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Celebrities
Actors Who Were Supposed To Be The Next Big Thing
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You might be used to either seeing actors on a big screen in a cinema where they are literally larger than life, or on a laptop, television, or phone where they seem tiny. The truth is, being tall is attractive, and being good looking definitely helps your chances of making it big in Hollywood. The average height for American men is 5 feet 9 inches, so don't be surprised that the actors on this list are all well above 6 feet.
Matthew McGrory's towering frame and deep voice got him onto 'The Howard Stern Show' in 1996, and that kickstarted his acting career. The holder of three Guinness World Records, tallest actor, biggest feet, and longest toe, was cast as a giant in the movies 'Bubble Boy', 'Big Fish,' 'House of 1000 Corpses', and 'The Devil's Rejects.' He passed away in 2005 at the age of 32, but his legacy as the tallest man in Hollywood carries on.
Peter Mayhew's incredible height was because of Marfan Syndrome. His first acting job was in 1977 when he played the Minoton in 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.' The same year, he was cast in his only long-running role, as Chewbacca in George Lucas's First 'Star Wars' movie. He played the character in all 'Star Wars' films from the original in 1977 till 'The Force Awakens' in 2015.
Kevin Peter Hall was tall because of genetics, his parents were both well over 6 feet tall, and he was the tallest of 7 brothers who were all over 6 feet 5 inches. Unsurprisingly he was a star basketball player in high school and university, where he studied the Theatrical Arts. He played professional basketball in Venezuela for a few years before eventually making it to Hollywood. He is best know for being the Predator in the first two 'Predator' movies and for portraying Harry in the film and television series 'Harry and the Hendersons.'
Richard Kiel grew so unusually tall because of acromegaly, a condition caused by an excess of human growth hormone. He started acting in the 60s before which he worked several odd jobs like a nightclub bouncer, cemetery plot salesman, and mathematics instructor. His big break came in 1977 when he started playing the character Jaws in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' from the 'James Bond' franchise. You might also recognize him from the original 'The Longest Yard' and 'Happy Gilmore,' after which he semi-retired from acting.
Shaquille Rashaun "Shaq" O'Neal is considered one of the best basketball players in the NBA (National Basketball Association) history. He leveraged his basketball fame into several movie and TV show appearances, often as cameo's and guest appearances but starred in 'Kazaam' in 1996 and more recently in 'Uncle Drew.'
Dalip Singh Rana was an Indian policeman before being trained as a wrestler in India and then successfully wrestling in America. He has acromegaly, which resulted in his height as well as protruding jaw. He was the first Indian to win the World Heavyweight Championship in WWE history and used that fame to act in the movies 'The Longest Yard,' 'Get Smart,' and 'MacGruber.'
Carel Struycken is a Dutch film, television, and stage actor who is best known for portraying Mr. Homn in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and Lurch in the 'Adams Family' film series. His height is a result of Acromegaly, but that apparently hasn't had many negative effects on him; he is still acting now at the age of 72, most recently in 'Doctor Sleep.'
An academically gifted child, Theodore Crawford Cassidy was often bullied by older students. He was 6 feet 1 inch tall at the age of 11 and played basketball in both high school and at university. His height and his deep bass voice gave him an edge when it came to auditioning for unusual roles, and he spent most of his career in science fiction and fantasy movies and tv shows. He was in 'Star Trek' and 'I Dream of Jeannie' as well as played Lurch in 'The Addams Family' TV series.
Brad H. Gerstenfeld is a stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, and professional poker player who has been in several tv shows and movies. He started working in the entertainment industry doing improv and eventually made his way to television. His first major role was as Robert Barone on 'Everybody Loves Raymond'. His deep voice made him perfect for the remarkable amount of voice-over work he's done in movies, television, and video games. He recently starred in the tv series 'Single Parents'.
Richard Moll is an actor and voice artist best known for being Aristotle Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, the bailiff on the sitcom 'Night Court'. He was a very tall child, reaching 6 feet by age 12. He has worked in film and television since 1977, mostly cast in villainous roles because of his deep voice.
James Cromwell is the tallest actor nominated for an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor for Babe in 2015). One of the first modern actors on this list who didn't make their way here because of sports, Cromwell has regularly been in movies and TV shows since the beginning of his career in the mid-70s. You might recognize him from recent movies like 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' and 'Never Too Late.'
