Nicole Kidman said she once told people she was 5ft 10½in, rather than 5ft 11in, because she had been warned that being tall could limit her acting career. The half-inch understatement was part of her personal account of pursuing work—not evidence of a Hollywood-wide casting rule.
What did Nicole Kidman say about her height?
In an interview with the Radio Times, Kidman recalled being told: “You won’t have a career. You’re too tall.” She said she responded by describing herself as 5ft 10½in instead of 5ft 11in when seeking work. The Guardian reported the account on January 16, 2024, and gives her height as 5ft 11in (1.8 metres). The Guardian’s report attributes the quotation to Kidman’s interview.
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Sky News also reported Kidman recalling that she was teased as “stalky” and asked, “How’s the air up there?” Those comments help explain the personal context she described, but the reporting does not establish that casting directors generally excluded tall actors. Sky News’ account identifies the interview as the Radio Times Podcast.
How does the Annie audition fit into the story?
Kidman also recalled a childhood audition for Annie, a separate episode from her later practice of understating her height while seeking work. She said she was about 5ft 4in when the audition cutoff was 5ft 2in. She talked her way into the room and sang four lines, but did not receive a callback, according to The Guardian and Sky News.
#1 Best Overall
- Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman
What the account does—and does not—show
The story is a reported recollection about how Kidman understood the pressure she faced early in her career. It does not prove a formal industry policy, quantify how often height affects casting, or establish that other actors were treated the same way. The figures are those carried in the January 2024 reports, not independently measured records. Marie Claire also covered the height anecdote in January 2024: Marie Claire’s report.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Factory sealed DVD
Rank #3
- Nicole Kidman: Strangerland / Queen of the Desert / Lion ( Strangerland / Queen of the Desert / Lion
- Nicole Kidman: Strangerland / Queen of the Desert / Lion
- Strangerland / Queen of the Desert / Lion
Rank #2
- Kids (1995)
- Kids (1995)
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