Lucy Lawless looks a lot taller than she really is. This can be attributed to her role as Xena: Warrior Princess, where she towers over almost all of her co-stars. Playing Xena remains the New Zealand actress’ most well-known role, although she is also loved by fans for her role in Battlestar Galactica. She also appears in three seasons of Spartacus and has a great recurring role in the hit comedy Parks and Recreations.
She has had somewhat of a resurgence this past decade, popping up as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race and having main roles in Ash vs. Evil Dead and My Life Is Murder.
4. Nicole Kidman – 5’10
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Aussie actress Nicole Kidman is a redheaded beauty who has won numerous awards throughout her stellar career. Her first films were the Australian classics Bush Christmas and BMX Bandits, but watching them now, there is no way you could have known Kidman would end up becoming the star she currently is.
It was her role in Dead Calm alongside Sam Neil and Billy Zane that really catapulted her into the mainstream. It led to her being cast in Days of Thunder with her future husband Tom Cruise. After that, Kidman went on a tear throughout the 90s and early 00s, starring in movies such as Far and Away, Practical Magic, Eyes Wide Shut, Moulin Rouge, and The Hours.
Nicole Kidman continues to be one of Hollywood’s leading ladies, starring in a diverse range of films, although her last three appearances have seen her play a Queen in different movies.
5. Charlize Theron – 5’11
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Charlize Theron is arguably the biggest actress to come out of South Africa. The blonde-haired beauty has had an illustrious career so far, starring in every type of movie genre you can imagine. At 5’11 she is much taller than many of her colleagues, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming a huge star.
When you look at the movies she has starred in, it’s an impressive list that includes Oscar winners, independent flicks, action blockbusters, critically acclaimed dramas, and hilarious comedies. Theron’s best movies include Monster, North Country, Mad Max: Fury Road, Prometheus, Atomic Blonde, and the last two Fast and Furious movies.
6. Taylor Swift – 5’11
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You wouldn’t think by looking at her that Taylor Swift is 5’11, but the tape measure doesn’t lie. The successful singer has a career many are no doubt jealous of. She has 11 Grammy Awards to her name, over 200 million record sales, and holds 58 Guinness World Records. Not bad for someone who is still only in their early 30s.
So far Swift has released ten albums and featured in eight films and will no doubt be making her presence felt in the entertainment world for many years to come.
7. Uma Thurman – 5’11
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American actress Uma Thurman has had one hell of a career thus far. While her film debut in the 1987 flick Kiss Daddy Goodnight is best left unwatched, a year later she made an impact in Dangerous Liaisons. Then her next big break was as Mia Wallace in Quinten Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. This opened the floodgates, with Thurman being offered top roles in blockbuster movies.
While her greatest role is debatable, it’s hard to go past the two Kill Bill films. As The Bride on a quest for revenge, Thurman is incredible as she kicks ass across the globe taking out those who wronged her.
8. Tilda Swinton – 5’11
With her 5’11 stature and cropped blonde hair, Tilda Swinton is a striking British actress who is at the top of her game. While she graduated from university with a degree in social and political science, she gained an interest in acting while studying and decided to pursue that as a career. Turns out acting was the right choice.
Swinton’s filmography is littered with award-winning performances in everything from indie fare to Hollywood blockbusters. Some of her most recognized roles have come in the movies Only Lovers Left Alive, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Doctor Strange, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. She also appears in four Wes Anderson movies and The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy as the White Witch.
9. Sigourney Weaver – 5’11
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Born and raised in New York, Sigourney Weaver has been a leading lady for over 50 years. Rising to fame playing Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise, Weaver’s career also includes notable roles in Ghostbusters, Working Girl, Gorillas in the Mist, The Ice Storm, and Avatar.
As well as live-action roles, Weaver has lent her voice to many animated films, narrated or appeared in 14 documentaries, and provided her voice for several video games. Despite her illustrious career, Weaver hasn’t won as many awards as you would expect, with no Oscars to show for her name, although she has been nominated three times.
