Ever since Drew Carey walked onto the stage of The Price Is Right looking like a completely different person, the internet has been obsessed with his physical transformation. Usually, when people talk about the height of Drew Carey, they aren't just curious about how many inches he stands off the ground. They're trying to figure out how a guy who spent decades as the "lovable big man" of sitcoms suddenly turned into a lean, marathon-running television icon.
The short answer? Drew Carey is 5 feet 10 inches tall (that's about 178 cm for the metric fans).
But there is a catch. If you see him on TV today, he looks taller. He looks longer. He looks, honestly, a lot more athletic than the guy we all remember from The Drew Carey Show. It’s a classic visual trick: when you drop a significant amount of weight, your verticality becomes much more pronounced.
The Reality of the Height of Drew Carey
Let’s get the hard data out of the way. Most official records, from his time in the U.S. Marine Corps to his Hollywood talent profiles, list him at 5'10". He’s never been a giant, but he’s certainly not short.
The confusion often stems from his early career. On his namesake sitcom, Drew was frequently surrounded by a cast that made him look like the "everyman." Ryan Stiles, his longtime comedy partner from Whose Line Is It Anyway?, stands at a towering 6'6". When you stand next to a guy who is practically a skyscraper, you’re going to look shorter by comparison.
Then there’s the weight factor. At his heaviest, Drew was pushing 262 pounds. On a 5'10" frame, that weight tends to "compress" a person's appearance. You look wider, which naturally makes you look shorter to the human eye.
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Why He Looks Taller Now
In 2010, Drew underwent a massive lifestyle overhaul. He didn't just lose a few pounds; he dropped 80 pounds in less than a year. He went from a size 44 waist to a size 33 or 34.
This change was sparked by a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. He basically told himself he didn't want to die young like his father, who passed away in his 40s from a heart attack. So, he cut the carbs. He stopped the "garbage" eating. He started doing 45 minutes of cardio six days a week.
The result? By the time he hit his target weight of around 182 pounds, he looked like he’d grown two inches. He hadn't, of course—his spine just had a lot less to carry, and his silhouette became much more vertical. It's a common phenomenon in fitness circles. Leaner people almost always appear taller than they actually are because there's less horizontal mass to distract the eye.
Comparing Drew to Other TV Hosts
To get a better sense of the height of Drew Carey, it helps to look at him next to other game show legends.
- Bob Barker: The man Drew replaced was about 6'1".
- Pat Sajak: The Wheel of Fortune icon is around 5'10", making them almost identical in height.
- Steve Harvey: Standing at 6'1", Steve has a bit of an edge on Drew.
When you see Drew standing next to contestants on The Price Is Right, you see the 5'10" reality. He’s taller than many of the excited fans who come down to "bid a dollar," but he’s not looming over them.
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The Marine Corps Influence
It’s easy to forget that Drew was a Marine. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve for six years starting in 1980. That military background gave him two things that affect his "stature" today: posture and the buzzcut.
Even when he was heavier, Drew always had a certain "squareness" to his shoulders. Now that he’s fit, that military posture is even more evident. He stands up straight. He carries himself with a certain level of discipline that he’s credited for helping him maintain his weight loss for over 15 years.
Also, let's talk about the hair. For years, Drew rocked a very tight crew cut. While he’s let it grow out a bit more in recent years—and even experimented with a silver-fox beard—that classic look never added much "cheat height." Unlike some actors who use voluminous hair to add an inch or two, Drew has always played it straight.
Breaking Down the "Tall" Misconception
If you search for the height of Drew Carey on some of the more... questionable celebrity data sites, you’ll occasionally see him listed at 6 feet.
Why the discrepancy?
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- TV Lenses: Camera angles on game shows are designed to make the host look authoritative. They often shoot from a slightly lower angle, which elongates the body.
- The "Success" Effect: We subconsciously associate success and leadership with height. As Drew became one of the highest-paid people on television, the public perception of his "size" grew along with his bank account.
- Footwear: Like many TV hosts, Drew wears high-quality dress shoes or boots on set. A standard heel on a dress shoe can easily add 1 to 1.5 inches, putting him very close to that 6-foot mark while he’s actually working.
What This Means for You
Knowing the actual height of Drew Carey—and the story behind his changing appearance—is actually kind of inspiring. It’s a reminder that how we "size up" isn't just about the numbers on a measuring tape.
Drew Carey's transformation proves that health changes how the world sees you. He went from being a guy people laughed at for being the "big dude" to a guy people look up to for his discipline and longevity. He literally reversed his diabetes and no longer needs medication. That’s a bigger flex than being 6'4" any day of the week.
If you’re looking to replicate some of that "Carey Energy" in your own life, you don't need to be 5'10". You just need to focus on the basics:
- Prioritize Movement: Drew didn't do anything "magic." He hit the cardio hard and stayed consistent.
- Watch the Carbs: He famously cut out bread, soda, and starches to get his blood sugar under control.
- Mindset over Height: He’s been quoted saying he "hated being fat." That's a powerful motivator that changed his life more than any growth spurt ever could.
Next time you see him telling someone to "help control the pet population," take a look at his frame. He’s 5'10" of pure Cleveland grit, standing a whole lot taller today than he did twenty years ago.