How tall was Oliver Reed

Terry said on 22/Apr/24
5'11

Sandy Cowell said on 16/Sep/23
“That’s very likely Fagin - you see you’re blowed upon!”

His grammar is as lousy as his character! That wasn’t the case in real life though; he was a well-spoken man.

5ft11.

Gerald S said on 11/Sep/23
Reed could actually pass for 6’1” in Oliver! I read he wore lifts for his domineering portrayal of Bill Sikes.

Gerald S said on 4/Sep/23
Rob, can you please add a page for his OLIVER! co-star, Ron Moody?

Listed on Spotlight Directory at a whopping 5’11.5” but more like 5’10”; potentially a fraction over 5’10” at peak. 5’10.25” should be strongly considered for Moody’s peak, I’d put him there. In Oliver! of course Moody dropped a bit below the 5’10” mark with his slouchy posture and was dominated by Reed who was likely wearing lifts to appear six feet +.

Sandy Cowell said on 11/Mar/23
Last night I watched a film starring Oliver Reed called ‘These Are The Damned’, which was introduced by Caroline Munro, who added to its details.

It was made in 1961 in black and white and I actually enjoyed it! After seeing the three Godfather movies this week, I’ve been finding it rather difficult to dig anything, as their standard is top quality and takes some beating.

There were kids in the line-up but I’ve seen enough of Oliver to believe he was 5ft11. 😁

Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 1/Dec/22
Legit 5ft11, calling his height in shoes.

Sandy Cowell said on 27/Aug/22
@ Ian C - It comes as no surprise that Oliver was given a thuggish role back when he was 25. It was then that he was involved in the pub brawl which resulted in his facial scarring.

Certain people close to him thought it could be the end of his acting career, but no! It was quite the making of him, adding to his ‘hard man’ appearance and giving him that extra bit of oomph needed to play them convincingly.

Sandy Cowell said on 27/Aug/22
Apart from acquiring a copy of ‘Burnt Offerings’, I also bought the Ken Russell masterpiece ‘The Devils’.

I’d never seen it before but I know it’s based on true historical events which took place in France in the 17th century.

Oliver played a priest, but he does have a weakness for the ladies. However, he isn’t overly indiscriminate and marries the woman he loves. I construed the actual ‘Devils’ to be the nuns that lusted after him, and came out with outrageous accusations. Vanessa Redgrave does mention to the woman Oliver’s priest marries the REAL reason the nuns have become nuns, and it is for nothing whatsoever to do with their love of God.

Oliver’s Father Grandier is tortured at the end in some of the most upsetting scenes I have ever observed on film, but he will not confess to the false accusations. He goes bravely to his death, being burnt at the stake. I have nothing but admiration for this historical man. He was a true Martyr and played incredibly well by Oliver.

I went to bed that night in a very quiet and pensive frame of mind, and wasn’t at all surprised that this film caused such a fracas back in its day. It shocked the heck out of me.

5ft11.25. Yes, he did look a touch taller in this 1971 movie.

Sandy C said on 7/Aug/22
I do apologise: ‘Burnt Offerings’ was shown on the Talking Pictures Channel and introduced by the enigmatic Caroline Munro, as the first film of her weekly treat, Cellar Club.

Sandy C said on 7/Aug/22
I saw the film ‘Burnt Offerings’ on Friday night, a film I had wanted to see ever since it came out in 1976. Never did I have the audacity to show up at a picture house, as rules were strict those days! Also starring was Karen Black, in a surprisingly eerie role as Oliver’s wife, an ill-fated Bette Davis and Burgess Meredith, albeit in a smaller role than I’d hoped.

Ollie’s performance was unbelievable. The sheer terror displayed in his facial expressions was worth more than all the horror effects of today. It made a change to see Oliver play a vulnerable part for a change. Now I desperately want a copy of ‘Burnt Offerings’, and if it shows again on the Legend/Horror Channel, I’ll be sure to give all you horror fans plenty of notice. I promise you’ll be just as mesmerised as I was.

5ft11.

Ian C. said on 22/Jul/22
Ollie appeared (as a menacing thug, natch) when he was 25, in an episode of The Saint, with Roger Moore. Moore had him by about three inches. It is said that Moore on The Saint wore lifts (and a hairpiece!) so you have to take that into account when figuring Reed's height.

The young Oliver Reed, although obviously very strong, was stout. My guess is that he never in his life worked out, unlike today's leading men, for whom weight machines and protein-only diets and steroids are a professional necessity.

Sinclair said on 28/May/22
Rob, isn’t Ron Moody (Fagin from Oliver) due for a page? 5’10”?

