As a short actor myself at only 5’6”, I’ve always been keenly aware of other short actors. As is turns out, a lot of them are comedians. Short guys just seem to be funny.
This is a list of the funniest of the funny short men in Hollywood.
10. Jason Alexander, 5’5”
Jason Alexander has appeared on over 80 different TV shows and movies including such hits as ER, Pretty Woman, Friends, Star Trek: Voyager and Monk, among many others. Beyond any doubt however, he is best known for his role as George Castanza on the hit comedy Seinfeld.
9. Three Stooges (all of them)
The Three Stooges came as a package, and that’s okay, but each of them qualifies in both the funny and the short department. Curly was 5’5″, Moe 5’4″, Larry 5’4″, Joe 5’5″, and, the tallest, Shemp was 5’6″. Why more than three? At various times, the trio included a different lineup.
8. Dudley Moore, 5’2”
The career of Dudley Moore, which spanned nearly 50 different shows and movies, was cut short by his death from pneumonia in 2002. However, during that time he easily earned a place as one of the biggest funny short men in history. He appeared in a huge selection of projects with some of the greatest comedians in Hollywood, who all called him “friend.” Beyond any doubt though, he will always be remembered for his role as the flawed but irresistibly lovable character Arthur.
7. Woody Allen, 5’5”
Like Dudley Moore, Woody Allen’s career started in the 1960’s. As a matter of fact, his early career was linked directly with Moore’s, as his second appearance was on “Dusty” as part of the “Dudley Moore Trio.” As an actor, writer, director, or as himself, Woody Allen has been a part of well over 100 films or TV shows. Easily one of the most famous comedic writers and directors in the world, Allen’s uniquely dry style of humor had earned him a place in the pantheon of film greats.
6. David Spade, 5’7”
Coming in at 5’7” David Spade is the tallest man on this list, as well as the youngest. In his mid 40’s, Spade is equally well known for television, film and voice over work. In film, he has starred in a number of roles in such movies as Coneheads, Black Sheep, Tommy Boy and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. In voice over, he’s known as Emperor Kuzco in The Emperor’s New Groove, Mr. Manners in Bevis and Butthead, and the smart-alecky fly Scuzz in Racing Stripes. He has had a rare career in television, being one of few people to have landed regular roles in many different shows, including 39 episodes of “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” 22 episodes of “Rules of Engagement,”, 72 episodes of “Saturday Night Live,” and a whopping 149 episodes of “Just Shoot Me!”
5. Cheech Marin, 5’6”
Known mainly as half of the comedy act, “Cheech and Chong,” Cheech Marin has had a career spanning drama, comedy and voice over. Like many of these actors, he’s had an amazing career with over 80 appearances in movies and TV, but he will always be known as the stoned funny man in the Cheech and Chong movies.
4. Danny DeVito, 5’0”
The shortest of the short men on the funny list, and by some accounts, the funniest, DeVito is loved by millions for his many hilarious roles in such films as Romancing the Stone, Johnny Dangerously, Ruthless People, Throw Mamma From the Train, War of the Roses and Twins. The role that launched him to fame though, was as the obnoxious but hilarious Louie De Palma, who ran the cab shop in the show “Taxi.”
3. Michael J. Fox, 5’4”
Although certainly not his first role, Fox was known originally as Alex P. Keaton in the hit show “Family Ties,” made a hit mainly by Michael himself. This began his career in earnest and helped him to launch his equally impressive film career, beginning with “Teen Wolf” and “Back to the Future” in 1895. He left another hit show, “Spin City” in which he played the lead character, when his Parkinson’s disease led him to reduce his career obligations in 2001. He didn’t stop completely though, still appearing or doing voice work in several roles since that time.
2. Dustin Hoffman, 5’6”
Possibly the most brilliant actor alive, Dustin Hoffman, like several others on this list, is well known both inside and outside of the comedy genre. One of the greatest character actors ever, Hoffman has the uncanny ability to completely transform himself for a role into a character so different as to render him unrecognizable.
Most recently seen in the roles of Professor Hilbert in “Stranger than Fiction,” Mr. Magorium in “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” and the wise old kung fu master Shifu in “Kung Fu Panda,” Hoffman has brilliantly transformed himself again and again in roles as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in “Tootsie,” Raymond Babbitt in “Rain Man,” Mumbles in “Dick Tracy,” Captain Hook in “Hook” and the aforementioned Mr. Magorium.
1. Mel Brooks, 5’4”
The king of comedy, Mel Brooks has written, produced, directed and acted in a slew of many of the greatest and most beloved comedies in history, including “History of the World, Part I,” “Spaceballs,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” “Dracula: Dead and Loving It,” and “The Producers,” among others.
These men may all be short, but they’re among the biggest men in Hollywood, and life would be a lot less funny without them.