How tall was Leslie Nielsen

Leslie Nielsen's Height

6ft 1 (185.4 cm)

Canadian/American actor best remembered for playing Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun series and for memorable roles in Airplane!, Forbidden Planet, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Beau Geste, An American Carol, The Creature Wasn't Nice, The Plainsman, Tammy and the Bachelor and Night Train to Paris.
I measured myself regularly, and was 6" 2" both before and after each film, or would have been, if my legs weren't bowed and I could get my knees together.

How tall was Leslie Nielsen
Photos by PR Photos

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Add a Comment165 comments

Average Guess (41 Votes)
6ft 0.44in (184cm)
Henrik said on 22/Sep/23
In Airplane! he looks similar in height to 6ft Robert Hays. Maybe Hays is looking up a little, so Nielsen might edge him by a hair. I think 6ft 1 peak is believable.

Click Here
Henrik said on 22/Sep/23
He was described as 6ft 2 by Weird Al in The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. That seemed way off, though. Nielsen looked no more than 5ft 11 next to 6ft 1 O.J. Simpson. He had probably lost height by the time of The Naked Gun series.

Click Here
Gerald S said on 16/Sep/23
Rob, is André Maranne eligible for a page on Celebheights?

Seeing he does have a Spotlight Listing (which I did not expect), and played a prominent and recurring role in The Pink Panther film series, I feel a page for him is warranted. I would agree on 5’9.75” for him; not quite 5’10”, but no less than 5’9.5”.
Editor Rob
He's in the maybe pile, likely weak 5ft 10.
Gerald S said on 13/Sep/23
Rob, what Spotlight Listing does André Maranne get, if any?

I would guess 5'10", even though he likely fell short of it. Nielsen had three inches on Maranne in Night Train to Paris, and Nielsen was likely under 6'1".
Editor Rob
Yes it's 5ft 10
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 28/Aug/23
I can see an argument for 6ft0¾ but no less. Looked close to the full 6ft1 generally. Throw on some shoes and he's easily 6ft2 range (more probably).

Karl Malden I think would be a more robust 6ft1er (also claimed 6ft2 in his autobiography)
Gerald S said on 1/May/23
Rob, Nielsen could use a downgrade.

Nielsen was shorter than Karl Malden in The Streets of San Francisco and Patrick McGoohan in Columbo. I’d vote 6’0.5” peak (Dick Van Dyke peak height range), maybe a tad less by his 50s.
Arch Stanton said on 27/Apr/23
Nielsen at the age of about 51 was a bit shorter than Bob Mitchum in The Amsterdam Kill.
Frank Col said on 18/Apr/23
He certainly looked 6ft 2 in the Man From Uncle movie How To Steal The World looking easily that height next to Robert Vaughan. As he says his bandy legs got worse as he got older and he looked 5ft 11 by the time of Naked Gun.
berta said on 4/Jan/23
185 not impossible in some old space movie he did look it. But 184 seemed closer. In the naked gun from 1988 he cant have been more than 182? Was he about 60 years old in it? One thing is 100 procent clear and that is Bill murray is 100 taller than Leslie. 184 vs 186
Arch Stanton said on 2/Dec/21
Nielsen actually looked a full 6'1 back in the 50s with Walter Pidgeon, I think he had lost some height by the Naked Gun films, I agree he looked 5'11.75-6' in those. Nielsen you could argue the same sort of height as Ronald Reagan, maybe slightly under 6'1.
Sinclair said on 15/Jul/21
@Rob

Could Nielsen please be downgraded to 6’0.75”?
He was noticeably shorter than Martin Landau in Rawhide.
And he was edged out by Karl Malden in The Streets of San Francisco.
Malden and Landau were both probably a solid 6’1”, so I’d give Nielsen 6’0.5”.
Editor Rob
both landau/nielsen could be argued a fraction shorter, I did say the chance of 184 wasn't ruled out entirely.
Nik Ashton said on 1/Jun/21
He’s the tallest Leslie on celebheights!
MaskDeMasque said on 31/May/21
Needs a downgrade Rob. Watched police squad episodes a few days back, he's 56 in them and looks 6 foot on the dot or even 5'11.75. at that age he'd prob have lost half an inch tops. 6'0.25-6'0.5 range peak.
Jtm said on 23/Feb/21
Connery really looks a solid 6’2 with Nielsen in the picture Tall in the Saddle posted.
MaskDeMasque said on 19/Feb/21
Watched Naked gun 2.5 other day, a 65 year old nielsen looked around 5'11.25. He would have shrunk a bit by then but I doubt 4cm. 6'0.25 maybe 6'0.5 peak.
Tall In The Saddle said on 3/Jan/21
I don't think Nielsen was much above 6 feet if at all. True, he appeared to stand a bit taller than that in the face of Walter Pidgeon who was a legit and strong 6'2" at least at peak IMO. However, if you watch FORBIDDEN PLANET from go to whoa, older Pidgeon straightens sufficiently at different points in the movie to warrant a perceived 1" advantage over Nielsen.