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 3/Apr/22
I’m watching Oliver play the brutish Gerald in Ken Russell’s 1969 movie, ‘Women In Love’, and this time round, I’m feeling disgust for different reasons! His beating of the white horse, which so appalls Glenda Jackson’s Gudrun, has shocked me more than the erotica, which so raised my eyebrows back in 1975, and it seems tame by today’s standards.

The film hasn’t been on for even an hour yet, so there’s plenty more to see, much of which I recall…..

5ft11.

Tall Sam said on 24/Aug/21
One of the most bulky, imposing actors I can think of, I think he maintained height pretty well too despite his well known hard living.

Ian C. said on 16/Jun/21
Think what a useful attribute it would be to be able to scare people by just glaring at them. Reed would have been just as effective at five foot nine. He was like Bogart-his height was incidental to his power as an actor. (I have stood in front of a mirror and tried to do that angry Ollie look, but it just looks as if I have indigestion.)

If you get the chance, check out Reed in The Curse of the Werewolf. Reed was embarrassed by his Hammer horror films, but he was terrific in them. He could have played the Werewolf guy without the hairy make-up, if he'd got drunk first.

Sinclair said on 12/Apr/21
Rob, how tall would you say Shani Wallis was at peak?

I reckon she could have passed for 5’6” in Oliver!

Enrique said on 3/Apr/21
I am a relative of Mr. Reed. I have an almost identical build. I am 180cm, which translates to roughly to 5’11” tall, and additionally have his wide build. Throughout my life people have constantly misjudged my height. Shorter people would believe that I was close to 6’1” while taller would think I was shorter than my actual height. 180cm is an odd height for it is an inch over average but not especially tall compared with someone considerably over 6ft. When one is of a wide powerful build, it appears quite imposing next to people of similar height or shorter. It is not surprising that many feel Reed stood taller than 6ft as few actors would have exceeded this at that time and he would have looked imposing against anyone near his height of 180cm or shorter. 180cm is likely the correct height for him. He could have been a .5cm taller or shorter. He was, however, a fascinating character. A very good biography of him is Evil Spirits by Goodwin. I wouldn’t worry so much about his height anyway.

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 27/Sep/20
... not to mention Oliver starred in Ken Russell's 'Women in Love', which kind of disgusted me when I was 14!

😂😆🤣

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 26/Sep/20
Yes, Oliver Reed, your dog Bullseye in 'Oliver!' is indeed afraid of your evil character Bill Sikes after seeing you murdering the lovely, sunny Nancy. 😝

Probably the first Oliver Reed film I ever saw, followed by 'Women In Love' and 'Tommy' at 14, I'd made my mind up that he didn't exactly appeal to my taste in men before my 15th Birthday! Destroyed by booze, Reed treated his young wife Josephine Burge appallingly. It all came out in the papers and was horrifying to read.

Shame really as Oliver came from an upper middle class background and was given every chance on the education front, yet he attended 14 schools. 🏫 I wonder why that was? 🙊 A naughty little monkey from an early age without a doubt! 🍺🍺🍺🐒

⭐ One of Ollie's drinking buddies was the Who's drummer, Keith Moon. The pair met while making the rock opera 'Tommy', Reed getting the part of Frank because he was friends with Ken Russell, having worked with him in his movie 'The Devils' 🎶

Ollie gets 5ft11.

RIP Oliver Reed 🕯️
13/2/1938 - 2/5/1999

Sinclair said on 27/Aug/20
Rob, could you please add “And Then There Were None”, “The Four Musketeers” and “The Return of the Musketeers” to Reed’s film credits?

Reed could look well over 5’11” in Oliver! (I suspect he wore lifts to make Bill Sykes seem even more threatening) but in most of his films, Reed gave a solid 5’11” impression. 5’11.25” could be acceptable for Reed’s peak but I would go with a flat 5’11”. I reckon Reed was more likely over 5’11” than under it, at his peak. Reed was one of the tallest cast members in And Then There Were None (1974), along with Gert Frobe, Alberto de Mendoza and Adolfo Celi. However, Roger Moore did look at least a solid two inches taller than Oliver Reed in The Saint episode “The King of The Beggars” which is one of the main reasons why Reed only gets a flat 5’11” from me.

chris Robisnon said on 8/Jul/20
I've been on a Reed binge this week, watched five of his films, which led me here. I would say he stands taller than almost all of his supporting actors, including Alan Bates. With his heavy build he would have looked quite squat had he not been six foot. I think 5 11 undersells him a little.
He took on some very poor roles in order to finance his huge estate that bled him dry. Though Carol Reed directed him in Oliver, he climbed to stardom without his uncle's support, always wary of the charge of nepotism.
My neighbour met him in a bar on holiday and had a photo taken with him. He was very obliging, put his arm around his shoulder and smiled for the camera. From the picture he looks tall and that was the impression he gave.
In the film Hannibal Brooks he looks too tall to be under six foot, they even make a joke about it when the bed is too short for him. He was only 61 when he died, by which time the excessive boozing had taken its toll. Russell Crowe said Reed would try to fight everyone he met once he was drunk, an ugly and sad end to a great actor.

