As you may know, Hollywood actors are often a little bit shorter than we perceive them to be. There are some famous figures, like Tom Cruise, who are actually famous for this distinction. However, it’s actually fairly widespread. The cameras and perspectives can often make actors look several inches taller than they actually are, and in some cases elevator shoes may actually be used.
We don’t know for sure if any such tricks have ever been used regarding the following actors, so don’t take this as a specific claim. But if you’ve ever wished you could appear taller, it can be helpful to know that some of the most famous leading men in the film and television industries could also use a boost on occasion. These are five such actors, who may be less tall than you imagine.
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe always seemed a little bit on the short side while performing as the iconic Harry Potter for, essentially, a whole decade and eight films. Part of that may have been that he’s meant to be a good deal shorter than good friend Ron Weasley (played by Rupert Grint). But even in the real world, Radcliffe is about 5’5’’. He’s even been asked if his height holds him back in Hollywood – which seems like an odd thing to ask someone who got to play Harry Potter for his entire childhood and into his young adult life! Ultimately Radcliffe seems very secure about his height, though we could certainly imagine him getting a boost for the right role.
Jack Black
Jack Black is an interesting case in that he actually does tend to appear to be on the shorter side, and almost certainly hasn’t used any kind of lift or elevator shoe thus far in his films. Black is said to be about 5’6’’, just a shade taller than Radcliffe. What makes him interesting is that he tends to play such larger-than-life characters. Whether he’s leading the way in School Of Rock or even playing the dysfunctional but lovable brother in the teen comedy Orange County he always seems somehow grand, despite his shorter stature.
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg has had a terrific young career in Hollywood, but is best known for depicting tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg in the film The Social Network, about Facebook’s founding. In that film, while co-star Andrew Garfield is notably taller, Eisenberg appears a little bit gangly, and at least somewhat tall – just as the real Zuckerberg can. It’s actually known, however, that Zuckerberg employs tricks to look taller, and it could be that Eisenberg does as well. Like Zuckerberg, the actor is only about 5’7’’.
Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood these days, coming off his first Best Actor win at the Oscars. Oldman had the best chances of winning heading in for his incredible portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, and sure enough wound up holding Hollywood’s most valuable hardware. What was interesting about that role is that he appeared shorter than usual, with effects used to make him heavyset and somewhat stooped. The implication there is that he usually looks rather tall and, like Eisenberg, somewhat lanky. Oldman, however, is just 5’9’’ – not notably short by any means, but neither quite as tall as he can sometimes look.
Joe Dempsie
Dempsie is a lesser-known actor compared to some of the above, but he’s gaining a greater profile quickly. He plays Gendry in Game Of Thrones, a character who’s specifically portrayed as being big and strong. Muscled Dempsie may be, but most sources online have him pegged around 5’7’’ or 5’8’’ – distinctly smaller than he appears in the hit HBO series. As with all of these actors, we don’t know if Dempsie uses any sort of special footwear to gain his edge. But he certainly could some day to uphold the image the show has created of him.