Still, that would mean Pidgeon had lost at least 1" from peak. A loss not so likely on average but still possible and equally possible that Nielsen gave himself a bit of lift in his early years to live up to his promoted and inflated height of 6'2".

Here's a pic of Nielsen with Sean Connery, the latter IMO being clearly taller and vindicating a 6 feet flat estimate for Nielsen. Click Here

PS - I've never seen the original THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE but understand that pre-comedian Nielsen played the Captain of the ship. LOL, how was it never going to be a disaster with Frank Drebin at the helm?!!

Shirley they weren't serious?. Ahah.
Hong said on 1/Oct/20
Click Here Here's Leslie with George Kennedy,Kennedy aged 79 and Leslie 78.
Duffer 5ft 11 said on 7/Aug/20
I thing what scoobydoo said on 3/Aug/18 is pretty much spot on for Leslie.
Arch Stanton said on 2/Aug/20
Yes Sam, though I thought Walter looked about an inch taller than Leslie. It seems hard looking back on his earlier career that they missed that he was one of the greatest film comic talents of all time! It took 25 years until he started in comedies I think!!
Tall In The Saddle said on 29/Jul/20
Interesting thing was in FORBIDDEN PLANET 1956, in some scenes Nielsen appeared at least as tall if not a bit taller than 6'2" peak Walter Pidgeon who was 59 yo at the time. I guess Pidgeon might've lost a bit of height by then but now looking at some stills from the movie, I notice Nielsen and his crew are wearing some pretty big "space" boots while permanent residence on the plant Pidgeon appears to be wearing reg. shoes. I'd guess 6'.5" for behind the scenes prankster Nielsen who found his true calling when he turned his hand to comedy.
MaskDeMasque said on 12/Jun/20
Was he really 6'1 peak Rob? He was 62 when naked gun was released and looks 5'11 range in that. Is a 2 inch drop common for a guy in his early 60's
Editor Rob
It would seem a lot to lose, his 6ft 2 claim never seemed believable but in shoe maybe...6ft 1/2 is arguable as a peak.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 3/Mar/20
I think 184cm is too low peak
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 10/Jan/20
OJ I think was the stronger 6ft1 peak. I still think this an ok listing for Leslie though. I'm more for OJ getting a slight upgrade to 186cm which is what I think he looked in his prime and in Naken Gun clearly had at least 1in on Leslie and less than 2in shorter than George Kennedy (by then probably 6ft3 range)
berta said on 24/Mar/19
i think a guy like oj simpson was taller at peak. oj 85-86 and leslie 184,5-85
Gracian said on 29/Aug/18
Please Rob, add him to the comedians category.
Scoobydoo said on 3/Aug/18
Leslie young 183 -184 cm

Leslie fifty years old 181 cm

Leslie Older 178-179 cm
berta said on 3/May/18
leslie nielsen was never as tall as a guy like oj simpson peak vs peak 184 is better listing really. he could be that harrison ford height peak.
Tall Sam said on 25/Apr/18
You could argue that he looks a tad under 6'1" on MASH near Alan Alda: Click Here
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 25/Mar/18
He could look a strong 6ft1 at times
King of the hill 91 said on 4/Dec/17
185cm peak
MM said on 17/Nov/17
Rob, how tall would he have been in superhero movie (2008), 2 years before he passed?
Editor Rob
didn't look over 5ft 10
berta said on 19/Sep/17
the average guess is as usuall pretta close i think. i think like this
183,5 5 %
184 25%
184,5 30 %
185 25 %
185,5 15 %
robson said on 1/Sep/17
6'1? Maybe in his youth and just out of bed. Like many people said he was towered by George Kennedy for 3-4 inches while Kennedy supposably shrinked too because of age.So my estimate is about 6'0 youth(during a day) and about 5'11 as older and maybe even fall off from 180cm in his closing days for 5'10-5'10.5.Some people even say he was about 5'9-5'10 but I depend on what I saw in movies.
RichardSpain said on 27/Apr/17
I agree with you @Thomas, last week I saw the movie "Forbidden Planet" to check Leslie's Height and Leslie maybe was 6'1 or 185cm but no more. In my opinion.