Animus said on 22/Mar/20
I think 181cm might be possible for him in his prime.

Animus said on 20/Mar/20
@Danimal

He was definitely not 215lbs as a younger man. Mike Tyson in his prime, only an inch shorter, was around 215lbs in his prime.

Here's a picture of a shirtless Oliver Reed (quite a surprise I'm writing this to you all, I have to say): Click Here

He's rather skinny for his build here but maybe still around 185lbs. Generally, throughout his life, for a man who presumably didn't train much, he was quite strong. He was a strong, fairly muscular guy but by no means "huge". I don't doubt for a minute, he could have gotten very big had he had any interest and inclination in that direction.

Jtm said on 26/Dec/19
Maybe 5'11 but no more

Rory said on 25/Dec/19
181cm in my opinion, no more and no less.

Anna Smith said on 20/Dec/19
Rob, how tall do you think Talitha Pol-Getty was? She played with him in The system. Click Here

Ian C. said on 4/Oct/19
Okay, Funruffian, Reed was fat, starting in his thirties, but strong and athletic as well. He moves very well in The Three/Four Musketeers, and in a few of his movies when he was in his twenties he runs, and runs well. He got into fights when he was young. You don't get that sullen, violent look that was his stock in trade unless it's backed up with real physical strength.

Funruffian said on 20/Aug/19
I'm still 3 inches taller than him. He's a burly guy with a Barrel chest and a big fat head. Even if he wasn't fat, he sure looked it.

Danimal 5'9 3/4 said on 5/Jul/19
Danimal 5'9 3/4 said on 3/Jul/19
Oliver looked virtually the exact same height as 6'0" Orson Welles:
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
And here he stands right next to him at the beginning of the video (12 seconds in) and they look to be the same height: Click Here

Rob, what do you think?
Editor Rob
I'd have said Welles looked a bit taller, but not that much.

Look at their footwear Rob. Oliver has on very flat soled shoes. You can see them when he sits down. Anyway, at 12 seconds, they appear the same height to me. If anything, I wouldn't give Oliver a flat 5'11". More like 5'11.5".

Danimal 5'9 3/4" said on 3/Jul/19
Sam said on 20/Aug/14
Rob, how much would estimate Reed weighed, both as a young man and a chunkier older guy?
[Editor Rob: maybe 190ish in 30-40's and then latterly 220's?]

No, he was far heavier than that Rob. More like 215 early on and upwards of 245 later on. He was a very large man.

Danimal 5'9 3/4 said on 3/Jul/19
Oliver looked virtually the exact same height as 6'0" Orson Welles:
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
And here he stands right next to him at the beginning of the video (12 seconds in) and they look to be the same height: Click Here

Rob, what do you think?

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 1/Jul/19
@ Ian C - Hiya! Thank you for getting back to me. I am a fan of his too, but not to the capacity that I have for Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing.

I have read that quite a few of our premium actors suffer from word blindness. Without mentioning any names, I feel it's their way of redeeming themselves. To learn a script when you can't actually read it is an accomplishment in itself.

Take care now Ian! Sandy XX 😁👍

Ian C. said on 1/Jul/19
Sandy: According to his autobiography, Reed All About Me, Ollie was dyslexic, and consequently had little formal schooling. He did his national service as a young man before becoming an actor. It's possible that he couldn't read his scripts. Go through his movies (and I'm a fan), and he almost never speaks more than two sentences at a time, although there was an actor who could put a lot of force into two sentences.

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 19/Jun/19
😣 Correction Time! 😣

The comment should have read 'I think that might have...' rather than with an extra 'have'.

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 18/Jun/19
I'd love to know where he was educated. Can anyone help me?

cmillzz said on 17/Jun/19
@Danimal
That’s not always true though.

Miss Sandy Cowell said on 17/Jun/19
It wasn't long before Oliver opted for the more tempestuous parts and I think that have might have gone hand in hand with his erring character, due to all that booze, which was sad really. He appeared in some early Hammer movies - and had the parts of an innocent young boy.

