18 Famous Short Men Who Are Wildly Successful

It’s hard to ascertain a person’s height from a few pictures.

However, for most pop stars, actors, and famous people, pictures are all we have to judge them by. 

With that said, who are the most famous short guys?

We’ve compiled an extensive and detailed list of successful short people to let you know that being vertically challenged isn’t always a handicap!

Here’s a list of our top 18 famous short men that you can be inspired by. 

Let’s get started!

Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart is 5ft 2 ½ inches or 1.59m tall. You’d know that already, though, if you follow him on social media. Hart being the comedian that he is, will often make light of his height and is able to see the funny side of being shorter than the average man.

A quick Google search along the lines of ‘Kevin Hart height’ will bring up several amusing photos in which Hart poses alongside much taller men. The most notable of which – aside from the many photoshopped images – are those with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal and Hart’s movie star friend the Rock. The latter two have great chemistry both on and off-screen, which has made from some excellent movies and plenty of joking around in interviews as well as via their social media platforms. 

That said, the fact that Hart is shorter than the average man is the least interesting thing about him.

The Hollywood star-cum-stand up comedian has carved a career in show business out for himself in stunning style. He has appeared in everything from out-and-out comedies like ‘Central Intelligence’ to big blockbuster movies like the new ‘Jumanji.’Even though he has such a busy career in Hollywood, though, Kevin Hart rose to fame as a stand-up comedian.

Before he blew up and became the hugely influential star that he is today, Hart had to grind out a living in comedy clubs getting by with meager paychecks and little in the way of public exposure. That all changed in 2009 when he put out his first stand-up album called ‘I’m a grown little man,’ and then again in 2011 with his 2011 tour ‘Laugh at my pain’ that grossed an astonishing $15 million.

This graft and commitment to hard work is what sets Hart apart from so many others in his line of work. Not only is he a machine when it comes to putting out comedy and shooting for movies, but he’s also a fitness enthusiast – regularly posting inspirational videos to his Instagram. He has a positive message for his audience, and always strives to come across as humble and modest, which is perhaps why he is now at the peak of his popularity. 

Late in 2019, Hart was caught up in a major car accident which left him severely injured and reliant on a walker in the hospital for several days. This was a dark time for the usually upbeat and positive movie star, but he emerged from the accident with a newfound appreciation for life and has since come back firing on all cylinders. It’s hard not to admire the work ethic and outlook on life Hart maintains, even if you aren’t blown away by his work on the screen.

Aziz Ansari

Aziz Ansari is an American actor who is 5 ft 5 inches or 1.68m tall. The popular stand up comedian also works as a director, producer, writer, and actor. The man of many talents is behind the hugely successful Netflix comedy series ‘Master of None’ both starring in it and creating it, and was a regular on the hit NBC show ‘Parks and Recreation’. He has won several awards for both his writing and acting, which include a Golden Globe and two emmys. This gave him the distinction of being the first Asian American actor to win the Golden Globe for acting on television.

While the actor’s name has been tarnished in a recent controversy in which he was accused of sexual misconduct, this hasn’t slowed him down as he addresses the scandal in his latest Netflix stand-up special ‘Right Now’. His show ‘Master of None’ is also coming back to our screens in May, so Ansari is proving as prolific as ever, showing no signs of letting up.

Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars is the singer, songwriter behind huge hits such as ‘uptown funk’, ‘locked out of heaven’, and ‘the lazy song’. Standing at 5ft 4 inches or 1.65m tall, Mars is a showman who tackles a diverse genre of music with his songs. Whether it’s R&B, funk, soul, or hip hop, Mars has proven that he can produce hit songs consistently, which has landed him the position as one of the most prominent musicians around.

Perhaps what’s most notable about Mars, though, is his energy on stage as a performer. He isn’t one to stand and belt out an anthem, as he’s always dancing to the beat and electrifying audiences with his moves. The best recent example of this is ‘uptown funk’, a song which took the world by storm, and still to this day more than seven years after its released it is played ad nauseum on the radio and in bars and clubs. This song topped a variety of music charts and spent an incredible fourteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and seven weeks on the UK Singles Chart.

To date, Mars has sold more than 130 million records internationally, which earns him the prestigious title of being one of the best-selling music artists ever. He has had eight number-one records on the Billboard Hot 100, getting to five in the shortest amount of time since the legendary Elvis Presley. He has also claimed merits from a series of top publications like TIme and Forbes, as well as receiving a bucket load of awards and nominations.