In this movie he was young, with his height in peak.

Regards.
Thomas Veil said on 9/Apr/17
He was 6'1 easy maybe more in his youth
RichardSpain said on 3/Apr/17
In my opinion, Leslie never was 185 cm, maybe 184cm or 183cm in peak. in the Naked Gun series, the actor George Kennedy (around 190cm )is tallest than Leslie, maybe 10 cm more. So.. my resume is;

Leslie Young: 183/184cm

Leslie 60 years old: 181cm
Leslie 70 years old: 179cm
Sam said on 20/Mar/17
Here is Nielsen at his peak with Paul Newman and Anne Francis. He does pull off 6'1" I think there and also is clearly showing he was always clowning around well before his comedy talent was tapped.
Click Here
Arch Stanton said on 16/Mar/17
6'2 in shoes is believable, yes. I'm sure he was genuinely measured in shoes at that. See him with Pidgeon and he was pretty close.
Wiles189 said on 10/Feb/17
Agreed Danimal, he can look 6'1.5-6'2 on screen, but he was around 6'1.25 (186cm) in his prime IMO
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 9/Feb/17
Danimal, are you saying that he was 6ft2 peak?
Danimal said on 7/Feb/17
He was barely shorter than 6'3" Ted Danson in Creepshow which was filmed in 1981. He WAS a tall man who lost height due to his legs becoming more bowed and age in general.
Wiles189 said on 7/Feb/17
Comedic genius, one of the best in Hollywood & one of my favorite actors from back when i was a kid
berta said on 7/Feb/17
i can believe he measured himself at 187 in shoes and rounded up to 188 claim. and without shoes he was 184 ore max 185 flat? 185,5 in the afternoon seems a little high for this guy doenst it?
berta said on 19/Jan/17
did he really look 185,5 peak? the 184 listing was probably closer
Editor Rob
the question is he completely lying about his 6ft 2 'measurement' or did he really measure it in shoes...I don't think near 6ft 1 is impossible for him in his youth.
berta said on 1/Jan/17
i would say D range seems fine for him at peak maybe slightly taller
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 25/Sep/16
Rob, which of these would you go for?

A) 188cm/186cm
B) 187.5cm/185.5cm
C) 187cm/185cm
D) 186.5cm/184.5cm
E) 186cm/184cm
MOF said on 25/Jul/16
6'4" George Kennedy had an easy 4 inches on him in the Naked Gun movies. George was well into his 60's in those days and probably lost some height by that point. I don't see Leslie being any taller than 6 feet in those movies, probably closer to 5'11".
Arch Stanton said on 28/Jun/16
In fairness he looks a comfortable 6'1 er with Walter Pidegon in Forbidden Planet.
Arch Stanton said on 28/Jun/16
Rob can you add a photo and films "from the Naked Gun series, Airplane!, Forbidden Planet, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Beau Geste, An American Carol,
The Creature Wasn't Nice, The Plainsman, Tammy and the Bachelor and Night Train to Paris.