5ft10.75.

Importer said on 17/Jun/19
@viper
That's impressive. Other than just lucky I'd say : Good genes and healthy lifestyle. I mean what else can be took into account.

viper said on 14/Jun/19
My 72 year old dad is still 6-0 and my 80 year old Uncle is still 5-8.

Are they just lucky?

Danimal 5'9 3/4" said on 14/Jun/19
zoran said on 24/Apr/17
Reed could not have been more than 5ft9 or 10 looks shorter than crowd in gladiator, and how much does one really lose with age?

Men lose over 1" by 70 and 2" by 80. Women lose more.

Danimal 5'9 3/4" said on 14/Jun/19
filmfan said on 18/Feb/11
I'm not sure 5'11'' is right. I remember reading an interview with Ozzy Osbourne who said he was surprised at how tall and big Oliver Reed was in person. Also I remember a stuntman quoted as saying he was chosen as Reed's double for Gladiator because was 6'1.5'' tall the same height as Reed. Who knows?

This is the interview and Ozzy never said he was tall. He just said he was a big guy:
Click Here

Danimal 5'9 3/4" said on 14/Jun/19
James said on 19/Aug/17
Reed was just a one-note actor. He only got into films because his uncle was the famous director Sir Carol Reed. I doubt if he was even 5'10".

Your comment bleeds contempt and dislike for him as a person, so it's no wonder you're low-balling his height.

Danimal 5'9 3/4" said on 14/Jun/19
billionaireslayer said on 23/Mar/19
Strong 5'9, not much taller than Jack Nicholson in Tommy.

Jack was 5'9.5" in his prime and if he was taller than Jack, then he was at least 5'10".

Terry said on 22/May/19
Hmmm, Oliver Reed is difficult to judge how tall. He was big and burly though and had to be at least 5'10.

Mark Harrison said on 28/Apr/19
He looked shorter than 5'11" in "The Sword of Sherwood Forest".

billionaireslayer said on 23/Mar/19
Strong 5'9, not much taller than Jack Nicholson in Tommy.

JB said on 8/Jan/19
I always pictured him as being tall. Not only tall but large in general. I'm surprised he was only 5'11"

Animus said on 4/Sep/18
Robustly built fellow with a silky smooth voice. Not seeing him as an apt Bond unless in the vein of Daniel Craig. He were too brutish and lacked the elegance beaming from Connery. Ian Fleming described Bond as 183cm tall (~6'0) and 75kg (165 lbs), which implies a tall, lean figure.

Guillermo said on 12/May/18
He was way shorter than Roger Moore when he appeared in The Saint episode "King of the Beggars." Maybe 5'9"

Sandy Cowell said on 7/May/18
@ Ingrid - There is no denying it - you are right! Oliver had all the qualities of which you speak, and when you see him in his early 60's 'Hammer' roles, you DO pick up on some kind of pedigree. He was indeed beautifully spoken, the Cockney accent put on for his 'Oliver' and even 'Tommy' roles all part of his acting tapestry.

I notice with great interest and amusement that you harbour a certain disdain for Bond films. Well, so do I! No man can be that magnetic and that perfect, and if he actually was, I wouldn't find him in the least bit attractive! If Ollie on the other hand, had stepped with his imperfect shoes into the role, my eyes would have been opened and my receptors eagerly awaiting his unpredictability! Yes, I think he might have just WORKED, Ingrid! It's just a shame he never lived long enough to tell the tale!

This vote is based on his optimum height: 5ft11!

Ingrid said on 3/May/18
Hello gentlemen, I would like to jump in to say that Oliver Reed had an intense allure, particularly to women. Yes, he could have been an incredible James Bond and would have brought to that roll an originality that I have not seen yet. His magnetism was undeniable and his pedigree was real. Those eyes, that strength, he was volatile and charming, sensitive and frightening, and yes, very handsome. Bond films have always bored me but if Oliver Reed had been cast I think there would have been a few Bond films that would have fascinated the girls too.

Ingrid said on 3/May/18
Hello gentlemen, I would like to jump in to say that Oliver Reed had an intense allure, particularly to women. Yes, he could have been an incredible James Bond and would have brought to that roll an originality that I have not seen yet. His magnetism was undeniable and his pedigree was real. Those eyes, that strength, he was volatile and charming, sensitive and frightening, and yes, very handsome. Bond films have always bored me but if Oliver Reed had been cast I think there would have been a few Bond films that would have fascinated the girls too.

Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 12/Dec/17
Around 5ft11 is fair. Could certainly give the illusion of a man well over 6ft

James said on 8/Dec/17
Reed was actually from a very wealthy background, although he pretended to be working class in the 1960s. His weight was a major reason why he wasn't a leading man for long and had already become a supporting actor by the mid-1970s.

Ian C. said on 2/Dec/17
I disagree that Reed would have been a good Bond, diavolo. Bond is athletic, but slender enough to look good in a suit. Although Reed was close to Bond's height (which is given as six feet in From Russia With Love), he was too heavy. Although he looked dynamic he was not handsome, and Bond must be handsome.

Also, Bond must be upper class, and Reed's demeanor was British working class. Whenever he tried to play a toff (in Women in Love, for example) he was miscast.

The ideal movie Bond would look just like Sean Connery in Dr. No, but have Daniel Craig's upper class speech and manners, and air of weary cynicism.

Reed with an American accent would have made a perfect Mike Hammer. Hammer is a sadistic, violent thug, and a simple-minded fascist. Also a functioning alcoholic. Reed could have played Hammer without ever having to do a second take.

Anonymous said on 7/Nov/17
An actor under six foot would not have been cast as James Bond in 1968.

diavolo said on 27/Oct/17
He would've made an awesome James Bond. Brutal and cold when needed, but also having a natural charisma and charm. A born macho like Connery. Too bad his drinking and his bar brawling habits made the producers turn him down.

James said on 19/Aug/17
Reed was just a one-note actor. He only got into films because his uncle was the famous director Sir Carol Reed. I doubt if he was even 5'10".

Nik said on 1/Aug/17
@ Sandy Cowell

I like the way you just simply wrote it all out again!

Have a great week yourself, cheers!

🍻😬😃👍

Sandy Cowell said on 31/Jul/17
@ Nik - Thanks once again! Actually, the second copy was a corrected and 'improved' version of the first!
😀😕 😁👌

Cheers, and have a great week! 👍

Nik said on 29/Jul/17
@ Sandy Cowell

No problem. It was amusing to come on this page and see your comment dated the 27th July! I thought it was a duplicate at first but then I read if thoroughly and noticed the differences. A good posting too, I hope Ian C likes it!

Sandy Cowell said on 28/Jul/17
@ Nik - Why, thanks very much indeed!

Nik said on 27/Jul/17
@ Sandy Cowell

Nice one!

Sandy Cowell said on 27/Jul/17
@ Ian C - Hi! Well, I did have quite a few cups of tea yesterday, and more than a few pees but then time had drifted by somewhat and I had to shoot out to buy my day's bits and bobs and when I came home again, the soaps were on, the cats needed feeding and combing and poor old Oliver Reed had to take the none-too-shiny back seat for the completion of his comment!
I'm sure you could tell that I liked the way you worded your 'choosing not to be too pleasant and well spoken very often' comment! It actually had me in stitches, and it brought back a few things that I read about Oliver Reed myself!
I heard that he tried many times to go sober, in attempts to save his marriage to Josephine, but ended up prefering the company of people he could drink with. The reason he gave for that was he 'enjoyed the company of drinkers because he liked their blatent honesty!'
I found this quite amazing too! I thought, "Hmmmm! So you have to indulge in alcohol in order for the honesty to be forthcoming! I don't really go for that myself!"
Then, Ian, you brought up the tremendously interesting point of stating that if Reed had been the self-disciplined type, he would have been the ideal 'Conan the Barbarian'!
To be honest, I haven't ever read anything so true in my life!
OK, so he wasn't the full 6ft even, but menacing was part of his expertise! DEDICATION was what he was all about, and I SO think a guy like Ken Russell had a bloody good nose for talent and patience, for that matter, persevering with the actors he truly believe in! 👍

And he loved Oliver Reed...

Sandy Cowell said on 26/Jul/17
@ Ian C - Hi! Well, I did have quite a few cups of tea yesterday, and more than a few pees but then time had drifted by somewhat and I had to shoot out to buy my day's bits and bobs and when I came home again, the soaps were on, the cats needed feeding and combing and poor old Oliver Reed had to take the none-too-shiny back seat for the completion of his comment!
I'm sure you could tell that I liked the way you worded your 'choosing not to be too pleasant and well spoken very often' comment! It actually had me in stitches, and it brought back a few things that I read about Oliver Reed myself!
I heard that he tried many times to go sober, in attempts to save his marriage to Josephine, but ended up prefering the company of people he could drink with. The reason he gave for that was he 'enjoyed the company of drinkers because he liked their blatent honestly!'
I found this quite amazing too! I thought, "Hmmmm! So you have to indulge in alcohol in order for the honesty to be forthcoming! I don't really go for that myself!"
Then, Ian, you brought up the tremendously interesting point of stating that if Reed had been the self-disciplined type, he would have been the ideal 'Conan the Barbarian'!
To be honest, I haven't ever read anything so stark-staring and blatently true in my life!
OK, so he wasn't the full 6ft even, but menacing was part of his expertise! DEDICATION was what he was all about, and I SO think a guy like Ken Russell had a bloody good nose for talent and patience, for that matter, persevering with the actors he truly believe in! 👍

