How Tall Is Your Favorite Celebrity?

CULTURE BEAT

“We can’t all be stars because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as I go by.”― Sebastian Horsley

Every once in a while I get curious about the height of someone I’m writing about. If you ask Google you’ll usually find it in a second. While writing about President James Madison a couple years ago I learned that he was only 5 ft. 4 inches as opposed to George Washington’s 6 ft. 2 inches or so, depending on the source.

It’s fairly well-known that Michael J. Fox is relatively short for a guy, and when I looked him up it was 5 ft. 4 inches like President Madison. By way of contrast, Denzel Washington is 6 ft. 1, and when standing ramrod straight Clint Eastwood is 6 ft. 3.

These thoughts came to mind because I was looking at a photo of Marlon Brando with Louie Kemp and Bill Graham in Kemp’s book Dylan & Me, and I was surprised to see Brando as the shortest of the three. On the silver screen everyone probably appears bigger than life to some extent, but to find Brando to be a hair under 5 ft. 9 surprised me.

It must be strange to be famous and have everything about you available to the public. Not only is your height a matter of public record but your net worth as well. I suppose for those who are competitive this is thrilling or depressing, depending on who you compare yourself to.

I once saw a quote by Tom Cruise, or maybe it was Michael J. Fox since they’re both shorter, that went something like this. The difference between a star and a superstar is that when you’re a star you walk on platforms (to look taller on camera) and when you’re a superstar, everyone else walks in ditches.

We started watching when you were small;
Had no idea you would grow so tall.
Your Hollywood life was always news —
The tabloids showed us various views
so that on and on your legend grew.

I’m not sure of the origin of this poem so I don’t know who to attribute it to. Seems like I got it from somewhere else so I won’t claim it. Ultimately, being tall does offer you a couple advantages. You can reach the upper shelf without a stepstool, for example.

There are disadvantages to height as well. For example, how often are short people asked, “Did you play basketball in school?”

I learned long ago that comparing yourself to others is a fairly poor way to spend your hours, days or years. It’s much better to compare yourself to where you have been and where you want to go.

On that note I only have this to say: Keep pressing on.

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