Unbelievably his immense comic talent wasn't realized in film until Airplane in 1980, He spent way too much of his career in serious roles, and never really convincing. A shame he didn't go into comedy earlier.
jervis said on 24/Apr/16
incident at the brazos a rawhide episode he looks 6ft flat next to Eastwood and Fleming watch the whole episode on youtube,also Martin Landau is in it and looks about the same height as Neilson.
jervis said on 20/Mar/16
Watch rawhide incident below the brazos,he looks more flat 6ft beside Eastwood an Fleming,who were both around 6ft3.5 IMO.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 2/Mar/16
In his old movies he could look near 6ft2 at times. No less than this at peak.
Matt said on 26/Feb/16
In my opinion, I am thinking more like 6' in his youth. He looked around 5'11 1/2'' in the Naked Gun movies.
jervis said on 20/Dec/15
The whole episode is on youtube Sam
jervis said on 20/Dec/15
Sam the episode was called incident below the brazos,it was from 1959 and also stared Martin Landau.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 12/Nov/15
Could have been 6ft in The Naked Gun years
ALLEY ASCOT said on 10/Nov/15
I walked spent a few minutes walking and chatting with the very amicable Mr. Nielsen at a Bob Celebrity Golf Tournament either in 1998 or 99. I'm 6-foot solid and I have to say that he appeared 6'2" even in his early 70's while walking uphill!. But what struck me most was the size of his ears and nose and hands and feet! I bet you he wore a show in the 14-15 range. (See my Joe Pesci and Vince Gill entries)
Sam said on 7/Aug/15
I couldn't find any links to photos or videos where Nielsen appears on Rawhide with Eastwood...that would be of interest IMO.
jervis said on 4/Aug/15
Looked 6ft flat in rawhide with 6ft3 eric fleming and 6ft3.5 Clint eastwood.
Russ said on 8/May/15
He was level with Ted Danson in Creepshow, so I would put him at 6 feet.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 28/Mar/15
Simpson is/was 6ft1-2
Judd said on 25/Mar/15
sincerly i think he might have been in the 6'1" range for sure, at peak...maybe 6'0.75" but anything under it.
In the early 90's he did look close to 6' and in the last year in the 5'11-11.5" range...
Mathew said on 18/Mar/15
He looked more 5'11"-sh in the 90s.
Jake 6ft0.5 said on 6/Mar/15
I think you should distinguish between peak height and later height, Rob. I think 6'1" is a reasonable peak height, but by the time of The Naked Gun, he definitely didn't look that, more like 5'11.5" or 5'11".
Steve said on 30/Dec/14
His peak height was 6'1. But by the Naked Gun movies he had packed down to a little over 5'11'. Probably due to becoming heavyier.
Danimal said on 27/Dec/14
Jack says on 21/Sep/14
Certainly wasn't more than 5'11" in the Naked Gun movies.
Probably 5'10"

Youre way off. Was about 1" shorter than 6'2" O.J. and 3" shorter than 6'4" George Kennedy. At worst he was a strong 6'0"/weak 6'1" at that point.
Danimal said on 27/Dec/14
Shredo says on 21/Dec/14
I would say Nielsen was a weak 6'1. OJ always looked a little taller than him in the films.

Nielson was not at his peak during the filming of the Naked Gun series, which ran from 1988 to 1994 respectively. Im sure that a young Leslie Nielsen would be just about the same height as O.J. Simpson.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 26/Dec/14
O.J Simpson is 186-187cm. About 1in taller than Nielsen and 2-3in below George Kennedy
Shredo said on 21/Dec/14
I would say Nielsen was a weak 6'1. OJ always looked a little taller than him in the films.
Sam said on 11/Oct/14
Rob, could you add my suggestions?
Jack said on 21/Sep/14
Certainly wasn't more than 5'11" in the Naked Gun movies.
Probably 5'10"
Sam said on 11/Aug/14
Rob, could you add Forbidden Planet, The Poseidon Adventure, Airplane!, Creepshow and Nuts in addition to The Naked Gun series?

He could look six feet after his career finally took off but often a weak six foot, Peter Graves seemed about 3 inches taller in Airplane! and Nielsen seems a couple inches under Ted Danson in Creepshow. Back in Forbidden Planet, though he could look less than 2 inches under Walter Pidgeon. I wonder if his 6'2" claim was in shoes back in his peak.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 11/Jul/13
Rob, he's listed as 6ft1 or 6ft2
jamie said on 7/Jul/13
5'10" in the Naked Gun films. No more
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 7/Jul/13
Rob, how tall would you estimate O.J. Simpson to be?
Editor Rob
what he was listed as a footballer?
Knowitall said on 21/Mar/13
Nielson was a solid six two in his younger days. He towered over five eleven Glenn Ford in The Sheepman.

And in Forbiddon Planet he was as tall as Walter Pidgeon who was listed as being six two.

But by the late 1970s he had lost an inch.

Here he is with Sean Connery looking shorter:

