These Lovely Ladies Are the 29 Shortest Actresses in Hollywood
You probably won't be surprised to find out that a lot of your favorite actors and actresses aren't as tall as they appear on TV or in the movies. What may catch you off guard, however, is just how short some of these stars really are.
In fact, because certain actresses have an onscreen presence that's way larger than life, you'd never guess that they're so much tinier than their costars.
If you're curious to discover who they are, we've gathered 29 of the shortest actresses in Hollywood. In fact, everyone on this list is 5'2″ and under. Keep clicking through to the end to find out who's the smallest of them all.
1. Alyssa Milano – 5'2"
Alyssa Milano has been a television staple since the '80s, starring in a number of hit TV shows, from Who's the Boss to Melrose Place and Charmed, all the way up to Insatiable. She stands at just 5'2″, proving that height has nothing to do with success in the industry.
2. Anna Kendrick – 5'2"
Thanks to her acting talents and her incredible singing voice, Anna Kendrick has cemented herself as someone who can tackle any genre. We loved her as Jessica in the Twilight Saga, but by playing Beca in the Pitch Perfect movies, she showed us what she was really capable of—and her character Poppy in the Trolls movies might be our favorite yet. Can you believe that such a big voice comes out of someone who's only 5'2″?
3. Emma Roberts – 5'2"
Straight out of the gate, 5'2″ actress Emma Roberts has had no difficulty demonstrating that she is so much more than just Julia Roberts' niece. She's been on our radar since playing Addie on Nickelodeon's Unfabulous, but she's had a number of incredible roles since—and we think she's particularly good in creepy roles like Scream Queens and American Horror Story.
4. Eva Longoria – 5'2"
Standing at just 5'2″, Eva Longoria is another actress who doesn't need to be tall to do it all. Her career began with the soap opera The Young and the Restless before she hit it big as one of the stars of Desperate Housewives, and her success has continued ever since. But she doesn't just act—she also has her own production company, Unbelievable Entertainment, and has run her own restaurants and nightclubs, as well as a clothing line called Thredup.
5. Hilary Duff – 5'2"
We're still enamored with Lizzie McGuire all these years later, and at 5'2″, Hilary Duff was exactly the right actress to play her. She was one of the original superstars of the Disney Channel, with a successful acting and singing career, paving the way for the next incredible generation to follow. Her films Cheaper by the Dozen and A Cinderella Story are still classics, and her latest series, Younger, is beloved by fans. Did we mention she's also a best-selling author and a businesswoman?
6. Lucy Hale – 5'2"
We don't think the "little" in Pretty Little Liars was supposed to be taken literally, but it does apply to star Lucy Hale, who stands at 5'2″. While that was her most notable role, she's also starred in a number of great horror flicks included Scream 4, Truth or Dare and Fantasy Island. On top of all that, she's also had a successful career as a country singer. Her latest series, Katy Keene, just got canceled after only a single season, but it deserved to be so much more.
7. Rachel Bilson – 5'2"
The O.C. will always be one of our very favorite shows of the aughts, and that was in part due to Rachel Bilson's incredible performance as Summer Roberts. The 5'2″ actress was also incredible in films including The Last Kiss and the sci-fi action movie Jumper. Most recently, she's been sticking primarily to TV roles, but we'd love to see her return to the big screen soon.
8. Salma Hayek – 5'2"
While 5'2″ actress Salma Hayek began her career in Mexico, it was only a matter of time before she'd cross over to become just as big of a sensation in the United States. While films including From Dusk till Dawn and Wild Wild West put her name on the map, her breakthrough role was playing Frida Kahlo in 2002's Frida. She's also been a producer since the '90s, being partially responsible for Ugly Betty getting made.
9. Sarah Hyland – 5'2"
There's a lot more to 5'2″ actress than just playing Haley Dunphy on ABC's hit sitcom Modern Family. She's been acting on TV and in films since she was just 7 years old, and she's also a singer, releasing the single "Met at a Party" in 2019. She's even produced a number of her films, including See You in Valhalla, XOXO and The Wedding Year, showing she's anything but a one-trick-pony.
