15 Times Moviemakers Use "Magic Tricks" To Conceal Actors' Real Height

Jessica Wilson
Mar 24, 2023
Mar 24, 2023

When we see our favorite actors and actresses on screen, it can be hard to know their “ real ” height. Filmmakers use many techniques to change the audience's impression of the actors' height so that they appear exactly as they are described in the script. There are many actors whose actual heights are totally different from what we believe.
And while we frequently suppose that movie stars are tall, the truth is that many of them are actually much shorter than we orginally believe. Although it happens not so frequently, directors also have to make an effort to cover up the fact that actresses are taller than actors. Sometimes, their height differences are exaggerated.
Today, we decided to find out what famous characters from well-known movies would have looked like in reality if the filmmakers had kept their height unchanged. Check out this list of 15 actors and actresses and tell us if there are any of your favorites!

#1 Amanda Seyfried

Source: © In Time / New Regency Productions and co-producers

The first couple with a significant age gap is Justin Timberlake (6′ 1½") and Amanda Seyfried (5' 3"). The actress was required to wear heels throughout her entire time on the In Tie set, even in fight scenes, She also explained how she could run quickly in such shoes in one of the interviews. The shoes are unique with shorter heels, it turned out.

#2 Daniel Radcliffe

Source: © Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 / Warner Bros, AFP / East News

This is another case where camera work helped to conceal a significant height difference. Daniel Radcliffe is shorter than Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in real life. However, according to the Harry Potter star, it isn't a challenge for his career. He stated that Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman are both successful actors who aren't exceptionally tall.
“I could play a soldier. The minimum height for a marine is 5 feet, and I’m well above that. I wouldn’t be able to take myself seriously as the quarterback in a football movie, which is my one legitimate gripe.” he jokes.

#3 Gillian Anderson

Source: 20thCentFox / Courtesy Everett Collection / East News, PictureGroup / East News

David Duchovny is 5’11¾" tall. It's not surprising that Gillian Anderson needed to appear taller than she was (5'3′′) to get a perfect shot. She recalls having to jump onto something high to appear taller when the characters needed to enter a room and show their badges at the same time. She fell once because she forgot she was in a box and turned quickly to the camera.

#4 Ingrid Bergman

Source: © Casablanca / Warner Bros. and co-producers

If you watch Casablanca carefully, you'll notice that Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart's height difference is never consistent. The director, however, preferred to cover up that Bergman was taller than Bogart. To give the impression of the opposite, the director had Bogart sit on boxes and pillows, and Bergman even had to slouch in some scenes.

#5 James McAvoy

Source: BLUEPRINT PICTURES / East News

In real life, Anne Hathaway (5'8") and James McAvoy (5'9") are nearly equal in height. However, the makers of the romantic drama Becoming Jane made McAvoy appear much taller than she was.

#6 Josh Hutcherson

Source: © The Hunger Games / Lionsgate, Eric Charbonneau / East News

The height gap between The Hunger Games' main characters was concealed by effective camera work. Josh Hutcherson is 5'5′′ and Jennifer Lawrence is 5'9′′ in real life. The actor is comfortable with his height and frequently makes fun of it.

#7 Kristen Stewart

Source: IMPRINT Entertainment / East News

The Twilight Saga's Bella Swan and Edward Cullen have become iconic couples. They look great together because he is tall and she is slightly shorter. However, the actual height difference between the two actors is much greater. Kristen stands 5'5" tall, while Robert stands 6'1".

#8 Miley Cyrus

Source: © The Last Song / Touchstone Pictures, VALERIE MACON / East News

Miley Cyrus appears slightly shorter than Liam Hemsworth in The Last Song. The camera hides a significant height gap. Hemsworth is 6’3½" and Cyrus is 5'5".

#9 Natalie Portman

Source: Walt Disney Co. / Courtesy Everett Collection / East News

Another on-screen couple with a significant height difference is Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth. To endure that the actors, who are 5'3" and 6'3" tall, looked well together, they built a one-foot-off-the-ground path for Portman to walk on during their scenes together.

#10 Reese Witherspoon

Source: East News, BEHAR ANTHONY / East News

Reese Witherspoon is rarely forgotten by tabloid writers when discussing short celebrities. She is just 5’1¾" tall. Robert Pattinson was her coworker in the movie Water for Elephants. Given that Pattinson is 6'1", the actors' actual height differences are impressive, and the film's camera work was outstanding.

#11 Robert Downey Jr.

Some shots may appear confusing if you knew the true heights of the Iron Man cast. Tony Stark is significantly taller than his assistant, but Robert Downey Jr. stands at 5’8½" and Gwyneth Paltrow stands at 5'9′′. Besides, in the movie, she almost always wears high heels.

#12 Scarlett Johansson

Many characters in the Marvel Universe had to change their appearance dramatically. Captain America, for example, was illustrated as shorter and thinner before his transformation. Scarlett Johansson needed to appear taller beside Evans. Evans is 6' and she is 5'3".

#13 Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy had to spend a lot of time in the gym and learn to speak through a special box to make his voice scarier to play Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Furthermore, the actor needed to grow in height to fit in next to Christian Bale. He needed to wear shoes with a high platform.

#14 Vin Diesel

Tabloids have reported on a possible argument between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson. They didn't want to work together after their argument, but they still needed to complete a few scenes together. The solution was to film them separately and then edit them together.
Some scenes in Fast & Furious appear quite odd. Diesel appears to be a giant next to Johnson, and it's possibly a bad attempt to make Vin appear taller than he is.

#15 Woody Harrelson

We don't know what tricks the True Detective creators used, but they tried to level the main characters' height difference because Matthew McConaughey is 5'113/4" inches tall and Woody Harrelson is 5'9" inches tall.

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