Short & Sweet
It can be hard to tell how tall someone is just from watching them on screen. Aside from camera angles and stepping stools, many Hollywood actresses hide their short stature using massive heels. Stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Ariana Grande are actually much shorter than most people think.
Here’s 44 actresses who don't stand quite as tall as you think.
Average Heights
Just for perspective, the average height for a female in the U.S. is about 5-feet-4-inches. This list will include actresses who are 5-feet-3-inches and shorter.
Lea Michele
Lea Michele is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is known for her roles in Glee, New Year’s Eve, The Mayor, and more.
Lea joins the club at only 5-feet-3-inches.
Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu is an American actress known for her roles in Charlie’s Angels, Kill Bill, Lucky Number Slevin, Set It Up, and more.
Lucy is also just 5-feet-3-inches tall.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is an Israeli-born American actress best known for her roles in Star Wars, Closer, Black Swan, No Strings Attached, Thor, and more.
Natalie is 5-feet-3-inches tall.
Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is best known for her roles in Girls, Tiny Furniture, Sharp Stick, Catherine Called Birdy, and more.
Lena is also just 5-feet-3-inches.
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress and singer. She was the world’s highest paid actress in 2018 and 2019. She is best known for her roles in Lost in Translation, Avengers, The Other Boleyn Girl, Hitchcock, Iron Man, He’s Just Not That Into You, and many more.
Scarlett is only 5-feet-3-inches.
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. She is best known for her roles in The Dukes of Hazzard, Employee of the Month, and Do You Know.
Jessica is also only 5-feet-3-inches.
Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her appearances on Saturday Night Live, where she became known for her character work and celebrity impressions.
She also starred in Sisters, Office Christmas Party, Rought Night, The Spy Who Dumped Me, The Bubble, Barbie, and more.
Kate stands just 5-feet-3-inches.
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her roles in Mean Girls, Veronica Mars, Mamma Mia!, Dear John, Letters to Juliet, Ted 2, and more.
Amanda is only 5-feet-3-inches tall.
Isla Fisher
Isla Fisher is an Australian actress. She is best known for her roles in Scooby-Doo, Wedding Crashers, Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Great Gatsby, Tag, Back to the Outback, and more.
Isla stands only 5-feet-3-inches.
Rachel Bilson
Rachel Bilson is an American actress known for her roles in The O.C., The Last Kiss, Jumper, Hart of Dixie, and more.
Rachel is just 5-feet-2-inches tall.
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland is an American actress known for her role as Haley on Modern Family, as well as her roles in Scary Movie 5, Vampire Academy, Dirty Dancing, The Wedding Year, and more.
Sarah is only 5-feet-2-inches.
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her roles in Parks and Recreation, Mean Girls, Baby Mama, Sisters, and many more.
Amy stands just 5-feet-2-inches.
Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke is an English actress best known for her role in Game of Thrones, as well as Me Before You, Last Christmas, and Secret Invasion.
Emilia is just 5-feet-2-inches.
Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She is best known for her roles in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Puss in Boots, Grown Ups 2, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Fools Rush In, and more.
Salma stands just 5-feet-2-inches tall.
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is best known for her character on the Disney Channel comedy series, Lizzie McGuire, as well as her roles in Cheaper by the Dozen, A Cinderella Story, Agent Cody Banks, and more.
Hilary is only 5-feet-2-inches.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is an American socialite, actress, media personality, and businesswoman. She is known best for her family’s reality TV series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Given that she is often seen in heels, most people don’t know that Kim is only 5-feet-2-inches tall.
Zoë Kravtiz
Zoë Kravtiz is an American actress, model, and singer. She is known for her rol in the sperhero film, X-Men: First Class, and her role as Christina in The Divergent Series.
Zoë stands just 5-feet-2-inches.
Maisie Williams
Maisie Williams is an English actress known for her role in Game of Thrones, as well as Two Weeks to Live, Pistol, and Doctor Who.
Maisie is only 5-feet-1-inch.
Jenna Ortega
Jenna Ortega is an American actress best known for her role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix horror-comedy series Wednesday. She also had roles in Jane the Virgin and Stuck in the Middle.
Jenna stands just 5-feet-1-inch.
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles in many films, including Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama, Water for Elephants, Big Little Lies, Gone Girl, and more.
Reese is also only 5-feet-1-inch.
America Ferrera
America Ferrera is an American actress, director and television producer. She is best known for her roles in Real Women Have Curves, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ugly Betty, and more.
America is only 5-feet-1-inch.
