Actress Hannah Waddingham discussed the challenges of navigating the film and television industry as a tall woman during an interview this week.
Her experience highlights the systemic pressures actors face to conform to physical stereotypes and the evolving nature of how stature is portrayed on screen.
Waddingham, who is 5 feet 11 inches [1], said to NPR's Leila Fadel on Aug. 7 that she has faced specific perceptions throughout her career. She noted that her height was not always viewed as an asset when she first entered the profession.
"When I first started, I would stand 'slumped down' in auditions because my height wasn’t always celebrated," Waddingham said.
The actress, who is 51 years old [3], described a history of being typecast as a "tall, bigger woman" before finding wider success. This pressure to diminish her physical presence was a recurring theme in her early professional life.
That dynamic shifted during her time on the series "Ted Lasso." Waddingham said that Apple and the show's co-creator and writer, Jason Sudeikis, "never shied away" from her height.
In a notable example of embracing her stature, the show presented her character, Rebecca Welton, as being 6 feet 2 inches [2]. This creative choice allowed the character's height to be a part of her presence, rather than something to be hidden or minimized.
Waddingham said these recent roles have allowed her to navigate the industry with a different perspective on how her physical attributes are perceived by creators and audiences alike.
“"When I first started, I would stand 'slumped down' in auditions because my height wasn’t always celebrated."”
Waddingham's account reflects a broader shift in Hollywood toward diversifying character archetypes. By moving away from the historical tendency to typecast tall women into limited roles or require them to physically diminish themselves, productions are increasingly using physical stature as a tool for character depth and authority.