And he loved Oliver Reed...

Sandy Cowell said on 26/Jul/17
@ Ian C - "Oliver Reed could be pleasant and well spoken when he wanted to be. He just didn't want to be that often."
Thank you for that fantastic bit of clever cheerfulness!
I'll continue this when I've had a pee and a nice cup of tea!
In the meantime, Ollie gets a renewed 5ft11!

Ian C said on 24/Jul/17
Sandy Cowell, Oliver Reed could be pleasant and well-spoken when he wanted to be. He just didn't want to be that often. People seem to have liked him, and he certainly seemed like a friendly man, but by all accounts he really was a brutish yob, with a knife scar on his face that he got in a saloon brawl. His movie personality was his real personality, and was the basis of his popularity as an actor. He steals every scene he's in in Oliver!, and in fact he's the best thing in that already very good movie. If he'd had the discipline to stick to a bodybuilding routine he would have been perfect as Conan the Barbarian.

zoran said on 24/Apr/17
Reed could not have been more than 5ft9 or 10 looks shorter than crowd in gladiator, and how much does one really lose with age?

King of the hill 91 said on 18/Dec/16
James whats your view on his height peak keep in mind gladiator he was sixty so some height loss most likely my view on his height is 181 cm Nothing under

Sandy Cowell said on 18/Dec/16
@ James - Don't I know it!

James said on 16/Dec/16
What happened? He was a lifelong alcoholic and a heavy smoker.

King of the hill 91 said on 13/Dec/16
To be faire in gladiator he was sixty so some height loss and weight problems he would have lost height probley 181 cm peak maybe 181 .5 cm maybe 182cm

King of the hill 91 said on 13/Dec/16
To be faire in gladiator he was sixty so some height loss and weight problems he would have lost height probley 181 cm peak maybe 181 .5 cm maybe

Sandy Cowell said on 12/Dec/16
Further to my little commentation from earlier, I thought that adding this might be forgivable in view of what I spoke about!
My boyfriend just now over the phone told me that neither Ollie nor Bates wished to do the wrestling scene in case one compared unfavourably to the other!
But then they both got terribly drunk and compared their relevant parts, to find that there was nothing in it, and yes, they did use measuring implements!
And so ends the story!

Sandy Cowell said on 12/Dec/16
This guy corrupted my fragile little mind when I saw him cavorting around in the buff in that 'Women in Love' scene with Alan Bates!
And if that wasn't enough, a couple of weeks after that Christmas mayhem, I went to the pictures with my classmates to see 'Tommy' and he was in that as well!
Some time later (well, quite some time, actually), I came to hear of the fact that he was great mates with Ken Russell, the maker of the aforementioned films, as well as 'the Devils', which also starred Mr Reed!
I would agree he was around the 5ft11 mark. Only recently, I have been seeing some of his early work with the 'Hammer' studios. He was a well-spoken, thoroughly pleasing young man! What happened?

Arch Stanton said on 8/Dec/16
Perhaps it's the ground level in the film, shot in the mexican desert so can vary a bit. In some scenes I guess Marvin looks more 2.5 inches taller than 3, so Reed at 180 and Marvin at 187 is probably OK.

Arch Stanton said on 8/Dec/16
Reed was taller than Alan Bates though and did look about 5 ft 11 with him. Marvin doesn't look under 6'2 with Reed, but possible he had on big boots.

Arch Stanton said on 8/Dec/16
Rob what's the chances of 5'10.5? Mmm. Lee Marvin had a good 3 inches on him in the Great Scout. Reed really looks max 5'10.5 with him, nowhere near 5'11.5.

Arch Stanton said on 8/Dec/16
No more than 5 ft 11 peak seeing him with Marvin in Th Great Scout, 180 just about.

James said on 21/Oct/16
Reed wore lifts in some films.