Nicole Ritchie
Nicole Ritchie is an American television personality, fashion designer, and actress. She is best known for her appearance in the reality TV series, The Simple Life, alongside Paris Hilton.
Nicole stands just 5-feet-1-inch.
Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell is an American actress known for her roles in Veronica Mars, The Good Place, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Bad Moms, and more.
Kristen’s small stature has her standing only 5-feet-1-inch.
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role in High School Musical.
Vanessa stands just 5-feet-1-inch.
Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney Kardashian is an American socialite and media personality. She is best known for her family’s reality TV series, Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
Since she’s often dressed in heels, not many people know that Kourtney is only 5-feet-1-inch tall.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She is known for her role on American Horror Story.
Lady Gaga stands just 5-feet-1-inch.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is an American singer and actress. She is best regarded as a pop icon and influential figure in popular music.
Ariana often increases her 5-foot height with massive heels.
Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria is an American actress, producer, director and business woman. She is best known for her roles on Desperate Housewives, Over Her Dead Body, Lowriders, The Harvest, Devious Maids, and more.
Eva is also only 5-feet tall.
Chandra Wilson
Chandra Wilson is an American actress best known for her roles in Grey’s Anatomy, Philadelphia, Lone Star, and more.
Chandra is also only 5-feet tall.
AnnaSophia Robb
AnnaSophia Robb is an American actress, model, and singer. She is best known for her roles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bridge to Terabithia, Soul Surfer, and The Carrie Diaries.
AnnaSophia joins the club at just 5-feet tall.
Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She is best known for her roles in The Running Man, Jerry Maguire, American Beauty, and more.
Paula is also only 5-feet tall.
Mary-Kate Olsen
Kary-Kate Olsen is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, equestrian, and former actress. She is best known for her role on Full House, along with numerous other films with her twin sister, Ashley.
Mary-Kate stands just one 5-feet tall, one-inch shorter than her identical twin.
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith is an American actress, singer, and talk show host. She is the co-host of the Facebook Watch talk show Red Table Talk. She has also been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2021.
Jada is only 5-feet tall, but looks half that next to her 6-foot-2-inch husband, Will Smith.
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue is an Australian singer and actress. She is the highest-selling female recording artist from Australia, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. Kylie is also known for her roles in Moulin Rouge, Street Fighter, and San Andreas.
Fans are often surprised to learn that Kylie is only 5-feet tall.
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is an American actress known best for her roles in Pitch Perfect, Trolls, The Twilight Saga, Up in the Air, End of Watch, and more.
Anna is known for her tiny frame and stands only 5-feet.
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, I Love You Beth Cooper, Bring It On, and more.
Hayden surprises fans with her shortness, standing just 5-feet.
Kristen Chenoweth
Kristen Chenoweth is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in The West Wing, Pushing Daisies, Bewtiched, The Pink Panther, and more.
Kristen is another big talent in a small package at only 4-feet-11-inches.
Tila Tequila
Nguyễn Thị Thiên Thanh, also known as Tila Tequila is an American (born in Singapore) model, singer, television and social media personality. She is known for her role on I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, The Great Debate, and more.
Tila is known for her “cute size”, standing just 4-feet-11-inches.
Lil’ Kim
Lil’ Kim is an American rapper and actress best known for her album, Hard Core, and her parts in Lady Marmalade; and her roles in Knocked Up, 8 Mile, and Moulin Rouge.
She isn’t called Lil’ Kim for nothing—she’s only 4-feet-11-inches tall.
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress, singer, and dancer. She attained international stardom and critical acclaim: as an actress in both musical and dramatic roles; as a recording artist; and on the concert stage.
The Wizard of Oz star was only 4-feet-11-inches.
Linda Hunt
Linda Hunt is an American actress known for her roles in Pocahontas, Stranger Than Fiction, NCIS: Los Angeles, Kindergarten Cop, and more.
Linda is just 4-feet-9-inches.
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter is an American singer and actress. She is known for her role in the crime drama series, Law & Order: SVU, and as a Disney Channel personality, playing lead roles Girl Meets World and Adventures in Babysitting.
Sabrina is only 4-feet-9-inches.
Snooki
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is an American reality TV star known for her presence on Jersey Shore.
It’s no secret that Snooki is tiny as she stands just 4-feet-8-inches.
Zelda Rubinstein
Zelda Rubinstein was an American actress and human rights activist. She is best known for her role as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons in the Poltergeist film series.
Zelda’s short stature was due to a deficiency of the anterior pituitary gland, which produces growth hormone, causing her to be no taller than 4-feet-3-inches.