Buzz
Even if you’re not a devoted follower of Arnold Schwarzenegger, chances are you’ve picked up a few facts about him: perhaps you know he became Mr. Universe at 20 and Mr. Olympia (for the first time) at 23, served as a state governor, or ran a thriving bricklaying business with fellow bodybuilder Franco Columbu in the late 1960s. You might even be aware that his official “snatch” record stands at 243 pounds—or that today marks his 68th birthday!
Yet, one thing remains uncertain—Arnold’s height. No one knows for sure, except, perhaps, the Austrian-born icon himself.
Though Arnold’s most striking physical trait is likely his muscular build rather than his stature, the media has fixated on his height for nearly as long as he’s been famous. For decades, Schwarzenegger’s official height has been recorded as 6’1½” or so, but this figure has left many reporters skeptical, with accusations of exaggeration or the use of shoe lifts.
For instance, one reporter dug into various sources for insights and uncovered conflicting estimates: the journalist’s wife, who had met Schwarzenegger at an event, guessed he stood no taller than her—around 5’6”—while famed critic Roger Ebert, when asked for his opinion in the same Chicago Reader piece, also rejected the 6’1” claim. “No way,” he responded. “I’d say 5’10” or 5’11”.”
Numerous fans and observers of Schwarzenegger have chimed in on the debate, including a forum user named “F. U. Shakespeare,” who mentioned that “a training buddy of mine met Arnold at a seminar” back in the early 1970s and “estimated his height to be around 5’11”.”
Regarding why the former governor might exaggerate his height, the Washington Post explains that many men, particularly public figures, often feel compelled to inflate their stature to gain societal advantages. Taller male politicians, the article notes, tend to have a three-to-one edge over their shorter counterparts, and this bias extends to actors as well. Men’s Health conducted a study comparing “claimed versus actual heights” among Hollywood’s elite, the Post revealed, concluding that “Arnold Schwarzenegger stands at 5’10", not 6’2"; Charles Bronson at 5’7”, not 5’11”; and Burt Reynolds at 5’8”, not 5’11"."
Fortunately, the quest to settle this debate has been enthusiastically embraced by the website ArnoldHeight.com, which humorously claims to represent “approximately 200 scientists working tirelessly to uncover Arnold Schwarzenegger’s true height,” with backing from “various governments and businesses worldwide.” While the team hasn’t yet pinpointed the actor/politician/athlete’s exact height “under controlled conditions,” their research has yielded some progress: they “can confidently state he falls between 5’9” and 6’2”.”
Schwarzenegger himself has addressed the issue. In a 2008 interview, he assured Phil Bronstein that, despite skeptics claiming he’s shorter than he admits, he genuinely is over six feet tall:
Schwarzenegger: I used to be 6’1” and three quarters. Now, I think I’m 6’1”. I’ve shrunk. Bronstein: What caused that? Schwarzenegger: I’m not sure. I don’t know why it happened. I know this not because I measure myself, but because we have a wall in my closet. We’ve always used it to mark the kids’ heights as they grew. I’d write their initials, the date, and use a book to mark their height with a Sharpie [...] Lately, since my daughters are almost as tall as me, they’ve said, 'Let’s measure you.' So, I stood against the wall, they placed a book on my head, and drew a line. Then, they measured it and said, ‘You’re 6’1". You’re only 6’1"! You told us you were 6’1” and three quarters!’ I said, ‘Do it again; this can’t be right.’ So, I stood taller, stretched my neck, straightened my back, and puffed out my chest. She measured again and said, ‘It’s one-eighth of an inch more. But you’re still 6’1”.
Ultimately—or at least until he agrees to be measured under strict scientific conditions—we might have no choice but to trust his own assertion.