10. Brooke Shields – 6’0
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It’s incredible to believe Brooke Shields has been acting for as long as she has. A model at the age of 11 months, Shields began appearing in movies at age 12, playing a child prostitute in the controversial 1978 flick film Pretty Baby. Her next big break was in the coming-of-age romance The Blue Lagoon.
Shields really established herself in the 90s, with her leading role in Suddenly Susan turning her into a star. She has continued to appear in movies and TV shows over the past 20 years, but it’s fair to say she hasn’t captured the fame she once had. That’s not to say her performances haven’t been great, just that she often only cameos in TV shows.
11. Leslie Jones – 6’0
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Rising to fame on Saturday Night Live, Leslie Jones is one of the funniest women in America. Before finding fame as a comedian, Jones first pursued a career in sport at the behest of her father. He believed that being someone who is 6’0, she would make the ideal basketballer. She managed to get a basketball scholarship, and although played throughout her schooling, she didn’t have any ambition to play ball professionally.
Instead, she turned to stand-up comedy. Although she struggled at first, with the help of Chris Rock, who is instrumental in her career, she managed to land a plum gig at SNL. She spent six years as a writer and performer on the show before leaving for greener pastures, which includes becoming the host of Supermarket Sweep and starring in the Ghostbusters reboot and long-awaited Coming 2 America sequel.
12. Saffron Burrows – 6’0
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Saffron Burrows is another actress you wouldn’t think is 6’0 until someone tells you she is. The English actress began life as a model but found the pressure to remain a certain size too much and gravitated towards acting. This turned out to be a wise decision, with Burrows’ debut movie role coming in In the Name of the Father, which is a pretty good way to kick off your acting career.
While yet to become a leading lady like some of her compatriates, Burrows has carved out a great career and is always reliable when she appears on-screen. Her role in Netflix hit You is probably her best-known role.
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Aisha Tyler – 6’0
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Beginning her career as a comedian, Aisha Tyler soon found herself on-camera hosting the short-lived series Talk Soup and The Fifth Wheel, while also popping up in Freinds for a nine-episode run. She has since had major roles in shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 24, Ghost Whisperer, and Criminal Minds.
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Tyler is also the voice of Lana Kane on the highly successful animated series Archer and the host of the new series of Whose Line Is it Anyway?
Geena Davis – 6’0
Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning actress Geena Davis has quite the resume. She’s been a mainstay in the movie business for four decades, establishing herself as one of Hollywood’s great modern leading ladies. Her early career was dominated by hits such as Fletch, The Fly, Beetlejuice, Thelma & Louise, and A League of Their Own. But the box office bombs Cutthroat Island and The Long Kiss Goodnight (which is actually a fantastic movie).
The failures of these films caused her to take a few years off acting. When she returned she found there weren’t many roles for women in their 40s, turning to television to find juicer parts. While she continues to act, her output is nowhere near what it once was, but she is always a welcome presence when on-screen.
Jane Lynch – 6’0
Jane Lynch has a decorated career as an actress and comedian that has seen her feature in some of the most popular movies and TV shows of all time. Despite measuring 6’0, she never seems to look out of place on-screen next to her shorter co-stars.
The Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner has a long list of credits to her name that includes movies such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Role Models, and Rio, and TV shows Two and a Half Men, The L Word, Criminal Minds, and The Weakest Link, which she hosts.
Lynch has done a lot of voice work recently, but whenever you see her in a non-animated movie, you always know she is going to be hilarious.
Kristen Johnson – 6’0
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Best known for her role as Sally Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Kristen Johnson is another actress who taps out at 6’0. She appeared in all 139 episodes of the show and won a Primetime Emmy Award for her work. Unlike many TV actresses, Johnson never broke through in the movies, but she did find sustained success in shows such as The Exes and Mom.
Allison Janney – 6’0
Allison Janney is another one of the tallest actresses who doesn’t appear to be that tall at first glance. It’s only when you see her standing next to regular-sized people you realize she has some height. Not that it matters, as Janney has a wonderfully diverse career that’s seen her in the spotlight for over three decades.
