Being tall isn’t a requirement to be an actress, but many high-profile television and movie stars tend to be much taller than the average American woman, who is 5-foot-4. These days, many actresses measure in close to (and over) six feet.
Things have changed since the Golden Days of Hollywood when female stars were shorter than their male costars so the men didn’t appear short on film. Some shows, notably sci-fi series such as “Battlestar Galactica,” “Star Trek” and the Marvel franchise, make a point of choosing taller actresses — two tall women starred in “Deep Space Nine,” two in “Galaxy Quest,” two in “Battlestar Galactica” and three in Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
You may also find some surprises or a few names that aren’t here. While you would expect to find statuesque women such as Sigourney Weaver, Saffron Burrows or Alison Janney, other actresses, including highly successful ones, seem tall on screen — think Jennifer Lawrence (5-foot-9) Charlize Theron (5-foot-8) or Cameron Diaz (5-foot-7) — but didn’t make the cut. They just appear taller in those long camera angles.
These are the top 50 tallest actresses.
Bottom Line: Nicole Kidman
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Nicole Kidman is an Australian-born actress and producer. She has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globes Awards. Kidman is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world.
She had her big break in the movie “Dead Calm” and the TV miniseries “Bangkok Hilton.” Kidman had her Hollywood debut in the film “Days of Thunder,” with Tom Cruise. She’s appeared in films such as “Batman Forever,” “To Die For,” “Moulin Rouge,” “Australia,” “The Hours,” “Aquaman” and “Bombshells.”
Kidman also has appeared in TV miniseries such as “Big Little Lies.” She founded a production company called Blossom Films and is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
Bottom Line: Vanessa Redgrave
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Vanessa Redgrave comes from a legendary acting family. Her grandfather, father, siblings and two daughters are (or were) all actors.
Redgrave has been nominated for an Academy Award six times and won an Oscar once. She also has won two Golden Globes, two Emmys and one BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television) Award.
Redgrave’s career spans over 60 years, and she is still working regularly in television, film and theater. She has appeared in many classic films, such as “Julia,” “Howard’s End,” “Blow Up,” “A Man for All Seasons,” “Prick Up Your Ears,” “A Month By The Lake,” “Mrs. Dalloway” and “Wetherby.”
Bottom Line: Tilda Swinton
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Tilda Swinton is a Scottish actress. She started her career acting in experimental films, directed by Derek Jarman, including “Caravaggio,” “War Requiem” and “The Garden.”
Swinton then began to act in arthouse films, including “Edward II” and “Orlando,” and was nominated for and won film awards. She began to act in more mainstream films, including “Vanilla Sky,” “Adaptation,” “Constantine,” “Michael Clayton,” “Julia” and “We Need To Talk About Kevin.”
Swinton is well-known for her roles as the White Witch in “The Chronicles of Narnia” movies and the Ancient One in the Marvel film franchise.
Bottom Line: Sigourney Weaver
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Sigourney Weaver is an actress and playwright whose career has spanned over 50 years. She attended the Yale School of Drama and began acting on the stage, but her height prevented her from getting many roles, so she switched to movies.
Weaver’s breakout role was as Ellen Ripley in “Alien.” She went on to appear in “Eyewitness,” “The Year of Living Dangerously,” “One Woman or Two,” “Half Moon Street,” “Aliens,” “Ghostbusters,” “Gorillas in the Mist,” “Ice Storm” and “Galaxy Quest.”
At 60, she had a major role in the film “Avatar,” the second-highest-grossing movie of all time. She is slated to appear in both “Alien” and “Avatar” sequels. Weaver has won numerous acting awards, including Golden Globes, BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Theater Award) and been nominated several times for an Academy Award.
Bottom Line: Geena Davis
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Geena Davis is an actress, producer and writer. She majored in drama at Boston University and later moved to New York City, where she was signed as a Victoria Secret’s Model.
Davis is best known for her roles in “Thelma & Louise,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” “The Fly,” “A League of Their Own,” “Tootsie” and “Beetlejuice.” Davis won an Academy Award for her role in “The Accidental Tourist.”
She also has appeared in TV series such as “Sara,” “The Geena Davis Show,” “Commander in Chief” (for which she won a Golden Globe Award), “The Exorcist” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Davis set up a movie production and development company with her third husband, director Renny Harlin.
Bottom Line: Allison Janney
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Allison Janney is a multi-award winning actress who studied at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. She began her career with a series of comedic roles on TV soap operas.
Janney is best known for her long-running role on the TV series “West Wing.” Her tenure on the show won her four Emmys and two SAG (Screen Actors Guild) awards. Janney also has had a long-running stage career, winning numerous critic awards.
She has appeared in numerous films, including “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Big Night,” “American Beauty,” “The Hours,” “Juno” and “The Help.” Janney won an Academy Award for her role as Tonya Harding’s mother in “I, Tonya.”
Bottom Line: Jane Lynch
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Jane Lynch is an actress, singer, comedian and producer. She is best known for her long-running role on the series “Glee.”
Lynch also had a recurring role in the TV series “Two and a Half Men” and appeared in many other shows, including “Judging Amy,” “The West Wing,” “Friends,” “Veronica Mars,” “Weeds, Criminal Minds” and “Gilmore Girls.”
She has appeared in a number of comedic films, including “The 40-Year Old Virgin,” “Best in Show,” “The Three Stooges,” “Talladega Nights” and “Role Models.” Lynch hosts the NBC game show “Hollywood Game Night.”
Bottom Line: Elle Macpherson
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Elle Macpherson is an Australian supermodel, actress, TV host, producer and businesswoman. She is best known for her record five cover shots for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and for her nickname, “The Body,” given to her by Time Magazine.
Macpherson has a number of businesses, including a lingerie line, workout videos and a line of skincare products. She was a long-running host of Britain & Ireland’s “Next Top Model” and a producer of NBC’s series “Fashion Star.”
Macpherson appeared in the films “The Mirror Has Two Faces,” “Alice,” “Sirens,” Batman and Robin,” “Jane Eyre” and “The Edge.” She had a recurring role on the TV sitcom “Friends.”
Bottom Line: Missi Pyle
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Missi Pyle is an actress, singer and songwriter. She made her film debut in “As Good As It Gets.” Pyle went on to act in “Galaxy Quest,” “Home Alone 4,” “Big Fish,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Soccer Mom” and others.
She has had guest roles on numerous TV sitcoms, including “Frasier,” “Friends,” “Two and a Half Men,” as well as appearing on TV dramas such as “The Mentalist,” “Boston Legal” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Pyle is also a member of the country rock band Smith & Pyle with fellow actress Shawnee Smith.
Bottom Line: Aisha Tyler
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Aisha Tyler is an actress, talk show host, comedian, writer, author, producer and director. As an actress, she has appeared in the movies “Death Sentence,” “Archer,” “The Santa Clause 3” and “Axis.”
Tyler also has appeared on TV series, including “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “Ghost Whisperer.”
She is a stand-up comic with a podcast called “Girl on Guy with Aisha Tyler,” where she invites other comedians as guests.
Bottom Line: Suzie Plakson
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Suzie Plakson is an actress, singer, writer and artist. She began her acting career on the stage, largely in musicals. Plakson had a regular role on the sitcom “Love & War,” and played four different characters in the “Star Trek” series.
She also had recurring roles on TV series, including “Mad About You,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “How I Met Your Mother.” Plakson has appeared in movies, including “Wag the Dog,” “Disclosure” and “Red Eye.”
She wrote and recorded an alternative country rock album and an audiobook, “The Return of King Lillian.”