BilboBaggins said on 18/Sep/16
@Larry 🔽- "[...] when he was only 5' 11" himself!" ONLY 5' 11"? Since when is that short?! You fool... Anyway, he looked more like 6' 0" tall to me, in everything I've seen him in.

Tom said on 29/Nov/15
Oliver Reed was less than 5'10".

Walter Raleigh said on 28/Oct/15
Reed was only 5'9" tall.

jordydecke said on 17/Oct/15
Great actor, saw him on TV and it reminded me. My uncle ran in to him (probably in the mid 80s) and he said that Reed edged him out height-wise - my uncle would have been 5'9 - 5'11 around then - maybe Reed was closer to 6ft? As for his physical strength? I've long since heard stories about how powerful he was, one of those natural athletes whose body seems to keep its strength despite the abuse he put it through.

Larry said on 10/Sep/15
It's ironic he ridiculed Jack Nicholson for being short when he was only 5'11" himself!

Jacek said on 22/Aug/15
180cm sounds about right. Not enormous compared to the average man of his generation (173-175cm) but quite broad and stocky. A true English legend.

Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 22/Feb/15
Click Here

Rob, how tall would you estimate his son to be?

James said on 2/Dec/14
Reed was 5'11". He wore lifts in "Oliver!".

Digger said on 12/Oct/14
I spent a bit of time with Oliver in 1972-3,he was same height as me 6'-0".

Sam said on 21/Aug/14
Yeah, this was one large-built guy who seems like he'd be very strong despite spending all his time at the pub rather than the gym.

Sam said on 20/Aug/14
Rob, how much would estimate Reed weighed, both as a young man and a chunkier older guy?

Sonny raines said on 30/Jun/14
Oliver was about 5-11 and when I stood beside him on the set of Te Trap H
Oliver was about 5-11 and when I stood beside him on the set of the movie The Trap he appeared to be a bit shorter than myself being 6-2. He was stocky but not fat, he was polite to all on the set of the Trap and had a wonderful sense of humor. Being a drinker Yes I understand that to be correct but on the set each day he was totally sober. Nice guy in my opinion and sad to see is no longer here..

Ian C. said on 26/Feb/14
I have read Reed's autobiography,("Reed All About Me"), and nowhere in it did Reed even allude to any possibility that he was an alcoholic. His attitude to drinking was parallel to Jack LaLanne's to doing push-ups, which is that he actively tried to set new personal records for downing pints of beer, or often bottles of whisky. He actually kept score, and then bragged about the total. This makes a kind of perverse sense, since it takes great physical strength to drink past a certain point and remain conscious. Does any of this relate to height? you may ask (especially if you are the editor of this site, and you are asking yourself, can't these people stick to the point?) Um, yeah. Height is so interesting a human dimension because we tend to infer so much from it. Principally, height is often correlated with strength and so, the taller the man, the stronger he is assumed to be. This is a highly faulty assumption, but it's what draws me to this site. I would be more interested in a site called celebrity strengths, which listed celebrities with their rankings on a scale that measured their physical strength, and on it Reed would have scored very high. But this is the site we have, so he gets stuck with five foot eleven. So I was just, in perhaps a slightly off-kilter way, griping about it. Uh, politely griping about it.

Sam said on 24/Feb/14
Yeah, he squandered his gift a little bit by being such a full-on drunk. He could be about as big and as imtimidating as a 5'11" guy could seem on screen. It always bothered me that in his death scene in Gladiator after Reed died off-screen they got a straight-up fat guy to be the stand-in, Reed never quite became fat but was always just solid.

Ian C. said on 23/Feb/14
Oliver Reed had great physical strength, which he squandered by eating and drinking himself out of leading man parts and eventually into an early grave. Think what a great star he would have been if somebody had taken him in hand when he was in his mid-twenties and turned him into an exercise freak, like Charles Bronson or Sylvester Stallone. He would have been perfect as Conan the Barbarian, with that brutish face and (probably natural) ability to project sullen, violent malevolence. His body might have been five feet eleven but his personality was considerably taller, if you know what I mean.

Arch Stanton said on 17/Sep/13
Actually looks more 2 inches taller than Ron Moody. He was such a robust looking fella though. He had to have a weighed a bit. Even his face looked "meaty".

Arch Stanton said on 17/Sep/13
Can't remember how he looked next to Telly Savalas in Assassination Bureau, but Savalas was wearing lifts I think!

Arch Stanton said on 17/Sep/13
He's a bit taller than Ron Moody in Oliver! who I'd guess at 5 ft 10. 5 ft 11-11.5 seems about right.

