How Tall Is Tom Cruise? Everything You Need To Know About The Star’s Height

Tom Cruise is arguably the last Real Movie Star in Hollywood, as the man who took the industry by storm in the 1980s still has an uncanny ability to get people to head to the theater to see any film he’s in. Most people are very familiar with the actor, but there’s one topic that remains a bit of a mystery: his height.

Cruise had a handful of minor parts under his belt prior to landing his breakout role in 1983’s Risky Business. Three years later, he cemented his status as a force to be reckoned with thanks to Top Gun, and he’s been pumping out hits ever since.

The actor has spent decades in the spotlight while living under the microscope that comes with being one of the most bankable names on the planet. There’s been plenty of attention paid to the more secretive aspects of his personal life, but there’s also been a bit of mystery surrounding a trait that’s impossible to hide thanks to a borderline obsession with his true height.

While I can’t tell you why there’s so much attention paid to the physical stature of Tom Cruise, I can at least attempt to get to the bottom of the supposed mystery.

Tom Cruise’s Real Height

Cruise may have a fair amount of range based on the roles he’s played over the years, but it wouldn’t be unfair to describe him as an “action star” based on the parts most members of the public associate with the actor. However, plenty of people are surprised by the fact he’s managed to carve out that particular niche for himself in movies based on his height.

Characters like Mission: Impossible‘s Ethan Hunt and Jack Reacher frequently harness their brute strength to gain an edge over their foes, and the fact that the man who plays them is 5’7″ in real life has required some viewers to suspend their disbelief more than they already needed to.

It would be a stretch to call him short, but when you consider the average American male measures in at 5’9″, he does fall on the more diminutive side of the spectrum.

Surprising Hollywood Heights: Inside Look at Celebrity Heights

Being on the shorter or taller side can have a major impact on an actor’s career, as casting directors frequently take height into consideration when it comes to determining the best fit for the role.

It’s hard to think of many accomplished stars out there who are shorter than Danny DeVito, who is only 4’10”. There are also plenty of vertically challenged guys who’ve done pretty well for themselves, including Michael J. Fox and Joe Pesci (both 5’4″), Daniel Radcliffe (5’5″), and Jack Black, Elijah Wood, and Al Pacino (all 5’6″).

On the other end of the spectrum, there are some actors who’d make you turn your head if you cross paths with them in public thanks to how tall they are.

Vince Vaughn and Tim Robbins typically tower above their costars thanks to their 6’5″ frames. You might also be surprised to learn Jeff Goldblum is 6’4″, as is the case with Clint Eastwood, Liam Neeson, and Alexander Skarsgård.

Tom Cruise’s Career and Influence

Based on what Tom Cruise has been able to achieve during his time in Hollywood, it’s pretty clear his height hasn’t been a major hindrance when it comes to his career.

As I mentioned above, he burst onto the scene in the 1980s with largely crowd-pleasing projects and entered the Serious Actor phase of his career the following decade.

He earned a couple of nominations for Best Actor at the Academy Awards thanks to his performances in Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Macguire (he secured a Golden Globe for both) and added a Best Supporting Actor nod to his résumé thanks to Magnolia (which earned him another Golden Globe).

He’s also worked with some legendary directors over the years, as he teamed up with Stanley Kubrick for Eyes Wide Shut and joined forces with Steven Spielberg while starring in War of the Worlds.

Spielberg actually credited Cruise with “saving Hollywood” after Top Gun: Maverick played a major role in luring moviegoers back to the theater in the wake of the pandemic, and he’s also been praised for his borderline psychotic commitment to performing his own stunts in the Mission: Impossible franchise and other films.

That approach has worked out pretty well for him, as he has an estimated net worth of $600 million thanks to his ability to continue to appeal to the fans who’ve spent decades flocking to his films as well as younger audiences who are attracted to the projects he continues to pump out.

I also don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest plenty of people started focusing on his height thanks to his previous relationships, as he was once married to Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes, both of whom stand at 5’9″.

Is Tom Cruise sensitive about his height?

Cruise has been somewhat candid about how he’s grappled with his height.

There were plenty of people who questioned if he was the right person to play Jack Reacher, as the books the character is featured in describe the former military police officer as a 6’5″ mass of muscle who tips the scales at upwards of 250 pounds.

He admitted he was “very sensitive” to the criticisms concerning his casting, although it’s worth noting Lee Childs (who created the character) gave Cruise his full seal of approval.

Does Tom Cruise wear elevator shoes?

It seems like the actor is somewhat self-conscious about his height when you consider he was spotted rocking shoes with an elevated heel at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in London in 2022 (people noticed something was slightly amiss when he appeared to be the same height as Kate Middleton, who is 5’9″).

A producer on the original Top Gun also said they had Cruise use shoe lifts in his insoles to try to reduce the height difference between himself and his co-star (and love interest) Kelly McGillis, who is 5’10”.

Is Tom Cruise really 5’ 5”?

The fact that Cruise has gone out of his way to boost his height has led plenty of people to believe he might be even shorter than 5’7″. However, there’s no reason to believe that’s the case.

Dustin Hoffman (his co-star in Rain Man) is 5’5″, and his counterpart clearly had a couple of inches on him in the film. There are also pictures of Cruise standing next to the 5’6″ Pacino, and it’s clear the former has a slight edge.

How does Tom Cruise deal with his height?

In addition to the aforementioned physical tricks Cruise has employed to boost his height, he’s also mastered the art of purposefully posing in front of taller people (especially women) while taking pictures to take advantage of the forced perspective, which probably stems from the camera tricks that are employed on movie sets for similar results.

How much does Tom Cruise weigh?

It’s believed Cruise tips the scales at around 150 pounds, which puts him in the average (and healthy) range for guys who are 5’7″.