‘How tall is Harry Potter?’, you ask?
Finding out the real heights of actors and actresses in your beloved shows is perhaps one of the most spell-breaking realizations – no pun intended! This is especially true when it comes to Harry Potter since the Wizarding World used a lot of filmmaking magic to make some cast members appear taller or shorter than they really are.
Take Robbie Coltrane – you know, the man who portrayed half-giant Hagrid – for example. Can you believe he is, in fact, the same height as professor Snape when he absolutely towered over every character on the screen? We take on a mission to discover how tall Harry Potter’s casts really are, and it leads us to some definite surprises.
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So, How Tall Is Harry Potter Really?
Oddly enough, among all the mysteries surrounding the Wizarding World, ‘How tall is Harry Potter?’ remains an intriguing question until today. In the book, J.K.Rowling describes Harry Potter as tall and lanky. While the exact height of The Chosen Boy is never officially mentioned, Harry’s height is speculated to fall between 5’8 (173cm) and 5’9 (175cm).
“We know that Draco is about the same height as his mother, and Harry is described as being a fraction smaller than Draco, so it all comes down to Narcissa Malfoy’s height. Harry refers to Narcissa as ‘tall’ instead of ‘very tall’, which leads me to believe she is roughly 5’9 or 5’10 (173cm to 178cm). Let’s make it 5’9 and a half which means 176cm. That means Draco is also 176cm and Harry is a bit shorter than Draco, making him 174cm”, Redditor ykickamoocow111 wrote.
Well, if this is the case, then we can say Daniel Radcliffe is shorter and stockier than his character. As stated in an interview, the British actor is only around 5’5, or 165cm. That puts him at the shorter side of the cast, but you most likely don’t notice it in the movies, especially when various scene perspectives could make Daniel taller than he truly is.
When you recall Harry and Ginny’s kiss in the final movie, however, it shouldn’t be a surprise: Daniel Radcliffe clearly appeared shorter than his on-screen lover, Bonnie Wright, whose character was supposed to be one of the smallest in the group:
That’s… quite surprising, I’d say. In case you found yourself wow-ed at this scene realizing how short Daniel really is, I know how you feel. But as you take a look at other cast members’ height, you will be even more startled!
The Tallest And Shortest Among The Cast, Ranked
Now, when Daniel Radcliffe’s height has been unraveled, you might be even more curious about other characters. Like, how tall is Robbie Coltrane? Does he really have to be “twice as tall as the average man and nearly five times as wide” to portray Hagrid? And how tall is Draco Malfoy, everyone’s favorite bad boy?
Let us enlighten you on this, then! Below is a list of all major Harry Potter cast, ranked from the tallest to the shortest.
Martin Bayfield (Young Hagrid)
The Hogwarts’ keykeeper is easily the tallest Harry Potter character – that’s something we can tell even without the exact measurement. And, coming at 6’10 (208cm), Martin Bayfield (who portrayed young Hagrid) is also the tallest person ever cast in the whole series.
In “Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets”, the ex-rugby player was chosen to play Hagrid when he was still a Hogwarts student. He didn’t talk much, and his face was barely visible, so as you can guess, this casting choice was all due to his giant frame.
Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection | Hiring Martin Bayfield
But this is not the Hagrid you recall, you say? Well, the lovable giant you saw most of the time was Robbie Coltrane, who we will talk about in a minute. Though being on the taller side, you will be surprised to know he’s nowhere near the tallest!
John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick)
You may not see this coming, but one of the most prominent and well-known members of Monty Python is also almost 2 meters tall. John Cleese, the one who played Nearly Headless Nick, has a whopping height of 6’5, or 196cm!
The height gap is noticeable when he stands next to his Python buddies. When Nearly Headless Nick is in his ghostly form, though, the difference is less obvious as he floats around Hogwarts already several feet off the ground.
James & Oliver Phelps (Fred & George Weasley)
Some actors don’t have to look exactly like their characters to nail the roles – James and Oliver Phelps prove it to be true. The Phelp twins are quite tall and lanky, with both standing at a considerable 6’3 (191cm). Meanwhile, Fred and George are described in the books as short and stocky. They are also not natural redheads and had to have their hair dyed for the films. Nonetheless, they possess the Weasley twins’ wicked sense of humor and quirkiness – that’s why they were chosen for the roles.
If you found yourself giggling every time they crossed the screen, you might want to check out the top Fred and George Weasley quotes and enjoy the incredible fun again!
Richard Harris (Albus Dumbledore)
The late, great Hogwarts’ headmaster is described to be tall and thin, with silver hair and beard so long that they can be tucked into his belt. Hence, the production team really took height as one of the criteria in the casting because both actors who played this role are considerably tall.