Elijah Wood

Elijah Wood is 5ft 2 inches or 1.68m tall which puts him around the same height as movie star Kevin Hart. The American actor has also appeared in his fair share of blockbuster movies, most notable of which is the record-crushing Lord of the Rings trilogy. Wood portrayed the nervous hobbit Frodo Baggins whose mission was to burn the all-consuming ring in Mount Doom, while navigating a series of wicked enemies and obstacles along the way. For many, this was Wood’s defining role, and for better or worse he will always be known as Frodo to most of us. The character will follow him throughout his acting career, which speaks not only to the movies’ success, but also to his portrayal of the hobbit.

His excellent performance as Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy shot him to worldwide fame, and then landed him the same role ten years later in ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’. Though, believe it or not, his career in film began much earlier than his appearance in Lord of the Rings. It was in 1989 when Wood first landed a role in a popular movie franchise, as he had a small role in ‘Back to the Future Part II’. From there, he was recognized for his acting ability even as a child, and featured in many other movies up until the early 2000s when the Lord of the Rings first came out.

Martin Scorcese

Martin Scorcese is best known for his catalogue of thought-provoking, and visually stunning movies. The director stands at 5ft 3inches or 1.63m in height, and is responsible for some of the best movies to hit our screens. This is the man behind certified hits like ‘Goodfellas’, ‘The Departed’, ‘Gangs of New York’, an ‘Shutter Island’.  

The style of movies Scorcese produces tend to be dark and gritty dramas, often full of violence and centered on American culture. Starting in the 1970s, Scorcese has consistently put out big budget movies that don’t shy away from intense topics and sinister subject material. He usually puts top stars in his movies to ensure the highest quality – Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor he often looks to for example.

One of his most successful recent endeavours was the widely praised movie ‘The Irishman’ which had an all-star cast featuring Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro. This movie was released first in cinema theaters, before appearing on popular streaming platform Netflix.

Seth Green

Seth Green is 5ft 3 inches or 1.63m tall, giving him an inch or so over Elijah Wood and Kevin Hart. Like Wood and Hart, Green is an American actor, but he has also worked as a producer, writer, and director. The redheaded movie star is perhaps best known for his role as co-creator and voice actor on the zany Adult Swim show Robot Chicken. Yet he also has an impressive number of appearances, spanning movies of many genres. 

He has had roles in the ‘Austin Powers’ series, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, and ‘Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed’. He has also starred in a handful of TV shows, such as ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, and as a voice actor on ‘Family Guy’. He has even voice acted as a video game character in ‘Mass Effect’, known as ‘Jeff Moreau’. 

As a director, he released his first movie in 2019, which was called ‘Changeland’. The movie was a comedy-drama and Green had an acting role in it too. The movie was met with a lukewarm critical response, but it’s understandable given that this was Green’s first feature film.

Dave Franco

Dave Franco is 5 feet 5 inches or 1.7m tall, and is an American actor, voice actor, and director. His most notable role was perhaps in the comedy movie 21 Jump Street which came out in 2012. 

Since then, Franco has starred in several movies such as ‘Now you See Me’ and ‘Now You See Me 2’, as well as ‘The Disaster Artist’ and ‘Nerve’. However, it wasn’t until 2020 that he made his debut as a director with the movie ‘The Rental’. His first movie received a generally warm reception from critics and viewers alike, and it starred his wife Alison Brie.

Michael J Fox

Michael J Fox is 5 feet and 3 inches or 1.63m tall, and was a Canadian-American actor, author, film producer, and activist who retired from show business in 2020. His success on screen came about in the 1970s when he appeared on the NBC sitcom ‘Family Ties’, but his breakout role was undoubtedly as the well-known character ‘Marty McFly’ in the huge ‘Back to the Future’ movie trilogy. The trilogy was astronomically successful, which catapulted Fox to worldwide fame and led to a number of movie appearances in subsequent years.

Unfortunately, in 1998 it came to light that Fox had been struggling with Parkinson’s disease since 1991, and this was the main reason for his decision to retire in 2020. Determined to use his fame for good, Fox set up the Michale J. Fox Foundation in 2000 to fund research into finding a cure for the disease. For this noble endeavour he received an honorary doctorate from the Karolinska INstitute in 2010.

