The fantasy world of Middle-earth that J.R.R. Tolkien created is packed with all kinds of creatures of all kinds of heights. Part of the fun of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy is seeing them brought to life. From hobbits to humans, elves and wizards, they represent the very smallest and tallest inhabitants, and their heights often change how they interact with one another
The films use tricks of the camera and different perspectives to change actors’ appearance, making an average-sized actor as small as a hobbit, or as tall as an elf lord. Many fans may be surprised to know who among the cast is the smallest and the tallest because it might not be who they think.
The Tallest Actors In The Lord Of The Rings
Christopher Lee (Saruman) 6'4.5"
As one of the most powerful beings in The Lord of the Rings, Saruman the White wasn’t just known for his magical abilities; his physically imposing presence indicated his authority and commanded respect. Standing just under six-and-a-half feet tall, Sir Christopher Lee was both intimidating and awe-inspiring.
Despite being nearly ninety when filming began, Lee’s height — like his performance — was never diminished. Towering over even Gandalf, Saruman made even the greatest of warriors involved with destroying the ring seem diminutive. Lee’s height, as well as his stentorian voice, also served to make him a very memorable character.
Hugo Weaving (Elrond) 6'2"
In Middle-earth, elves are known for being tall, graceful, and fair. Therefore, it made sense to cast a tall and lithe actor like Hugo Weaving to embody these qualities as the Lord of Rivendell, one of the most powerful Elves in Middle-earth. Elves are frequently the tallest characters on-screen, even among the most physically imposing from the race of Men.
It was Elrond’s height that added to the drama of his solemn conversations with Gandalf and Aragorn, and to the comicality involved with his chastising of several hobbits who happened to crash the secret council meeting.
Sala Baker (Sauron) 6'1"
As a powerful metamorph, Sauron didn’t often take physical form, but when he did it was of a tall menacing Warlord of Darkness. Walking into battle, he parted oceans of soldiers with his huge strides and his mighty mace. At 6 ft and 1 inch tall, Sala Baker had enough height to make Sauron actually seem like a threat, especially with all of his armor on.
In Tolkien’s novels, that version of Sauron was not described in great detail, which is odd given how much description he devoted to other characters. In the films, having Sauron appear as a hulking warrior gave him menace — unlike a giant lidless eye.
Martin Csokas (Celeborn) 6'1"
Celeborn didn’t have many lines of dialogue in The Fellowship of the Ring, but he made an impression thanks to his willowy frame and serene composure. At 6 ft 1 inch tall, Martin Csokas captured the serenity of the Lord of Lorien, who has seen much come to pass in Middle-earth over the centuries he’s safeguarded his domain.
Celeborn was often overshadowed by Galadriel, who was given a ring of power to use to protect Lothlorien and keep peace in the time after Isildur first stole the One Ring from Sauron. Celeborn was often said to be the wisest of the elves in the Third Age. He didn’t take the ship to sail West with Galadriel, perhaps because he wasn’t burdened by the loss of the One Ring.
John-Rhys Davies (Gimli) 6’.5"
Though Gimli might seem like he’s a hobbit actor’s height, the dwarf was played by an actor who was taller than either Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) or Boromir (Sean Bean), and even Legolas (Orlando Bloom), with whom he shared an amusingly competitive friendship. John-Rhys Davies stands 6 ft and 1/2 inch tall and is the tallest member of the Fellowship.
Gimli never let his height diminish his ferocity in battle, and he never saw it as a disadvantage, because he was at the right height to chop Uruk-hai off at the knees. Many unique camera angles and stunt doubles were necessary to hide Davies’ great height.
The Shortest Actors In The Lord Of The Rings
Sean Astin (Sam) 5'6.25"
Sometimes, great courage and heroism come in the smallest packages. Samwise Gamgee ended up being one of the bravest members of the Fellowship, and he never let his hobbit lack of height get in the way of doing extraordinary things. The same could be said of actor Sean Astin, who stands at shorter-than-average 5 ft 6 and 1/4 inches tall.
For much of the trilogy, Sam and Frodo spend most of their time together, making Sam’s stature less noticeable. Given Sam’s big personality, it’s easy to forget just how small he is. After all hobbits are only supposed to be 3'6".
Billy Boyd (Pippin) 5'5.5"
Hobbits are known for being short and appear only as children to the eyes of bigger folk, while their playful and immature attitude often doesn’t help their status. As the youngest member of the fellowship, Pippin was all those things and often found himself to be a very small hobbit in a very big world. Seeing that Billy Boyd is 5 ft and 5 and 1/2 inches tall, it isn’t hard to see why.
Though all the hobbits were small, Pippin often seems smaller than the rest because of his childish pranks, sense of humor, and naivety. In a deleted scene in The Two Towers, he grows several inches after drinking some special water in Fangorn forest, but it doesn’t make him act any more respectable.
Ian Holm (Bilbo) 5'5"
One of the most famous hobbits who ever lived, Bilbo Baggins often preferred a fine meal, a roaring fire, and his pipe to grand adventures. But when called upon by Gandalf, Bilbo rallied to Thorin Oakenshield and the dwarves of Erebor, an adventure which led to him finding the One Ring through an interaction with Gollum.
Standing 5 ft 5 inches, Sir Ian Holm was the perfect actor to bring Bilbo to life in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his scenes with Gandalf (Ian McKellen, 5 ft 11 inches) show the dramatic difference between Bilbo and the wizard even without Peter Jackson’s camera trickery.
Elijah Wood (Frodo) 5'5"
Though he was hailed as a hero for destroying the One Ring, there were many times when Frodo wished the ring had never come to him. The journey to Mordor and Mount Doom was perilous, and ultimately the ring robbed him of his former carefree personality and made him a pitiable figure.
Just how tall is Elijah Wood? As it turns out, not very tall at all. At 5 ft and 5 inches, Wood is the smallest member of the Fellowship. Much pressure rode on Frodo to carry the Ring to Mount Doom, and much pressure fell on Wood to carry the trilogy, but luckily he had an ensemble of great actors to help him, including his scale-double, Kiran Shah who stands at a height of 4 ft and 2 inches.
Miranda Otto (Eowyn) 5'4.75"
First appearing in The Two Towers, Eowyn was King Theoden’s niece and didn’t like to be told she couldn’t defend the kingdom of Rohan like the rest of the men. Though Miranda Otto only stands 5 feet 4 and three-quarter inches tall, she made Eowyn seem just as capable and brave as every Rohirrim around her.
Like hobbits, Eowyn knew what it felt like to be underestimated. For this reason, she became a close friend of Merry’s, who also proved his valor fighting by Eowyn’s side. The pair entered the Battle of the Black Gate together when Eowyn struck down the Witch-king, a foe much taller than her.