Richard Harris, the Irish actor who played Dumbledore in movies 1 and 2, described himself as 6’2 (188cm) in height, although he has claimed to be even taller, in a 1968 interview stating, “I’m still 6 feet 3 inches when I leave the room”. Michael Gambon – who took over the role from movies 3 to 8 – is only a bit shorter than his predecessor. He stands at 6’ (183cm).
It is up to you to decide which one you like best. For me, though, Richard Harris’ gentle, kindly aura makes the perfect Dumbledore for the first 2 movies, while Michael Gambon’s edginess matches the vibe of the teenage characters much more naturally.
Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid)
In the book, Rubeus Hagrid is said to be almost 12’ tall. In the movie, Robbie Coltrane appears around 8’ tall. Unfortunately, there are certainly no 8’ tall actors in Great Britain, and Robbie Coltrane doesn’t possess any giant gene. He measures only 6’1 tall, a good 2’ shorter than Hagrid appears.
Of course, the production team had to come up with some clever way to make Robbie Coltrane appear much taller than he really was. If you are curious, we have revealed the secret of how they made Hagrid look so tall!
Alan Rickman (Professor Snape)
When you look at this:
I bet you wouldn’t even think that Professor Snape is of the same height as Hogwarts’ keykeeper. But, well, that’s the truth.
There’s no specific mention of Snape’s height in the books. However, we can surmise that he is between 5′10 (178cm) and 6′1 (185cm). Measured 6’1, Alan Rickman once again proves he is perfect as the Hogwarts’ potion master. And, yes, he is as tall as Robbie Coltrane, the giant Hagrid you see in the photo. Surprise?
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)
Of course, Harry’s life at Hogwarts wouldn’t be half as interesting without Draco Malfoy – his primary rival and the crush of many ladies. I’m not sure if Malfoy would make a good boyfriend, but let’s talk about it another day.
We already know a lot about Draco Malfoy: His dark magic tendencies, his Death Eater father, and his unbearable attitude, to name a few. But one thing you might not be sure of is how tall he actually is.
As the previous part mentioned, Malfoy’s is speculated to be 5’9 or 176cm tall in the 7th novel, “Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallow”. It happens to be the exact measurement of Tom Felton, who stated his height as 176cm in several interviews. He grew well, considering he was much shorter for his age in the first movie. According to dimensions.com, when Felton first appeared on screen, he stood only 4 feet 10 inches.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
“He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. He had flaming red hair just like his three brothers.”
Harry’s best friend is always described to be a bit taller than other characters, making many of us question how tall is Ron Weasley. As a guess from evidences, Ron stands approximately 6’1 (183cm) at the end of the 7th year.
We don’t picture Ron being that tall just by watching the movies since Rupert Grint is a bit shorter at around 5’8 (173cm). That means 5.2 of his wand if you recall. Regardless, with his natural ginger hair, hilarious personality, and, well, inborn Arachnophobia, Rupert made the perfect Ron Weasley, and it’s all that matters.
Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
The kiss between Harry and Ginny in the last movie is what made us wonder ‘How tall is Harry Potter?’. While it is clear that Bonnie Wright is a bit taller than Daniel Radcliffe, many are curious to know how much is this height gap.
“Small and short, just like her mother Molly”, that’s how J.K.Rowling illustrates this Gryffindor lady. In real life, Bonnie is still small, but not so much: She is 5’6 (168cm) in height, only a bit taller than her on-screen lover.
Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
While not being very tall for a female, the only girl in the trio is not exactly short either. Potterheads have guessed Hermione’s height at 5’5 (165cm) at least. This makes her a bit above average in height, and she’s definitely taller than most female characters in the story.
This is also in line with the actress’s height, Emma Watson. While some suggest that the British beauty is too stunning for Hermione, I personally think they have the same transformation: Hermione is an average bookworm who grows into a gorgeous lady, and so does Emma Watson.
Hermione’s transformation
Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan)
Now that we know Daniel Radcliffe as one of the most surprisingly short actors in the world, he was often outdone by Devon Murray through the whole series.
The author doesn’t go into great details when it comes to Seamus Finnigan’s appearance, but he was small when we first saw him on the screen and remained as such until the last movie. He was, at the same time, one of the most consistent sources of humour throughout the series.
Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge)
The most hateful, most callous, and most despicable character in the Harry Potter series (probably outranking Voldemort, to be honest) was Imelda Staunton’s, Professor Umbridge.
The fact that she was so short (5′ – 150cm) certainly contributed to her menace: She could exert such control and impact over Hogwarts, even when every other student and professor towered over her.
Dolores Umbridge VS. Harry Potter
Is Your Curiosity Satisfied Now?
So we have solved the Wizarding World’s biggest puzzle: How tall is Harry Potter. With this knowledge, you can now add one more achievement to your badges of Potter Fan Club and flex!
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