If you’ve spent the last few decades watching Elaine Benes shove people across a room while yelling "Get out!", you probably have a specific image of her in your head. She’s a powerhouse. A comedic titan. But honestly, if you saw her standing in line at a grocery store, you might be surprised by just how little space she actually takes up.
There is a weirdly common obsession with how tall is Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and part of that comes from the visual trickery of television. When she was filming Seinfeld, she was usually surrounded by men who were significantly taller than the average person. Jerry Seinfeld is about 5'11". Michael Richards (Kramer) is a lanky 6'3". Even Jason Alexander, who plays the "short" George Costanza, is roughly 5'5".
In that lineup, anyone is going to look tiny.
The Official Number: 5'3" (Mostly)
Let’s get the hard data out of the way. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is 5'3".
Some sources like to quibble and say she’s 5'2 ½", but Julia herself has gone on the record multiple times—including on Twitter—to confirm the 5'3" stat. In a 1995 interview, she basically shut down the debate by saying, "I'm 5'3"."
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It's funny because 5'3" is actually pretty close to the average height for an American woman, which sits around 5'4". She isn't exceptionally short by real-world standards. However, in the "land of the giants" that is Hollywood, 5'3" is often treated like someone is a hobbit.
Interestingly, she’s mentioned that her feet are a bit large for her frame. She went from a size 7.5 to a size 8 shoe over the years. She’s joked that an 8 is a "big foot" for someone who is only 5'3".
The Great 5'8" Mattress Debate
If you're a hardcore Seinfeld fan, you might be confused because of a specific episode called "The Nap." In that one, Elaine’s boyfriend, Hal Kitzmiller, buys her a custom mattress. When he’s bragging about how well he knows her, he says he estimated her height at 5'8".
Elaine doesn't correct him. She just glows.
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This led to years of fans wondering if Julia was secretly much taller or if the show was just making a joke about how Elaine wants to be seen. Honestly, it was definitely the latter. Hal was trying to be flattering by suggesting she had the "stature" of a model, and Elaine was too vain to tell him she was actually five inches shorter than his guess.
Why she looks different on 'Veep'
By the time she moved on to Veep, the way she was filmed changed. As Selina Meyer, she was the center of power. The camera angles often looked up at her or placed her in the middle of "the bag boys" (her staff).
Because she has such a commanding presence and an incredible wardrobe of structured suits and high heels, she often gives off the vibe of someone who is 5'7" or taller. It’s all about the posture and the power move.
Comparing Julia to Other Stars
To give you a better "visual yardstick," here is how she stacks up against people she has shared the screen with:
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- Tony Hale (Gary Walsh in Veep): He is 6'1". He spent most of the show leaning over her shoulder, which highlighted their nearly 10-inch height difference.
- Patrick Warburton (Puddy): He is a massive 6'2 ½". When Elaine dated Puddy, the height gap was almost comical.
- Brad Hall (Her husband): Julia’s real-life husband is also quite tall, standing at about 6'2". They've been married since 1987, so she’s spent most of her adult life looking up at the people she loves.
The "Short" Legacy in Comedy
There is actually a long history of "short" women dominating comedy. Think about Amy Poehler (5'2") or Kevin Hart (5'2"). There is something inherently funny about a smaller person having a massive, explosive personality.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus perfected the "angry small person" trope. Whether she was physically fighting for a big salad or berating a staffer in the West Wing, her height never limited her authority. If anything, it made her more relatable.
She's an 11-time Emmy winner who has proven that you don't need to be physically imposing to dominate a room.
Next Steps for the Superfan
If you want to see how she uses her physicality in her roles, go back and watch the Seinfeld episode "The Big Salad." Pay attention to her "shove" move. It’s a masterclass in using your entire body weight to make up for a 5'3" frame. You can also check out her podcast Wiser Than Me, where she talks to other iconic women about aging, though you won't get to see her height there—just her massive brain.