10. Zoë Kravitz – 5'2″
Zoë Kravitz may have famous parents, but the incredible career of the 5'2″ actress has been all her own. She's a model, acting as the face for YSL Beauté and Tiffany & Co., and fronts the electropop R&B band Lolawolf on top of having success in the movies, such as X-Men: First Class, Divergent and Mad Max: Fury Road. After lending her voice to The Lego Batman Movie as Catwoman, she'll also be playing the character in The Batman next year—and we're more than ready to have more Zoë in our lives.
11. America Ferrera – 5'1″
America Ferrera's acting career began with a bang, and she really hasn't looked back since. The 5'1″ actress' big-screen debut, Real Women Have Curves, instantly garnered high praises, and she kept the ball rolling with movies including Gotta Kick It Up! and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants before becoming a household name with ABC's Ugly Betty. She's also wonderful as the voice of Astrid in the How to Train Your Dragon films—and these days, in addition to starring in Superstore on NBC, she also co-produces the show.
12. Ashley Olsen – 5'1"
If you ever assumed that Ashley Olsen and her twin sister, Mary-Kate, were identical twins, you're certainly not alone. Though each of their names is rarely uttered without the other, they're merely fraternal twins who happen to look very, very alike. Ashley stands at 5'1″, making her an inch taller than her sister, who shared the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House with her before the two launched an empire of Mary-Kate and Ashley movies—before growing up and starting luxury fashion brands The Row and Elizabeth & James.
13. Kristen Bell – 5'1"
Whether you know her best as the voice of Princess Anna in the Frozen movies or as Eleanor on NBC's The Good Place, 5'1″ actress Kristen Bell is everywhere these days. While her breakout role was definitely as Veronica Mars in the series of the same name, she's also impressed on the big screen in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She's even a singer whose lovely singing voice makes her perfect Disney Princess material.
14. Lady Gaga – 5'1"
While singer-songwriter and producer Lady Gaga is best known for her avant-garde yet approachable music, she's also proven herself to be an inimitable actress in recent years. Her first big-screen role was in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and she definitely garnered attention appearing in two seasons of American Horror Story. Of course, her most notable role was as Ally in A Star Is Born, which earned her an Oscar nomination and allowed her to flaunt her singing talents all at once.
15. Maisie Williams – 5'1"
5'1″ actress Maisie Williams is best known as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, but that isn't all there is to this English talent. She's also an incredible voice actress, lending her voice to the film Early Man and the animated series gen:LOCK, and was one of our favorite Doctor Who characters for a few episodes. Even though her X-Men film, The New Mutants has been delayed again and again, we can't wait to check it out when it finally does. She's also an entrepreneur, launching a social media platform for artists called Daisy.
16. Reese Witherspoon – 5'1"
There's a reason that 5'1″ actress Reese Witherspoon is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. While she gained lots of attention in early roles including Cruel Intentions and Election, she became a household name with the release of Legally Blonde in 2001. Her career hasn't let up since, with both successful films and television shows, including the recent series Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere. She also has an Oscar for her role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, and she's also been a producer on films including Gone Girl and Wild. Seems Reese has been one busy woman.
17. Vanessa Hudgens – 5'1"
How could you not love Gabriella Montez? 5'1″ Vanessa Hudgens has been a favorite of Disney Channel fans everywhere since the release of the first High School Musical movie in 2006, and thanks to her huge acting and singing talents, she hasn't gone anywhere. She's been incredible in Fox's live musical productions of Grease and Rent, and we've loved her rom-coms The Princess Switch and The Knight Before Christmas.
18. Adrienne Houghton – 5'
Adrienne Houghton (who you might know better as Adrienne Bailon) was clearly born to perform. The 5′ star began her career as a singer, performing in girl groups 3LW and the Cheetah Girls, before that second group led her to perform in The Cheetah Girls movies, giving her the acting bug. Later, she also appeared in films including Coach Carter and All You've Got. And if you thought you recognized her voice as the Flamingo on The Masked Singer, you were right.
19. Alex Borstein – 5'
Though not everyone has seen 5′ actress, comedian, writer and producer Alex Borstein onscreen, you've probably heard her voice at least once. That's because, in addition to being a prolific actress onscreen, including recently in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, she's also the voice of Lois in Family Guy, perfecting a nasally New England voice that's immediately recognizable.