Justin Bieber

Standing at a whopping 175cm or 5ft 9inches, Justin Bieber is definitely not as tall as he looks like in photos. The Canadian singer has been under the spotlight for well over 10 years now, starting with his hit song “Baby” that came out on January 18, 2010. Since then, Justin has made many albums that have landed him number one on the charts many times over. Despite such a tragic and hated starting career, he’s definitely picked himself up for the better.

Hating on Justin used to be something that everyone did and was an internet joke for quite some time. However, anyone who still hates him now is generally seen as either a troll or completely out of their minds. There’s arguably nothing on Justin now that deserves hate, ever since the singer matured and turned out for the better. Being a teen star does a lot of things to your mind and psychology, and Justin Bieber is no different. In fact, he’s even pointed out and made himself somewhat of an approachable mentor to teenage superstars like Billie Eilish and long-time friend Kylie Jenner.

Justin has successfully changed himself and, in hindsight, didn’t even deserve half of the hate he received as a teen star in the first place. Regardless, the Canadian singer has changed and improved from his angsty teen personality. Although gone are his days of being on the headlines every month for something rash and blown out of proportion, Justin still gets to put his name on the Billboard whenever he brings out a new set of tracks. It’s no secret that the successful musician is a talented singer, songwriter, and composer.

His achievements and top tracks on the Billboards definitely attributed to his hard work and dedication. If there’s one thing that Justin shows us more than anything, it’s that being a good person eventually lets you come out on top. No one deserves to be hated to such an extent for very minor reasons like he did, yet Justin pulled himself through and is now respected as an adult. 

Sylvester Stallone

Anyone who’s seen Rocky is now probably either a bodybuilder, boxer, or massive Sylvester Stallone fan. Either way, the famous actor stands 177cm or 5ft 8 inches, which is an inch below the average height of adult males in the United States. Don’t put your guard down like Apollo Creed however, Stallone is the definition of the American dream if you can find the word in a dictionary. 

Dropping out of high school to work side jobs and find a living in New York, Stallone eventually reached the lowest point in his life. To make ends meet, the New Yorker had to sell his bull mastiff, Butkus. With the money he earned from selling his best friend, Stallone wrote the script for Rocky on his own in approximately three days. Despite being incomplete, the script was good enough for the aspiring actor to be given a budget after many negotiations. Stallone wanted to be more than just a writer, he wanted to act in his own film. 

However, due to a forceps accident at birth, the soon-to-be superstar had a slurred speech and droop visage. This made him the least likely candidate to star in a feature film, especially one like Rocky. Despite that, Stallone never sold the rights to his film until the production company finally allowed him to play Rocky, the Italian Stallion. Spending almost half the budget of the movie just to reacquire his mastiff, who later appeared in the film, Stallone eventually finished filming the box office hit. And the rest, they say, is history.

Now, Stallone is one of the most adored and badass movie stars of our generation—the millennials. From films like Rambo, The Expendables, Creed, and many other action movies, the New Yorker has gone well over his expectations in wealth and glory. If there’s anything you can take away from this guy, it’s that the American dream is definitely real.

Al Pacino

Yes. The Godfather is a reasonably short man. It comes off as a shock to most people when they read this, but Al Pacino is not as tall as he seems in his movies. Considering that the American actor usually plays mafia-related bad guys in Hollywood movies, it’s natural to assume that the Godfather would be at least tall. Despite that, however, Al Pacino is famous for all sorts of things, even directing. 

Alfredo James Pacino has had many successful films, such as Looking for Richard and Salomé. Although his portfolio with directed films is pretty diverse, the number of movies he’s starred in far surpasses the amount of films he’s directed. Al Pacino kept moviegoers back in the cinemas since the 1970s with his appearance in the Godfather, for which he is especially known for. 

Besides that, Al Pacino also starred in later movies like Dog Day Afternoon, Scent of a Woman, and Dick Tracy, all of which were popular hits in the cinema. 80-years-old and strong, the American actor has definitely lived nothing short of a spectacular life. His career has spanned over five decades, with many exceptional achievements like two Tony Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and so on. His most notable accomplishment would most likely be his Triple Crown of Acting, which is something only a few performers have received. 

Al Pacino’s early life is nothing compared to the life he lives now. He came from a broken home with his parents divorcing even when he was just a toddler. Living with his grandparents, Pacino was known to watch movies day in and out, even acting out the scenes for his grandparents. Decades and years later, Al Pacino is worth approximately over $150 million and has had a successful career as one of the most famous short men in Hollywood.

