# Tallest and shortest TV casts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 30, 2025, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618 "2025-01-30T14:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/1 "2025-01-30T14:53:48Z")
Which TV shows had, on average, the tallest and shortest adult casts? I believe that, at least at one point, _Night Court_ held the record for the tallest cast. In its 4th to 9th seasons, the principal actors were as follows: - Richard Moll, 6’8" - Harry Anderson, 6’4" - John Larroquette, 6’4" - Charles Robinson, 6’2" - Marsha Warfield, 5’11" - Markie Post, 5’6" That makes for an average height of just under 6’2". Has any other show, before or since, managed to beat this? And what about the shortest casts of all time? Since these are all likely to be shows with child actors, let’s restrict ourselves to adult cast members. It might also be necessary to stipulate that the cast have some minimum number of members, as there are some scripted shows that have just one or two principals. (For example, the 5’6" Peter Falk was the only regular on _Columbo_, but seems wrong to include that show in the running for shortest cast.) Let’s consider shows with at least three adult cast members. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/2 "2025-01-30T16:09:38Z")
Except for 6’1" Jim Parsons, the rest of the main cast of [The Big Bang Theory](https://screenrant.com/big-bang-theory-tallest-shortest-actors/) is 5’7" or less. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/3 "2025-01-30T16:25:52Z")
1989’s Doctor Doctor Matt Frewer 6’3" Julius Carey 6’5" Beau Gravitte height not available, but in cast photos he looks as tall as Julius Carey Maureen Mueller “only” 5’9" Is that 6’3" average? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/4 "2025-01-30T16:26:31Z")
_Life’s Too Short_ may have the all-time widest range of heights for a TV show’s main adult cast: Warwick Davis: 3’6” Rosamund Hanson: 5’6” Ricky Gervais: 5’8” Stephen Merchant: 6’7” for an average height of 5’3”. \*couldn’t find height info for cast member Steve Brody ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/5 "2025-01-30T16:29:57Z")
The original _ **Addams Family** _. Lurch (Ted Cassidy) stood 6’9" and Cousin Itt (Felix Silla) was less than 4’ tall. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/6 "2025-01-30T16:31:40Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > _Life’s Too Short_ may have the all-time widest range of heights for a TV show’s main adult cast It was preceded by _An Idiot Abroad_, which also starred Warwick Davis and Stephen Merchant, and so had an equally wide range of heights. But it was more of a reality TV show than a scripted series, and so I’m happy to exclude it from this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/7 "2025-01-30T16:48:24Z")
If you only count the season with Wendy Schaal in the main cast (for the purposes of this thread’s three-actor minimum), _Fantasy Island_ had an average height of 5’1”: Hervé Villechaize: 3’11” Wendy Schaal: 5’5” Ricardo Montalban: 6’0” ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/8 "2025-01-30T16:51:58Z")
Without looking it up, I’m guessing shortest-Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Tallest-Third Rock ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/9 "2025-01-30T17:01:14Z")
A possibility for shortest: _The Facts of Life_ Mindy Cohn - 5’1" Kim Fields - 5’0" Nancy MacKeon - 5’6" Charlotte Rae - 5’0" Lisa Whelchel - 5’3" ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/10 "2025-01-30T17:07:19Z")
But most of the cast of Facts of Life were supposed to be kids (though the actors were probably not) **Time Bandits** the movie certainly has a low average height – not sure about the TV series. Brian ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/11 "2025-01-30T17:07:38Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Tallest-Third Rock I don’t think that one comes close to _Night Court_. For the first three seasons, the main adult cast was as follows: - John Lithgow, 6’4" - Kristen Johnston, 6’0" - French Stewart, 5’10" - Jane Curtin, 5’5" That gives an average of 5’10-3/4". ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/12 "2025-01-30T17:10:22Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > But most of the cast of Facts of Life were supposed to be kids (though the actors were probably not) True. But I went with their heights as adults. (I was unable to find a cite for their heights at the time of the show.) ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/13 "2025-01-30T17:27:20Z")
Splitting between men and women Everybody Loves Raymond - Men has one of the tallest casts. I get an average of about 6’4’“. Everybody Loves Raymond - Women has one of the shortest casts. For most of the time there were only two women, both barely over 5”. (excluding the daughter) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/14 "2025-01-30T17:47:13Z")
In _ **Seinfeld** _: Julia Louis-Dreyfus is 5’2" Jason Alexander is 5’3" Michael Richards is 6’3" ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/15 "2025-01-30T17:59:36Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Everybody Loves Raymond - Men has one of the tallest casts. I get an average of about 6’4’“. > Everybody Loves Raymond - Women has one of the shortest casts. For most of the time there were only two women, both barely over 5”. (excluding the daughter) Counting only the men, this show is pretty impressive: Ray Romano - 6’2" Brad Garret - 6’8" Peter Boyle - 6’2" It’s really hard to compete though when two cast members are just barely half a foot tall. Coach does pretty well: Craig T. Nelson - 6’4" Jerry Van Dyke - 5’10" Bill Fagerbakke - 6’6" Shelley Fabares - 5’4" Clare Carey - 5’7" Average 5’11" Gonna be hard to beat Night Court with 4 men over 6’ and 5’11" woman. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/16 "2025-01-30T18:00:28Z")
**The White Shadow** The kids on the basketball team were above average height, and Ken Howard was 6’ 6", not sure about the rest of the cast. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/17 "2025-01-30T18:14:35Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Everybody Loves Raymond - Women has one of the shortest casts. For most of the time there were only two women, both barely over 5”. (excluding the daughter) Whoa. Were they from Lilliput? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/18 "2025-01-30T18:24:09Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > Whoa. Were they from Lilliput? The camera adds height. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/19 "2025-01-30T19:03:06Z")
Jeeves and Wooster. Stephen Fry 6’5; High Laurie 6’2 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618/20 "2025-01-30T19:10:11Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > The camera adds height. How many cameras were on them? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-and-shortest-tv-casts/1013618.md?page=2)