Click Here

By the 1990s he had lost at least two inches.
Shaun said on 8/Sep/12
Surprised to see no page for O.J. Simpson Rob. I think a flat 6 ft 1.
Shaun said on 8/Sep/12
Naked Gun films of course were 1988-1994 and he would have lost more height up until his death some 20 years later. I've seen the Naked Gun films lots of time and always got a 5'11-6' impression of him. George Kennedy on the other hand still looked a full 6 ft 4 next to Nielsen and 6'1" OJ.
Shaun said on 7/Sep/12
Rob would you agree that him and Reagan looked a very similar height and were likely more 182cm range by their later years?
Editor Rob
they could be similar range, Leslie did lose several inches by his latter years
Shaun said on 7/Sep/12
Same height as Reagan I reckon 185cm peak, 182cm later in life. In Naked Gun he was looking 5'11-6' range next to 6'4" George Kennedy.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 11/Aug/12
I know I should go to Height Request for this
but, Rob what are your estimates for OJ Simpson?
German Wunderkind said on 6/Aug/12
I saw him next to Michael Landon (5'9) in Highway to Heaven, he sees no more than 5'11 "
somebody said on 3/Aug/12
his body looks on 5´9 5´10 top... Perhaps he was wearing elevator shoes...
jake, 1.82 m/ 1.83 m said on 9/Jan/12
Pretty sure OJ was 6" 1 actually, that's what he got listed at. Nielsen was not at least 6ft 1, he was at the VERY MOST 6ft 1, probably 184 cm peak.
Wow said on 23/Dec/11
Randy says on 3/Aug/11
I met him in 1981 at a golf course in Oklahoma. I am 5'9 and he was shorter than me. Bow legged. He was a funny man.

6'1" are you serious! Honestly he looks 5'9" MAX in his old days films. Untill the age of 70 man can shrink about 3-4 cm (1-2")max. So I think he was about 5'10" in his youth
Danimal said on 28/Nov/11
jazm says on 22/Nov/11
He shrank significantly by the time he made the Naked Gun movies. He was about 5'10" in those.

He was at least 6'0" in the Naked Gun movies. His 2 coworkers were 6'2" (OJ Simpson) and 6'4" George Kennedy. He was a weak 5'11"/strong 5'10" by the time of his death.
Wrong. Watch him in Creepshow with Ted Danson (filmed in 1981) and Ted Danson who was 6'3" PEAK had not even 2" on him. 5'9"-5'10" is a joke. He was at least 6'1" in his younger years.
Danimal said on 28/Nov/11
Oswald says on 27/Nov/11
Look at him in the early "Thriller" with Boris Karloff episode. 5'9 to 5'10 tops.

Wrong. Watch him in Creepshow with Ted Danson (filmed in 1981) and Ted Danson who was 6'3" PEAK had not even 2" on him. 5'9"-5'10" is a joke. He was at least 6'1" in his younger years.
Oswald said on 27/Nov/11
Look at him in the early "Thriller" with Boris Karloff episode. 5'9 to 5'10 tops.
jazm said on 22/Nov/11
He shrank significantly by the time he made the Naked Gun movies. He was about 5'10" in those.
Lenad said on 16/Nov/11
In the naked gun movies he looked 5ft11 at best. No way was he ever over 6ft1
Larc 6 ft 1.75 in said on 28/Sep/11
6'1 peak, 5'10.5 at his death, great actor and very funny guy by the way.
guyfrommars said on 4/Aug/11
He was 6'1" in his prime, no shorter. 5'8" Anne Francis wore heels in Forbidden Planet and still looked quite short next to him. And Nielsen was nearly as tall as 6'2" Walter Pidgeon.
Danimal said on 3/Aug/11
Randy says on 3/Aug/11
I met him in 1981 at a golf course in Oklahoma. I am 5'9 and he was shorter than me. Bow legged. He was a funny man.

He was not shorter than you 30 years ago. In 1981 he was almost as tall 6'3" Ted Danson (watch Creepshow, which was filmed in 1981). He was at least 6'1" at that point of his life.
Randy said on 3/Aug/11
I met him in 1981 at a golf course in Oklahoma. I am 5'9 and he was shorter than me. Bow legged. He was a funny man.
jake said on 16/Jul/11
his 6ft2 claim is invalid. If he was 6ft2 then Peter Graves was 6ft4.5
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 23/Apr/11
Rob how valid is his 6"2 claim?

Editor Rob
I believe he did measure himself 6ft 2, but maybe in shoes.
Lenad said on 4/Apr/11
6'1 -ish in the younger days. Probably between 5'10 and 5'11 by the time of his death
Lenad said on 26/Mar/11
he never looked as tall as 6'2 in his prime. 6'1 prime i can buy
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 22/Jan/11
Actually 6"1 is on target...6"2(188cm) in shoes
Shaun said on 25/Dec/10
I noticed he was 2-3 inches shorter than then 6'3" Peter Graves in Airplane! SO I'd say somewhere between 6'0 and 6'1".
Lenad said on 13/Dec/10
184cm prime
Lenad said on 5/Dec/10
i doubt he was ever taller than 6'1
MHouillon said on 3/Dec/10
One of my childhood heroes, thanks to the naked gun.