George Lucas

If you’ve never tried using the Force to move a cup into your hands from across the room, then we don’t understand how that feels like. Star Wars is undeniably one of the biggest cinema franchises in the world, and we’re very proud to be long-time fans. George Lucas is a man of many talents and achievements, but he was nothing close to that before his box office hit.

He’s been nominated for four Academy Awards and has netted over USD$5 billion in net worth over his 76 years of age. The American director has a long line of successful films that he’s either directed, written, or produced. Such films include the Indiana Jones franchise, Star Wars—obviously—, and American Graffiti. 

In his early days, Lucas was a student in the University of Southern California in 1967 before all his novelty. With the release of Star Wars, the American film director eventually became a legend. Star Wars, re-titled into “Star Wars IV – A New Hope”, became a cultural phenomenon that shook the very foundation of cinematography and film making. Flashy laser beams, laser swords, and flying spaceships were objects never seen in film before.

Years later, George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg birthed the Indiana Jones films, which were also a huge hit. While the rest is history, Lucas is actually pretty short compared to his peers. The successful director stands at an intimidating 5ft 6inches, enough to make you tremble when you meet him. Whatever the case, Lucas is a successful and famous person despite him being on the shorter end of the stick—and genes.

Tom Cruise

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, otherwise popularly known as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. Famous for his role in Mission: Impossible, A Few Good Men, Edge of Tomorrow, and countless other films, Cruise is a superstar at age 58. Despite being just 5ft and 7inches, the respected actor still stars as the protagonist of many different films. 

This includes films that he himself has produced. Yes, Tom Cruise is also a producer. In fact, he even produced the wildly successful Mission: Impossible franchise all the way back in 1996. Since then, the American superstar has transcended into legendary stature over the next two decades with films like Jack Reacher, Oblivion, The Last Samurai, and all six Mission: Impossible movies. 

Tom Cruise is most known for his legendary stunts, which he does himself. He’s jumped across tall buildings, scaled the Burf Khalifa, hung onto a plane taking off, drove a motorcycle on the highway without a helmet (full speed by the way), held his breath for 6 minutes, and so much more. 

With all of that said, Cruise is lucky to be alive and healthy. The actor has made himself a name adorned with respect by movie-goers and professional stuntmen for doing his own stunts. It just goes to show how much effort Tom Cruise puts into his work so that millions of people could enjoy the outcome—which to say the least, is amazing.

Jack Black

Well, if athletics was never your strong suit, you can always try humor. Jack Black is a prime example of someone who made it to the top by making people laugh and offering a world-class act to every movie he’s been in. The American actor has been featured in many films across various genres.

He’s tried crying, laughing, dying multiple times in Jumanji, and more. The comedian and famous actor is well known for his early roles in Kung Fu Panda, King Kong, and School of Rock—among many notable mentions. However, Black wasn’t always the comedic genius and fun-to-watch person he is today.

The rising star got his first start at a TV commercial when he was just 13 years-old, in the video game “Pitfall!”. Decades and multiple films later, the star has amassed a huge following in YouTube with nearly 5 million subscribers. That’s huge! Especially for an actor turned YouTuber, which is not a common occurrence. 

A man of many talents, Jack Black also has a musical career as a guitarist, bass guitarist, and singer. With all of that said, it’s safe to assume that the American actor has definitely lived a good life despite being 5ft and 6inches tall. 

Zac Efron

If you aren’t a fan of the new Baywatch film, that’s alright. However, some of us have a soft spot for High School Musical. Zac Efron is a handsome, talented, and ripped individual. You may know him more recently for his role in Baywatch as Matt Brody, but most millennials will recognize this beautiful actor as Troy Bolton from HSM.

Efron has been on the cover of many magazines and headlines throughout his entire career. At 33 years of age, Zachary David Alexander Efron is doing pristinely well for his career and body. The actor keeps himself in shape nearly constantly, with his biggest athletic journey being when he started on Baywatch. Here, he trained with the Rock—or Dwayne Johnson.

Despite all his success and numerous fans, Zac Efron stands at a near-average height of 5ft and 8inches. While he might not be the tallest person in the room, Efron is known for making work very enjoyable according to his co-stars. If you’re bored out of your wits, the star can also sing a melody, which he demonstrated well enough in HSM and The Greatest Showman.

