10 actresses over 6 feet tall — and what they’ve said about their height
10 actresses over 6 feet tall — and what they’ve said about their height
Britt HayesThu, August 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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Gwendoline Christie; Elizabeth Debicki; Janet McTeerCredit: Gilbert Flores/Getty; Kevin Winter/Getty; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Tall actors often have to deal with questions and corny jokes about their size — ask your tall friends, they’ve heard it all — but tall actresses can receive even more attention for their height. Think of Sigourney Weaver, Leslie Jones, and Geena Davis — all of whom clock in at 6 feet tall. That kind of height is exceedingly rare among American women, whose average height is roughly 5 foot 4, per the CDC. And while height can sometimes — though not always — present challenges for actresses, plenty of exceptionally tall women have carved out formidable careers in Hollywood.
It’s certainly become an asset for the women on this list, many of whom have overcome bullying and insecurity to confidently embrace their height. Below, Entertainment Weekly takes a closer look at some of our favorite actresses who stand over 6 feet tall — and what they’ve said about learning to take up space.
01 of 10
Janet McTeer
Janet McTeer, Amber Tamblyn, and Alia ShawkatCredit: Clint Spaulding/WWD/Penske Media via Getty
Janet McTeer cuts an imposing figure on shows like Ozark and MobLand, where her performances are enhanced — but not defined — by her height. The 6 foot 1 actress was deeply insecure about her appearance as a teen, telling The New Yorker, “When I was young, I used to think, I’m just too ugly to play those kind of roles. I was incredibly self-conscious about the way I looked.”
At age 14, McTeer said she grew seven inches; the growing pains were so intense that she bandaged her legs. Her height also took an emotional toll. “I was half an inch taller than the boy I liked,” she recalled. “I remember I was doing my piano practice, and I started sobbing. My father couldn’t cope with it. He gave me a tot of whiskey and ginger until my mother came home.”
The experience proved to be a turning point. “After that,” McTeer said, “I stood up tall, and I never slouched. It was a sort of act of defiance, really. And, when I went to college, I realized that my height was an incredible tool. I could really use my body in a way that I felt was theatrical: you can stoop, you can be big, you can be galumphing, you can be nineteen-thirties and elegant. You’re much more malleable.”
02 of 10
Brigitte Nielsen
Mattia Dessi and Brigitte Nielsen on the television show ‘Belve’ at the Rai Fabrizio Frizzi studios in Rome on April 8, 2026Credit: Mondadori Portfolio via Getty
Most millennials recall Brigitte Nielsen from her time on reality TV in the 2000s, where she met and fell for famously diminutive rapper Flavor Flav on The Surreal Life before the pair starred together on Strange Love. But in the ’80s, the Danish actress and model was best known for her roles in Red Sonja and Rocky IV, both released in 1985. In the early ’90s, Nielsen even posed for promotional photos as She-Hulk for a planned New World Pictures movie that never materialized.
Nielsen, who stands 6 foot 1, told The Hollywood Reporter that although it was “really hard” being a tall teenage girl, she ultimately had her height to thank for her career. “What made me stand up straight, when I was 16, was I was seen, in Copenhagen, by a model agent who spotted me and crossed the shop to talk to me,” Nielsen recalled. “I couldn’t believe it, but that job made me stand up straighter. It gave me some firm confidence. But of course, having been bullied for 10 years, in your young years…that never really leaves you.”
03 of 10
Ava Michelle
Ava Michelle and Megan Lawless at Variety Power of Young Hollywood 2026 at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles At Beverly Hills on Aug. 5, 2026Credit: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty
Netflix would’ve had some explaining to do had the streamer not cast an actual tall girl in the hit teen comedyTall Girl. The role went to rising star Ava Michelle, a dancer and model who stands 6 foot 1, just like her character in the 2019 comedy and its sequel.
Playing the part was an honor for Michelle, who felt that young audiences really needed a movie like Tall Girl. “My generation needs this movie to know that they can love themselves, and that the things people say don’t define them,” she said in an interview with Teen Vogue. “We might not like these things [about ourselves], but they are what make us different and special.”