Tried to catch him in Hamburg in 1998 during a promotion tour, but missed him. Now I miss him even more.

Rest in peace, Sergeant Frobisher/Lieutenant Drebin.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 1/Dec/10
6"1.25(186cm) in his day, Rob?
Danimal said on 30/Nov/10
RIP funny man.
linke said on 30/Nov/10
didnt know that he passed away.RIP
walker said on 29/Nov/10
I was thinking that a week ago that he was gonna die soon
Mr. R said on 29/Nov/10
Yeah, I go with 6-1. His press in the 50's and 60's said 6-2, but that is a little high. Airplane is one of the funniest movies ever!
Mamun said on 29/Nov/10
Rest In Peace and may GOD Bliss your Soul to eternal paradise !

Regards

SUPERMAN
Vik said on 29/Nov/10
R.I.P from Spain :(
B-lab said on 29/Nov/10
Whatever the height, shirley he will be missed
jtm said on 29/Nov/10
rip lesile nielsen. he was a great actor and comedian. i always enjoyed watching him. i would say 6ft at his prime and 5'10 in his older years.
Shaun said on 29/Nov/10
"North American Actor from Naked Gun. ". ROb, PLEASE just say he was Canadian. He was a Canadian actor. How would you like it if you were a Scottish actor and somebody referred to you as a "Northern European actor." He was Canadian..
Shaun said on 29/Nov/10
Did look 6'1" legit in his prime, looked nearer 5'11" in his older years though. RIP. What a legend!! Funniest actor to ever grace to the screen in my view.
Jim said on 29/Nov/10
Wow, had no idea he was that tall. He looks shorter then that for sure. R.I.P
saddened fan said on 29/Nov/10
he just passed away today... sad to see him go...
Frank2 said on 23/Jun/09
Nielson was 6'1" back in the 1950s when he appeared in FORBIDDEN PLANET. He's the same height as Walter Pidgeon and slightly taller than 6' Jack Kelly and 6' Earl Holliman. And Nielson is about five inches taller than 5'8" Warren Stevens.