With all the success he’s had, Efron’s next upcoming project is a reality series called “Kill the Efrons”. Zac and his brother will be sent to remote parts of the world, where they’ll try to survive. 

Robert Downey Jr

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this man, book yourself a 4-day appointment. You have a lot of movies to watch, specifically the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr., otherwise known as RDJ, is a superstar in modern Hollywood. Although most everyone knows him as Iron Man in the recent MCU films, he’s been around for much longer than that.

RDJ started his career in the 1980s in films like Weird Science, Tuff Turf, Pretty in Pink, and much more. Unfortunately, the American actor did get into a lot of trouble with drug abuse, alcoholism, and so on. At the age of 31, RDJ was already arrested for heroin, cocaine, and other charges like having illegal firearms.

Despite such a turn for the worse, he made it all the way back and more to the top with hard work. The man actively sought for help and rehabilitation, which eventually worked and made him independent of substances. Although a lot of production companies no longer wanted to work with him, RDJ was referred by his good friend—Jon Favreau—for Iron Man.

After fighting against the higher ups, RDJ was finally given the chance to audition for the role. And just like that, the rest is pretty much history. RDJ’s story just goes to show how far you can go if you work hard and prioritize the really important things in life, even if you are just of average height—standing at 5ft and 9inches. 

Robin Williams

You’re probably familiar with the Genie in Aladdin. No, not the one with Will Smith—we’re talking about Robin Williams in the original cartoon all the way back in 1992. Robin Williams is respected and considered a national treasure by a whole generation, and more, of people.. The outstanding actor has many beautiful films with stellar performances.

Although his height is just 5ft and 7inches, the man had a tall plethora of skills, talents, and stories. He could entertain you for hours and his movies would always bring a smile to the faces of his audience. The comedian was known for lightening up the mood in every room and for being a kind soul in general.

He offered shows to soldiers in the army all the way to the marginalized in the streets of America. Notably, Robin Williams was also a long-time friend of famous actor Christopher Reeves, who played Superman for six continuous films. When the actor fell off a horse, which eventually paralized his back, Williams was always there to accompany and pay for his expenses when necessary.

Unfortunately, while we could write an endless amount of stories about Robin Williams, his story ended abruptly at age 63. The famous actor and comedian committed suicide by hanging at his home in California, last August 2014. The choice was attributed to his struggle with Lewy body disease, which made him clinically depressed. 

Robin Williams was a beautiful man, and although he was short, he was never short of anything spectacular.

Daniel Radcliffe

The Harry Potter star is by no means tall, standing at 5ft and 5inches. Yet in spite of his lack in height, Daniel Radcliffe has amassed a huge following from the widely successful franchise, Harry Potter. The English actor first appeared in the Harry Potter franchise when he was just around 12 years-old.

Since the massive success of the 8-film franchise, Daniel Radcliffe has moved on to other projects like singing and producing. Although the child star doesn’t seem to have found work quite like the widely known Harry Potter films, he’s still doing a great job considering his position.

Just like most child stars, Daniel Radcliffe did go into a phase where he had an alcohol addiction. However, many years since then, Radcliffe has done better and is much more open about the entire matter. In fact, Radcliffe has supported many charities with causes that he personally finds important.

This includes charities like Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Get Connected UK, and others. He’s also very supportive of the LGBT community, which is always welcomed from millennials like him.

Frequent Questions About Famous Short Men

What is considered short for a man?

Depending on where you are around the world, the consideration for short is different. In American standards, 5ft and 9inches is the average height. Anything shorter than that is considered below average or short. 

Can a short man be attractive?

While he may not be everyone’s first choice, a short man can definitely be attractive. It’s not like all the girls in the world are 7ft tall either. Being attractive is many cases regarded as a trait or action that a man does, not has. 

Short men can be attractive if they’re groomed well, have good manners, or simply have features that attract the opposite or same sex. 

What celebrities are short?

A lot of celebrities are short. Particularly, the entire list above consists of celebrities from Hollywood who are seen as short in contrast to the American average.

A Final Word From The Trending Man

Being short can feel like a genetic curse sometimes. It often leaves you wondering why and how you got the short end of the stick, literally. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of your life. There are a lot of short people out there who have done marvelous things with their life and have climbed the ladder of success.

If you don’t think this is for you, then you can always make yourself a short French emperor and conquer most of Europe, just like Napoleon Bonaparte. Santé