20. AnnaSophia Robb – 5'
5′ actress AnnaSophia Robb has had a successful and consistent ever since she began as a child star in films including Because of Winn-Dixie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Bridge to Terabithia. She also had a hit song, "Keep Your Mind Wide Open," which was featured in the latter. Since then, she's been wonderful in TV series such as The Carrie Diaries, Mercy Street and Little Fires Everywhere.
21. Chandra Wilson – 5'
Grey's Anatomy has been a television staple for a long time, beginning its run on ABC all the way back in 2005—and 5′ actress Chandra Wilson has been there since the very beginning. She plays Dr. Miranda Bailey, a character who's also appeared on Private Practice and Station 19. Of course, she also had a career long before Grey's, beginning with Philadelphia in 1993. Even so, we'll always fondly remember her as Dr. Bailey.
22. Dolly Parton – 5'
Just because Dolly Parton is best known for her contribution to country music doesn't mean that's all she's managed to do in her incredible life. In addition to being a singer-songwriter and an expert on the guitar, banjo, violin, piano, harmonica and more, she's also an author, entrepreneur, humanitarian and—of course—actress. Her most notable films include 9 to 5, Steel Magnolias and Joyful Noise, and we think her acting is just as good as her music.
23. Hayden Panettiere – 5'
5′ actress and singer Hayden Panettiere has an impressive list of credits to her name, doing everything from movies and TV to singing and video game voice acting. She won money hearts as the indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes, but we were most impressed with her role as Juliette Barnes on Nashville, where she got to showcase her singing abilities, as well. Her country tracks on the show became hits in their own right, and we're still sad that it's no longer on the air.
24. Jada Pinkett Smith – 5'
Jada Pinkett Smith really is so much more than the matriarch of the Smith family. The 5′ star has been acting since the early '90s, appearing in features, including The Nutty Professor, Scream 2 and the final two films of the Matrix trilogy—and though she's still acting, that's just the tip of the iceberg in regards of what she can do. She's also a talk show host and producer, and she wrote and directed the film The Human Contract.
25. Kylie Minogue – 5'
While Kylie Minogue is probably best known for her music, the 5′ Australian British singer has also had quite the acting career. She got her start in a soap opera called Neighbours before her music career every took off, and even after becoming the best-selling female Australian music artist of all time, she hasn't dropped her love of acting. In addition to appearing in a Christmas special episode of Doctor Who, she was also in Moulin Rouge! and San Andreas opposite Dwayne Johnson.
26. Mary-Kate Olsen – 5'
Like we mentioned earlier on this list, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are not identical twins, which helps explain why Mary-Kate is a full inch shorter than her older (by two minutes) sister. Mary-Kate and her twin started acting at just a year old, and though they've quit show business to pursue fashion, we're always crossing our fingers for a comeback.
27. Nikki Blonsky – 5'
5′ actress, singer and dancer Nikki Blonsky is the definition of a triple-threat. Her most notable role was her big-screen debut as Tracy Turnblad in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Hairspray, which allowed her to put all of those unbelievable talents to use. Most recently, she's also started a vlog series on Instagram in which she interviews celebs—and her TikTok has gone pretty viral, too.
28. Pamela Adlon – 5'
Pamela Adlon is another incredibly talented actress whose voice might be more famous than she is. The 5′ talent voiced Bobby Hill, and a number of other memorable characters, on the animated Fox series King of the Hill. Most recently, she's garnered acclaim for the FX series Better Things. Not only does she star as Sam Fox on the show, but she also co-created the show, which she writes, produces and directs.
29. Kristen Chenoweth – 4'11"
At 4'11", Kristen Chenoweth is the shortest star on this list, but she may also be one of the biggest talents. The actress and singer has conquered film, TV and musical theater, whose best-known role just might be as Glinda the good witch in the musical Wicked. Her small stature and unique voice make her a standout in the industry, and her singing simply can't be beat.
Now that you've discovered Hollywood's shortest actresses, click HERE to find out which actresses are the tallest in the biz.