Tom Cruise is considered Hollywood short. Most athletes tower above the average person, but some pack a large punch in a smaller body like the 5-feet 7-inch action star.
Tom Cruise Height
Tom Cruise started his career claiming to be 5-feet 9-inches tall, but rumors swirled that the star of Top Gun, Mission Impossible and The Minority Report is actually 5-feet 2-inches. It has since been pretty much agreed upon that Cruise is a respectable 5-feet 7-inches.
There was a 4-inch height difference between Cruise and his first wife Nicole Kidman. The pair met on the set of Days of Thunder and married in 1990.
Nicole Kidman said that when filming Days of Thunder: “They had me in really flat shoes, but you could still see I was taller than him. I’d prefer to be smaller, but I don’t mind. I like the fact that he’s one of the most famous actors in the world and can work with anybody —but he doesn’t mind working with an actress who’s taller.”
When the pair split in 2001, Kidman famously quipped, “Now I can wear heels.”
Short Athletes
Sports stars are usually known for their larger builds, not just with tone muscle and weight but also height.
Manute Bol was a Sudanese-born American basketball player and political activist listed at 7-feet 7-inches and is considered the tallest player in the history of the NBA. There was also a 28-inch different between Muggsy Bogues, the shortest NBA player, and Gheorghe Muresan.
The gallery above features athletes shorter than Mr. Cruise, but below are some others. Any you think should be added to the list?
- Frederick Walden– shortest soccer player – 5.2 feet
- Jack Shapiro– shortest American football player – 5.1 feet
- Tich Cornford– shortest cricket player – 5 feet
- Henry Franklyn– shortest hockey player – 3-feet 6-inches
- Lionel Giroux– shortest wrestler – 4-feet 4-inches
- Scott Hamilton– Olympic gold medalist and retired figure skater – 5-feet 3-inches
