Laura Dern Spills On Being Too Tall For Hollywood – 150 Rejections Later

Hollywood's Height Hurdle

Laura Dern is dishing on a tall tale that's all too real. Known for her iconic roles in films like "Jurassic Park," Dern recently opened up in an interview with The Independent about how her height has been more of a hurdle than a help in her Hollywood journey. "I was 5’11” at 12 years old and acting already, so I was losing parts constantly!" she shared, revealing that by her count, she's been turned down a staggering 150 times.

Her current role in "Is This Thing On?" pairs her with Will Arnett, who stands at 6'2", bringing an end to the height mismatch she often faced. "It means that when Will and I are sitting side by side, we’re the same height," Dern mused. "And it’s crazy to be in a scene with a male actor, and we’re actually looking straight into each other’s eyes, you know?”

“It’s been a journey to find roles where my height isn’t a disadvantage,” Dern remarked.

Tall Tales in Tinseltown

Laura Dern isn't the only star who's faced the industry's height bias. Fellow tall actress Nicole Kidman, who also measures in at 5’11”, echoed Dern's experiences in a 2024 chat on the "Radio Times" podcast. "I was teased. I was called Storky. [People would say], ‘How’s the air up there?!’ ... [Now I get], ‘You’re so much taller than I thought,’" Kidman recalled.

Kidman also spilled on another unique struggle for statuesque stars – the dreaded red carpet heels. "[And then] grappling with how high my heels should be. Whenever you go on the red carpet, they send the shoes, and the shoes are always so high. And I’m like, ‘Do they have a kitten heel? I’m just gonna be the tallest person — the giraffe!'"

Standing Tall in Hollywood

Despite the height hurdles, both Dern and Kidman have conquered the Hollywood scene, becoming beloved figures on and off the screen. Dern, the daughter of Hollywood legends Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, has been in the business since childhood, proving that talent truly stands above all.