Ian C. said on 24/Jul/13
In his autobiography, Reed All About Me, Reed says he is six feet tall. Fine. Unfortunately, in the same paragraph, he says that Lee Marvin is six foot five, which is three inches taller than Marvin is credibly granted on this website. Since Reed's claim for Marvin's height is an obvious exaggeration, might his claim for his own be the same?

Willy said on 3/May/13
Looked a good two inches taller than his arch enemy Jack Nicholson in their brief scene together in Tommy. With this in mind, I'd say that Reed deserves a 5'11.5'' listing.

Heidi said on 11/Jan/13
I knew Olly Reed he used to use the Crickiters in Ockley. Wed all go off for a curry with him at times. He was approx 5.11 Close on 6ft. very stocky barrell chested. A nice guy as it happens, But then l never lived with him like Jackie.

Eric said on 9/Feb/12
Most every screen actor will add inches to his height and subtract years from their age.
When Reed made an appearance on the Tonight Show back in the 70s' I was backstage and noticed that he was really short, about 5' 6". He was shorter than Johnny Carson, who wore lifts in his shoes. This was the episode when a miffed fat old Shelly Winters got angry at Reed and dumped a mug of whiskey on his head.

stephen said on 15/Jun/11
I am 6 ft 1 and he was definatley taller than me by about 1 or 2 inches and thick set with it.

Paul said on 12/May/11
If you watch Oliver Reed in The Party's Over you'll see that he is wearing shoes with hardly any heel and he looks barely over 5 feet Ten, if that.

Jodie said on 21/Apr/11
In one scene in Gladiator he is standing face to face with Russell Crowe and is clearly shorter.Then again,Crowe may have been wearing lifts in order to appear taller.I'd put Oliver Reed at a strong 6 feet tall in his prime,perhaps 5 feet 11 later on.

filmfan said on 18/Feb/11
I'm not sure 5'11'' is right. I remember reading an interview with Ozzy Osbourne who said he was surprised at how tall and big Oliver Reed was in person. Also I remember a stuntman quoted as saying he was chosen as Reed's double for Gladiator because was 6'1.5'' tall the same height as Reed. Who knows?

Anonymous said on 24/Dec/10
Seemed taller than this even with all his bulk.

Orlando said on 19/Jun/09
Alan Bates in John Frankenheimer's "The Fixer" (1968) seems a bit shorter than 5ft 8.5in Dirk Bogarde. He didn't seemed a tall fellow. Maybe he was in the 1.72-1.73 m range.

tubbs said on 8/May/09
Atleast 6ft......he actually has the proportions of a 6'2" plus guy, big shoulders, long arms, he obviously isn't but look at him in his movies, and also on his infamous chat show appearances, he looks a 6footer.

Bobo said on 2/Feb/08
Look again at the publicity shots for Gladiator and behind the scenes pictures. Heis MUCH taller than Crowe. I would imagine for character/camera/ego purposes, Crowe will have been standing on a box for close ups. Donn't forget some of those shots were CGIed with another actor's body. After thinking it over and seeing the film, I am not sure why anyone would describe Oliver Reed as 'much shorter' than Crowe. Plain odd. Maybe get a new TV? He was a 6 footer.

sean said on 22/Sep/07
In GLADIATOR looked much shorter than Crowe who's 5'10.5... Looked maybe 5'7.5

Steevn said on 18/Jun/07
Looked average height, around 180 cm seems right for the younger Reed. He was a real heavyweight though, massive and with a really thick neck he might be mistaken for short when seen on screen.

MNK said on 20/May/07
I doubt he hit six foot, he seems not a great deal taller than Glenda Jackson in Women in Love, and she stands at five six.

Glenn said on 23/Apr/06
I aways thought he was 5-9.I thought he looked that in horror movies that I have.then again, I havnt seen them years.wasnt he also in CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF?

Frank2 said on 22/Apr/06
Yes, big ones!

Frank2 said on 3/Mar/06
Alan Bates was no more than five-ten. Reed was five-eleven. He looked to be about two inches shorter than Bob Mitchum in The Big Sleep. Reed was big. I suspect he weighed over 240 lbs.

Anonymous said on 14/Jan/06
As I have stated elsewhere Reed was a big man. Ozzy Osbourne was on a show talking about meeting Reed and said that he was surprised to see how big and tall Oliver Reed was. Ozzy is no giant but he is not short and wouldn't describe a 5'11'' guy as tall. I've seen 6' 1 1/2'' as Reed's height and I believe this to be roughly correct.

Steven said on 29/Dec/05
In Gladiator he looked more like 5'10'' to me.