“My height was really hard for me growing up. Like, I was 5-foot-10 at 13. I was really, really tall,” Michelle added. “In the business that I was in, and even just being in school, I was made fun of, and it was really difficult. But ironically, I got my first huge [acting gig] partly because of the thing I hated about myself for so long.”
04 of 10
Julie Strain
Julie Strain with Pauly Shore during the 1994 MTV Movie Awards at Sony Studios in Culver City, Calif.Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Julie Strain was prolific throughout the ’90s. In addition to appearing in a slew of B-movies and in the pages of adult magazines, the 6 foot 1 actress had small roles in the 1994 films Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult and Beverly Hills Cop III. Strain was also a popular model for comic book artists, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesco-creator Kevin Eastman, whom she married. Fans of the cult fantasy franchise Heavy Metal may recognize Strain as both the inspiration for and voice of Julie, the main character in Heavy Metal 2000 (2000).
Strain, who died in 2021, was confident and had a great sense of humor about her height. In an interview with Salon, published in 2000, Strain deployed one of her favorite jokes: “I’m 6 foot 1 and worth the climb,” she said, adding, “If you get tired, you can rest halfway.”
She even used the line as the title for her 1997 illustrated autobiography, Six Foot One and Worth the Climb.
05 of 10
Elizabeth Debicki
Elizabeth Debicki and Lily Collins at A24’s ‘MAXXXINE’ After Party at Chateau Marmont on June 24, 2024, in HollywoodCredit: Stewart Cook/Getty
There is an incredible moment in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (2020) that takes place during a car chase: Elizabeth Debicki’s character is tied up in the backseat when she reaches around and across the front seat and opens the door — with just her leg. It’s truly an ingenious and awe-inspiring use of Debicki’s 6 foot 2 frame, which drew attention when she was cast as the late Princess Diana on The Crown, given that the Princess of Wales stood around 5 foot 10.
“Society still has this very antiquated idea of women needing to be small,” Debicki told Vanity Fair. “It slightly threatens that unconscious status quo that we still have. I really do feel that is shifting significantly, but that can be ingrained in you as a tall person.”
It wasn’t always easy for Debicki, who explained that it took a fair bit of effort to accept herself. “You have to do your own work to shake that off and think, I’m allowed to be the height I am, which means… I am allowed to take up as much space as I take up,” she said. “I don’t have to be smaller for people. But it’s definitely a journey.”
06 of 10
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Gwendoline Christie
Jenna Ortega and Gwendoline Christie at the photo call for ‘Wednesday’ at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on April 29, 2023, in Los AngelesCredit: Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty
Gwendoline Christie’s stature was incredibly useful when she was cast on Game of Thrones, in which she played the instantly iconic Brienne of Tarth, the brave knight determined to fulfill her oath to Catelyn Stark. The role helped propel Christie to projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), while her versatility can be seen in everything from Top of the Lake and Wednesday to Severance. At 6 foot 3, her height may be striking, but it’s hardly the defining feature of her performances.
Though Christie endured bullying as a teen, she often focuses in interviews on the positive aspects of being tall. “I was about 6ft at the age of 14,” she explained to The Times. “I was enjoying the process of youth, wondering what kind of human being I would grow into, what kind of size I would be, what the dimensions would be as I grew more.”
“A doctor had told me I would be lucky if I stopped growing at 5ft 11in, but I thought, why stop there?” she continued. “I thought it was brilliant being so tall, and they were quite shocked by that response. I didn’t see what was interesting about conforming to the rule when the rule seemed nonsensical.”
07 of 10
Dot-Marie Jones
Amanda Bearse and Dot-Marie Jones attend the premiere of Universal Pictures’ ‘Bros’ at Regal LA Live on Sept. 28, 2022, in Los AngelesCredit: JC Olivera/WireImage
Most people are lucky to experience massive success in one career field, let alone two or three. But before Dot-Marie Jones became a breakout star of Glee, she was an impressive athlete with numerous titles under her belt — a path she might not have chosen had it not been for her height.
