LOS ANGELE, CALIFORNIA: Even at 76, Arnold Schwarzenegger still possesses a charismatic persona and jaw-dropping structure that helps him stand out as one of the most successful celebrities in the world.
Schwarzenegger’s journey to success is filled with several alluring achievements including seven Mr Olympia titles, a successful two-term Governorship of California, and a plethora of Hollywood blockbusters.
However, despite all his achievements, the Austrian Oak hasn’t been able to evade criticism in his life. One such aspect that has often been the subject of heated debate is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s height.
The ‘Terminator’ star is a fairly tall man, whose giant physique helped him dominate the bodybuilding stage before making his mark on the big screen.
How tall is Arnold Schwarzenegger?
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s height has set him apart ever since he entered the world of bodybuilding at the age of 15. Over the years, a number of reports claimed Schwarzenegger’s height to be around 6' (183 cm) or 6'1" (185 cm), but he recently confirmed that he stands 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall.
“I'm 6'2". I've heard rumors that I'm really much shorter in real life - like 5'6" or something like that - which is ridiculous. I can assure you this is not the case," he said.
"People look up to me, and not just because I do a lot of work in the community. I mean, most people really LOOK UP to me,” he quipped during an interview, according to Essentially Sports.
How does Arnold Schwarzenegger's height compare to other Hollywood stars?
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s height and physique is the reason why he is considered one of the most successful action stars in cinema history. With a 6'2" physique, the ‘Hercules’ star is easily one of the tallest leading men in Hollywood.
Schwarzenegger undoubtedly looks like a giant when compared to his co-stars including Bruce Willis (5'11" or 180 cm), Sylvester Stallone (5'9" or 175 cm), Harrison Ford (6 feet or 183 cm), and Jean-Claude Van Damme (5'9" or 175 cm). He is even an inch taller than his son-in-law Chris Pratt, who is 6'1'' (185 cm).
Leading men who seem to match Arnold Schwarzenegger’s height include Ryan Reynolds, Will Smith, Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, and his ‘Expendables’ co-star John Travolta.
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger the tallest bodybuilder?
The 'True Lies' star is clearly taller than most of the prominent bodybuilders but he is not the tallest of them all. The glorious world of bodybuilding has seen a number of athletes who were far taller than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s height.
The list of tall bodybuilders includes some widely-celebrated names such as Lou Ferrigno (6'5" or 195.5 cm), Olivier Richters (7'2" or 218 cm), Noah Steere (6'6" or 198 cm), Martyn Ford (6'8" or 203 cm), and Quincy Taylor (6'4" or 193 cm).
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger taller than his sons?
Many reports claim that men start to lose a few inches after an age but this doesn’t seem to apply to Schwarzenegger. The ‘Aftermath’ star, 76, is still taller than his three fully-grown sons.
As mentioned earlier, Schwarzenegger stands 6 feet 2 inches tall while his elder son Patrick is just 6ft (183 cm) and his second son Christopher is 5'11" (180 cm). He is also an inch taller than his love child Joseph Baena, whom he shares with his family's former housekeeper, Mildred Baena.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s height cost him some early roles
Schwarzenegger is unquestionably one of the greatest action stars of all time, but his giant Mr Olympia build was an immediate put-off for producers and directors who merely wanted to bring another Al Pacino on the screens.
“They used to say ‘Your body is too big’. This is the 1970s and people like Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino and Woody Allen, are sex symbols. I said ‘Oh Jesus.’ Then they said, ‘Plus your accent gives me the creeps. We can use you maybe to play a Nazi or something like that,” Schwarzenegger said during an interview with iNews.