Clint Walker was an actor and singer best remembered for playing cowboy Cheyenne Bodie in the western series 'Cheyenne' from 1955 to 1963. Though his peak was in the 60s and 70s, he acted till the 90s but mostly in made for tv movies and as supporting characters in films.
Best remembered for his roles as Chris Stevens on 'Northern Exposure' and as Aidan Shaw on 'Sex and the City,' John Corbett has had a long career in the entertainment industry. He started acting in 1988 on television and in films in 1991. Most recently he's been in 'Gully' and 'To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You' - he also is a country musician.
Armie Hammer is one of the youngest actors on this list at age 33. After several guest appearances on TV shows, his first lead role was as Billy Graham in the 2008 film 'Billy: The Early Years.' He has established himself now as a well-known actor, appearing in movies like 'Ths Social Network,' 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,' and 'Hotel Mumbai.'
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee was an English actor with a career of over 70 years. He played several iconic villains through his career, including Count Dracula, Count Dooku in the 'Star Wars' prequel trilogy, and Saruman in the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Hobbit' trilogies. He was knighted for services in Drama and Charity in 2009 and sadly passed away in 2015.
Howard Allan Stern is a television and radio personality best known for his radio show, 'The Howard Stern Show.' He has made guest appearances in several TV shows and movies but focuses on writing, radio work, and judging on 'America's Got Talent.'
Hans Lundgren is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist known for his appearances in action movies. His breakthrough role was in 1985 when he starred in 'Rocky IV' as the terrifying Soviet Union boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, he has acted in 'The Expendables' franchise, 'Aquaman,' and 'Acceleration.'
Tyler Perry, born Emmitt Perry Jr, is an actor, writer, producer, comedian, and director. He created and plays the character Madea, a tough elderly woman in over ten movies as well as on television. He has also been a part of and starred in Hollywood blockbusters like 'Star Trek,' 'Alex Cross,' and 'Vice.'
Timothy Francis Robbins is an actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and musician best known for his character Andy Dufresne in the classic prison film 'The Shawshank Redemption.' He continued acting, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in 'Mystic River' and has directed several successful movies as well. Recently, you can see him on television on the shows 'Here and Now' and 'Castle Rock.'
Joseph Michael Manganiello is an American actor, director, and producer. His first major movie role was in Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man', where he played Flash Thompson, but his breakout role was as the werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the tv show 'True Blood.' He was also Brad on 'How I Met Your Mother' and has acted in several movies like 'Justice League' and in the 'Magic Mike' franchise.
Vincent Anthony Vaughn is an actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian with a career spanning three decades. He is mostly known for his comedic roles in movies such as 'Old School,' 'Wedding Crashers.' and 'The Internship' but has recently been taking on some dramatic roles as well.
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum is an actor and musician who was one of the most recognizable people in Holywood in the 90s. Movie franchises like 'Jurassic Park' and 'Independence Day,' made him a household name. Still, he has been acting since the 70s, with notable appearances in movies like 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers,' 'The Fly,' and more recently in 'Thor: Ragnarok.'
Liam John Neeson is a critically acclaimed actor from Northern Ireland best known for starring as Oskar Schindler in 'Schindler's List,' and later for portraying Qui-Gon Jinn in 'Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.' One of the highest-grossing actors of all time, he has also done work on television and voice acted in several animated features.
Joseph Jason Namakaeha Momoa is a model and actor best known for playing Arthur Curry (Aquaman) in DC's 'Justice League' franchise and as Khal Drogo in 'Game of Thrones.' He began modeling at a young age and landed his first big acting role in 'Stargate: Atlantis.' He currently stars on the show 'See' and has a few movies in postproduction, including 'Dune.'
Clinton Eastwood Jr. is an actor, film director, producer, and composer with a career spanning seven decades. He rose to fame as the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's 'Dollars' Trilogy of western films followed by the 'Dirty Harry' franchise. He won Best Director and Best Picture for his Western film Unforgiven in 1992. His most recent movie 2018s 'The Mule,' which he directed, produced, and starred, happened when the legend was 88 years old.
A lot of the tallest actors in Hollywood on this list might have surprised you. Height can be an advantage, but a lot of the taller ones came from non-acting backgrounds and were typecast throughout their career. Still, a lot of tall actors have broken away from the science fiction, villain, or superhero type genres and have had opportunities to showcase their acting skills. Did anyone on this list surprise you with their height?