Best known for her role on The West Wing, Janney has won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and seven Primetime Emmy Awards, which is madness. She is very underrated as an actress and deserves much more respect from the public.
Ireland Baldwin – 6’1
When your parents are Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, there’s a pretty good chance you are going to be not only attractive but talented. That’s exactly the case with Los Angeles-born Ireland Baldwin. She made her acting debut in the film Grudge Match, playing the younger version of her mother.
The acting bug obviously didn’t bite, as Baldwin went back to modeling and started DJing, although she did star in the 2020 movie A Dark Foe. Still young at just 26, Baldwin no doubt has a long career ahead of her, no matter what she decides to do.
Brigitte Nielsen – 6’1
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Most remember Brigitte Nielsen as the former wife of action star Sylvester Stallone or for her appearance as the striking blonde villain in Beverly Hills Cop 2. But there is much more to Nielsen’s career than that. The 6’1 actress started off as a model and appeared on the cover of Playboy several times.
Her first film role was alongside Arnold Schwazenner in Red Sonja, which led to Nielsen securing a role in Rocky IV. Falling in love with Stallone, the two married and she would go on to appear in another of his films, violent actioner Cobra. They had a very public divorce (her second) that played out in the tabloids. While she continued to act during the 90s, her career never hit the heights many predicted.
She ended up on the reality TV series The Surreal Life where she got into a relationship with rapper Flavor Flav. This would spawn the spin-off show, Strange Love, which detailed the couple’s bizarre relationship.
Judy Gold – 6’2
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Judy Gold is a stand-up comedian who’s been working in the entertainment industry for almost four decades. She’s started in several movies and had a slew of guest appearances and cameos on TV shows such as 2 Broke Girls, Ugly Betty, and 30 Rock. Gold also starred in the Broadway play, The Judy Gold Show: My Life as a Sitcom, a one-woman show inspired by the sitcoms Gold watched as a youngster.
She’s won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on The Rosie O’Donnell Show and is one of the few actresses in Hollywood whose height is much greater than most of her male co-stars.
Elizabeth Debicki – 6’3
One of the newest and tallest actresses getting it done is Australian Elizabeth Debicki. With a height of 6’3, she certainly has a presence when she appears on the screen. First finding success in The Great Gatsby, Debicki’s career has continued on an upwards trajectory.
The fashionable starlet has appeared in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., sci-fi hit Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Tenet.
She can currently be seen in the fifth season of The Crown playing Diana, Princess of Wales.
Dot-Marie Jones – 6’3
Before a career in the entertainment industry called her name, Dot-Marie Jones was a successful athlete. She was a champion weight lifter and arm wrestler who also excelled at shot put, powerlifting, and softball. She even made the 1988 Olympics for shot put and finished sixth.
Jones suffered 11 knee injuries during her athletic career, causing her to retire at a young age and become a youth counselor. While she had no desire to act, Jones was encouraged to do so by Shirley Eson, a former competitor on the show Gladiators. Jones tried out for Knights and Warriors, a similar shoe to Gladiators, and got the part. Although it only lasted one season, Jones’ size and unique look meant she found herself with a plethora of acting roles.
She has over 100 IMDB credits and has appeared in everything from cult movie The Boondock Saints and horror 3 From Hell to TV shows Glee and The Goldbergs.
Gwendoline Christie – 6’3
English actresses Gwendoline Christie first made waves for her portrayal of Brienne of Tarth on HBO’s hit fantasy epic Game of Thrones. As the naive yet loyal warrior, she played a major role in the series that helped her become an international star. She has gone on to appear as Commander Lyme in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part II, Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Lexi in the British science fiction series Wizards vs Aliens.
Before pursuing a career as an actress, Christie trained as a gymnast until an injury cut her career short. Deciding on pursuing a future in show business, she was undeterred by the skepticism of others, who thought her height would work against her. Gwendoline Christie is having the last laugh now.
Lindsay Kay Hayward – 6’8
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Hayward’s acting career is yet to take off, with her most notable role coming in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. She does have a movie coming out soon entitled, Gimme the Money, so maybe her fortunes in the world of acting are about to change.
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