“I grew really fast,” the 6 foot 3 actress told EW in 2010. “It’s true I went from 5’6’’ to 6’1’’in six months in 8th grade. By the end of 8th grade, I was 6’1’’. Everyone was freaking out.”
“I did volleyball, basketball, and track all through high school,” Jones continued. “And then I went to junior college and I stuck with track because I was good at shot put and discus. And then I got a full ride to Fresno State for their track program. Shot put was my main thing. I was the five-time All-American, and I set a couple records. Then I did get to go to the Olympic trials in ’88 and ’92. I was 7th and 11th, so I didn’t place high enough to go to the games, but, still, it was a blast. I also competed [as] a professional arm-wrestler. I won 15 world titles.” She accomplished all of that before establishing herself as an actress.
Glee often used Jones’ appearance to play with audience assumptions about her character, Coach Beiste, including in the memorable season 2 episode “Never Been Kissed.” Asked how she felt about her appearance being used for comedic purposes, Jones told EW, “You know what? I think that’s hilarious. It serves a purpose for the message. I wasn’t offended at all. I thought it was hysterical. Maybe it will make people think outside of the show.”
08 of 10
Judy Gold
Kara Swisher and Judy Gold attend CNN’s ‘Kara Swisher Wants To Live Forever’ Premiere Event on April 9, 2026, in New York CityCredit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Judy Gold has been working as a comedian, actress, and writer for the better part of five decades, so there probably isn’t a joke about being tall that she hasn’t heard already. She’ll be the first to note that she used to be 6 foot 3, but she’s lost an inch with age — a fact she often jokes about in interviews. Among her influences, Gold cites Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, and Big Bird. Why the Sesame Street character?
“I was six feet tall when I was 13, and I was called Big Bird my entire life,” Gold said in a 2022 interview with The Times of Israel. “When Big Bird walks on the screen that’s all you see. That’s how I have lived my entire life. I’m 6’ 2’’ now. I was 6’ 3’’ but I shrunk because I’m old. Anyway, walking onto a set and being the thing that just appears because you are so large becomes the only thing that people see first.”
She continued, “But inside Big Bird, if you took away that big huge body of Big Bird, is the sweetest person. If the way you look defines you, people have to take an extra step to get to know you. I really identified with that because first of all, women aren’t supposed to take up a lot of space.”
09 of 10
Lindsay Kay Hayward
Jacee Jule and Lindsay Kay Hayward arrive at the 5th Annual Indie Series Awards at El Portal Theatre on April 2, 2014, in North HollywoodCredit: Michael Bezjian/WireImage
Wrestling fans may know Lindsay Kay Hayward by her ring names, Isis the Amazon and Aloisia. After a few years on the independent circuit and a brief stint with the WWE, the 6 foot 8 Hayward shifted her focus to acting. In 2013, she landed a major role in the surreal Japanese comedy R100, which earned her the Guinness World Record title for Tallest Actress in a Leading Role.
Hayward had a tough time in high school, where her height made her a target for bullies. “You’d think my height would stop people teasing me but it didn’t,” she told theDaily Mail. “I was shy back then. My basketball team became like family to me. I always felt more comfortable with taller people, they knew what it was like.”
In 2015, Hayward starred in the TLC reality show My Giant Life, which followed a group of women who stood at least 6 foot 6.
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10 of 10
Erika Ervin
Erika Ervin and Emma Roberts arrive at the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20, 2015, in Los AngelesCredit: Dan MacMedan/WireImage
You’ve probably seen Erika Ervin on TV, either as Shelley Godrey on Netflix’s Hemlock Grove or playing Amazon Eve on American Horror Story: Freak Show. Ervin, who stands 6-foot-8, told BuzzFeed in 2014 that she was already 5 foot 11 at age 14, noting that many of the activities she pursued were directly related to how she was perceived.
“The things I’ve done in the past, wrestling, boxing, and physical training, they’ve all been responses to imposed demands on me,” said Ervin, whose journey toward self-acceptance involved coming out as a transgender woman in 2004 and finding a supportive community.
Ervin has also found empowerment in her height. “There’s a lot of pressure that women are placed under to be small and weak,” she said in a 2014 interview. “I’m stronger just because I’m bigger.”
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