He has lost height over the years as well as put on a lot of weight. I suspect he's now around 5'11".
Ejel Khan said on 23/Jun/09
Was a legit 6' in his prime. He's in his 80's now, so has lost alot of height. Max 5'10" now.
Lenad said on 9/May/09
I wouldnt rule out the possibility of a solid 6'0 in his prime
Danimal said on 30/Apr/09
Wasn't that much shorter than 6'3" Ted Danson in Creepshow which was filmed in 1981. Seemed to be 6'1"-6'2" in his younger years and seems to be under 6'0" today. Looks like he's dropped 3". A combination of old age and his bowed legs.
glenn said on 30/Apr/09
i agree josh.this is one i never understood.i stupidly thought he was a 5-8 to 5-10 guy.
josh said on 29/Apr/09
wow that is hard to believe that he was ever 6'1 he sure never looks any where near that height but he is in his 80s now so maybe he when he was young i wouldnt know he didnt really became famous till he was like 60 or something
Mike said on 19/Apr/09
..in The Ringbanger episode of MASH, 1st season (1972), he looks shorter than 6'2.5 Alda, and 6'3 Rogers. I'd say 6'1, tops.
Doug said on 4/Mar/09
181 cm in my view is an excellent estimate throughout his 40s, 50s and 60s. Perhaps he is 179 now at 81.
Doug said on 4/Mar/09
Never looked 6'1" to me, perhaps in his youth. In the Naked Gun films they said "He's about 6'2" Kinda looks like Phil Donahue" I thought 6'2"??, NO WAY!! He looked 5'11-6' I thought in the Naked Gun films. Was a good 4 inches shorter than legit 6'4" George Kennedy. I would have estimated 5'11".
Editor Rob said on 22/Feb/09
Said in denofgeek interview, "I measured myself regularly, and was 6" 2" both before and after each film, or would have been, if my legs weren't bowed and I could get my knees together"
Patrick said on 28/Jan/09
I bet 6' in the late 70ies or early 80ies. In police squad episode where he stands just beside 6'4 Peter Lupus, he is literally dwarfed by the latter
tom said on 26/Aug/08
he look pretty tall here Rob
Click Here
Lenad said on 16/Jun/08
Why do we have his peak height at 6'1 when he never gets listed at that and Rob even said possibly strong 6'0? Come on...
mick said on 21/May/08
no way he could ever be 6'1. i saw him in naked gun beside priscilla presly. he cant be more than 5'10. and people dont shrink 4 inches. OJ looked 6 even.
Ejel Khan said on 14/May/08
In one of the Naked Gun films, he's described as 6'2". Now way! Even in those films, he was a clear 3" shorter than 6'2" OJ. Peak height was 6'!
tubbs said on 31/Oct/07
If Franco is finnish then forgive him. They don't distinguish between he and she, they have same word for both. If he isn't, give him ****...only joking - Nielsen looked 5'11 in Scary Movie 4 last year, so 6'1 in the past may be a distinct possibilty. Glenn, have you ever met Nielsen?
glenn said on 23/Oct/07
you know,he,not she.not shemale either.he has a peepee franco.what an idiot franco can be sometimes.make me scratch my head in disbelief like dmeyer.im breaking on franco only cause he is nonstop on my weight and my looks.
Danimal said on 22/Oct/07
Franco, Leslie Nielsen is NOT a SHE. HE is a MALE. He was only slightly shorter than O.J. Simpson. So, we know he was under 6'1" in the 80's/early '90's, when he was in his 50's/60's. I saw him in a commercial recently and his body looks like it is VERY brittle and compressed. His face also looked HEAVILY make-upped. He's 81 years old, so he's obviously lost quite a bit of height.
sam said on 19/Oct/07
Just don't call him Shirley.
sf said on 18/Oct/07
Yes, how tall is SHE????
Anonymous said on 17/Oct/07
Franco, do you actually knows who leslie nielsen is???
Al said on 20/Jul/07
Neilsen had some leg problems. If you look at him in the first Naked Gun he clearly has a bow leg, almost as if he broke it badly or had rickets! In NG3 he's seen running in shorts and the bow is very evident. Actually, I suspect you can see it developing as far back as Forbidden Planet. It isn't a Scatman Crothers bow leg, but it isn't that far off.
shikoku said on 27/Jun/07
in younger pictures of him i think he would be 1.86 now when hes older he looks 1.82/3
sam said on 7/May/07
He did have an easy two inches over Bea Arthur, who I thought was established to be 5'9.5". Of course, with age Nielsen must have lost some height. He might have been a little under 6'1" in youth (he did still look 2 inches shorter than Peter Graves in Airplane). 6'-6'1" would have been consistent with his height back in the Naked Gun movies with O.J. & George Kennedy...
Drew said on 19/Sep/06
No way did he lose two inches.

Editor Rob
he's 80...you seen his creaky body in scary movie 4?
Glenn said on 14/Sep/06
You know what the confusion is,is that I never met her.I met the others.
Derek said on 13/Sep/06
Glenn- watch a Golden Girls episode. Betty White and Rue McClanahan are both 5'3" or 5'4" and Bea just towers over them. She's easily 5'9 1/2"-5'10".
Glenn said on 13/Sep/06
Bea arthur is that tall? I dont remember anything like that.
Gonzalo said on 13/Sep/06
He didn´t look much shorter than Ted Danson in Creepshow. And he looked taller than Glen Ford in The sheepman. He was at least 6 feet tall and probably taller in his heydays
Derek said on 12/Sep/06
I saw him in a Golden Girls episode in May 1992 and he had several inches over 5'9 1/2"-5'10" Bea Arthur. As of 1992, he looked at least 6'1". Nowadays, maybe 6'.
Editor Rob said on 12/Sep/06
In 1969 Times Recorder got described as "The 6-foot, 2-inch, 185-pound"
Frank2 said on 7/Aug/06
Peter Boyle was about 6'3" back when I worked with him on Swashbuckler. In Young Frankenstein he wore a lot of padding as well as huge boots that boosted him by at least six inches. Gene Wilder is about 5'10".
Bleemo said on 6/Aug/06
Hmm speaking of Peter Boyle, I noticed he doesn't have a page, he's listed as 6'2 tese days which does kind of guarentee that neilson is under 6' now. The thing about Boyle is that he looked massive as Frankenstein opposite medium sized Gene Wilder in "Young Frankenstein." Clearly he was literally wearing Frankenstein's boots in that one but he would have had to be pretty tall in the first place to appear as big as he did.

Click Here
Cynna said on 26/Jul/06
Frank2, Frank2, we finally agree on something! I believe that in the '70s & '80s ol' Les was over 6 feet.

