15 Celebrities Who Aren’t as Tall as You Think They Are

Beyoncé could walk onto a stage and convince you she’s seven feet tall. In reality, she’s nowhere close, which is a pretty good reminder that fame can mess with our sense of scale. We mostly see celebrities in carefully framed music videos, movies, and red-carpet photos, often wearing shoes that add a few inches. Then you find out how tall someone actually is and suddenly those pictures look a little different. Some of the biggest names in entertainment are shorter than you’d expect, including actors who’ve played intimidating villains and singers who can command an entire stadium. Their reported heights might surprise you more than their performances ever did.

Beyoncé — 5’7″

Watching Beyoncé command a stadium, it’s easy to imagine she’s much taller. She’s commonly listed between 5’6″ and 5’7″, which somehow feels impossible when she’s performing.

Lady Gaga — 5’1″

Those enormous platform boots make a lot more sense when you learn Lady Gaga is around 5’1″. Without them, she’s considerably shorter than her stage persona suggests.

Bruno Mars — 5’5″

Bruno Mars has spent years filling arenas with his voice, dancing, and seemingly endless energy. He’s only about 5’5″, something his confident stage presence makes easy to forget.

Kendrick Lamar — 5’5″

Kendrick Lamar can take over an entire stadium with a microphone. At approximately 5’5″, he doesn’t need much physical height to make an enormous impression.

Tom Cruise — 5’7″

Tom Cruise has spent decades running across rooftops, hanging from airplanes, and playing action heroes. At roughly 5’7″, he’s shorter than many people picture a blockbuster leading man.

Daniel Radcliffe — 5’5″

Daniel Radcliffe has joked about standing on boxes during filming. He’s around 5’5″, although his years playing the world’s most famous young wizard made him seem larger than life.

Scarlett Johansson — 5’3″

Black Widow has no trouble taking down opponents twice her size. Scarlett Johansson is reportedly about 5’3″, a detail that’s easy to overlook during those elaborate Marvel fight scenes.

Florence Pugh — 5’4″

Florence Pugh has played everything from a formidable Marvel assassin to a terrifyingly determined young bride. She’s around 5’4″, although her characters rarely seem intimidated by anyone.

Emilia Clarke — 5’2″

Daenerys Targaryen commanded armies and dragons on Game of Thrones. Emilia Clarke, meanwhile, stands around 5’2″. The Mother of Dragons didn’t need to be particularly tall.

Sabrina Carpenter — 5’0″

Sabrina Carpenter has made her height part of the joke, even naming her album Short n’ Sweet. She’s about five feet tall, despite looking larger onstage.

Dolly Parton — 5’0″

Between the big hair, sparkling outfits, and commanding personality, Dolly Parton has always seemed larger than life. Her reported height is just 5’0″, before the heels.

Simone Biles — 4’8″

Simone Biles can launch herself through the air with extraordinary power and precision. At 4’8″, she’s considerably shorter than many of the people watching her perform.

Al Pacino — 5’6″

Al Pacino can make an entire room nervous with one angry stare. The Scarface and The Godfather star stands around 5’6″, despite playing some seriously intimidating characters.

Natalie Portman — 5’3″

Natalie Portman has played a queen, a ballet dancer, and a Marvel superhero. At approximately 5’3″, she’s shorter than her commanding screen presence might suggest.

Salma Hayek — 5’2″

Salma Hayek has never needed height to dominate a scene or a red carpet. She’s reportedly around 5’2″, something that’s easy to miss in photographs.