Speaking of Peter Boyle, there's an example of someone who has lost a lot of height.

Oh, BTW, Frank -- better check out new info on Dean Martin page !! I knew it, I knew it, I always knew it !! (Will somebody please ask Roy's Nephew for the anecdote already?? He's won't tell me -- and I'm the one who introduced him to this charming website in the first place!
Viper652 said on 14/Jul/06
OJ is 6-1 Danimal.
Danimal said on 13/Jul/06
Didn't Weird Al and Vanna White describe him as 6'2" in Naked Gun 33 1/3? BTW Glenn, he wasn't short next to 6'2" O.J. Simpson and 6'4" George Kennedy in any of the 3 Naked Gun movies. Even in Creepshow from 1981-1982, Leslie looks only slightly shorter than 6'3" Ted Danson and they stood literally face to face in a staredown.
Frank2 said on 11/Jun/06
Nielsen next to 6'2" Walter Pidgeon and 5'8" Anne Francis: Click Here

And here: Click Here



Glenn said on 9/Jun/06
Wow.I thought he looked short in those Naked Gun movies.
Frank2 said on 9/Jun/06
If he's now just 5'9" then he lost some serious inches. He was a solid 6'1" back in the 1950's.
Glenn said on 9/Jun/06
I agree.never met him,but he looked 5-9 to me in his later comedies and my friends tell me 5-9.
puntito said on 8/Jun/06
I was at a cocktail party about 4 years ago and stood right next to lesli. I'm 5.9 and he was almost exactly my height. No way he can be 6 ft or over.
MarkO said on 3/Jun/06
...All I know is, Nielson looked an inch or 2 taller than Lee Majors in Big Valley...so what does that make Majors??
ForensicNYC said on 13/Apr/06
Leslie Nielsen was almost cast as the villain "Mesalla" in the Epic "BEN HUR"!
Even at 6'1" he was small beside 6'5" Cesare Danova as "Ben Hur" in the screen tests conducted circa 1958. The roles eventually went to Stephen Boyd and Charlton Heston. This rare screen test footage can be seen in the "bonus features" on disk No.4 of the DVD "BEN HUR".
larry said on 23/Mar/06
I think Mr. Neilson may have a bad hip from his stance & gait. He's a good 6 foot now, but in earlier movies he looked 6'1 or 1.5". I know about the bad hip from personal experience. He was a shade taller than Karl Malden in A STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO I watched just the other day. Mr. Malden has always been listed as 6'0.5" and looked it.
Frank2 said on 8/Mar/06
Neilson was in his youth was at least 6'1". In the film Forbidden Planet you'll notice he's about the same height as Walter Pidgeon who was at least 6'2" when he was young. I saw Pidgeon in person one day at MGM when he was there for some reunion party and noticed that he was still well-over six feet tall and that was back in the late sixties when he was getting up there . And by the way, Nielson didn't wear lifts in that film. He's obviously several inches taller than Warren Stevens and I know how tall he was since way back when I worked in a gas station I would see him almost once a week. He was 5' 8" In fact I still think he's alive.
MHouillon said on 4/Mar/06
Leslie Nielsen is a 181cm (5'11.25) max. Just saw "A Space Travesty" unfortunately, and he is not a 6 footer.
Ball-A-Hallic said on 18/Feb/06
In scary movie 3 standing next to the 5'6 Ja Rule Leslie looks only 5'10 i think.
VanEck said on 19/Jan/06
I interviewed Leslie Nielsen a couple years ago, along with Paul Gross (Due South) and Nielsen was no taller than me or even a bit shorter and I'm no more than 5'9. I remember being quite surprised at how small he was in person. Maybe he's shrunk a lot? Or could it be he usually makes use of lifts? (it's possible he wasn't wearing them the day I interviewed him– I don't remember his shoes looking unusual at all). I also recall that Paul Gross positively towered over Nielsen and Gross is listed here at 6 even. So, I'm doubtful that Leslie Nielsen is/was anywhere near 6 ft or 6'1". That would mean he's shrunk at least 3 or 4 inches. It's possible but seems unlikely. I have a feeling he was probably more like 5'10 in his prime (but his height was exaggerated like everyone else's) and he's lost a few inches over the years.
Mr. R said on 12/Sep/05
When he was younger, he was referred to as 6-1.

Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films.

Other vital statistics like weight or shoe size measurements have been sourced from newspapers, books, resumes or social media.

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