How tall is John Cleese - Page 2

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Average Guess (129 Votes)
Peak: 6ft 5.25in (196.2cm)
Current: 6ft 3.91in (192.8cm)
bobby h3342 said on 3/Mar/15
whats hilarious is you guys forget about posture, my father is 6'6 and im 6 4.5 and 100% of the time were out every thinks im taller. until he stands up. some folks have horrible posture. I know tons of 6'6 guys that walk around and you would think they were 6'3 6'4 but there not.. Joe mangiello is one of them , he walks around about 6'3 until u mention it to him ,then bam 6'5
hs2015 said on 17/Jan/15
John with 6'5" Peter Serafinowicz and ~6'2" David Walliams last month: Click Here

Still looks a solid 6'4" in his mid-70's. Must have been over 6'5" at his peak.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 7/Jan/15
Click Here w/h 6ft4 John Lithgow

Rob, is there a possibility that he was still 6ft5 in the 90's?
Editor Rob
I've seen the episode but can't remember much now from it.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 1/Jan/15
Looks 195cm with Danson
dietmar said on 28/Dec/14
Ted Danson (190cm) with John Cleese Click Here

Danson with 198cm Fred Dryer Click Here
Paleman said on 21/Dec/14
Cleese did always look incredibly tall - 6'5" seems a very solid peak estimate. 6'6" might be stretching it a little, but it's not impossible either.

As for Chapman, there always seemed to be a 2-3 inch difference between him and Cleese, he was a very tall man too. Probably not the full 6'4" that is usually claimed of him, but somewhere around 6'3" maybe. Definitely taller than 6'2".
Vegas said on 15/Dec/14
correct. cleese never looked taller than the doors on the set of fawlty towers and the height of an average door in uk/ireland is 6'6
Arch Stanton said on 14/Dec/14
Danimal, he never looked 6 ft 7 in shoes though did he. He pretty much looks bang on the same height as the doors in Fawlty Towers which were probably 6 ft 6, yes height in shoes. Out of bed, yes he might have been near 6'6 barefoot but there's no way he's have been taller than that.
Danimal said on 13/Dec/14
The average 70 year old male will have lost 1.2" from their peak and the average 80 year old male will have lost 2" from their peak. John Cleese is 75 years old, so it's very possible that he has lost just over 1.5" from his peak height.
Arch Stanton said on 21/Nov/14
Rob you could upload Click Here here, perhaps crop out a bit of the background. he looks like he's standing tall there. Can you also upload one for Michael Caine?
Talltalez said on 17/Nov/14
John Cleese was speaking this month (November 2014) on the podcast, Geek's Guide to the Galaxy.
He refers to his height being 6'4.5" at that time he met the late author Douglas Adams for the first time many years earlier. He mentions how the 6'5" Adams towered over him because he was wearing 4" heels!
Judd said on 16/Oct/14
I think when he was young, until 60's he was a real 6'5".
In a fish called Wanda he had at least 3,5" on Kevin Kline...
Today 6'4" is a fair listing and coherent with his age...he also doesn't have more than 2" over a flat 6'2" Ben Affleck
Sam said on 14/Oct/14
Well, there on the Graham Norton show he still looks 6'4"...my dad's about his age and has also lost about an inch from 6'4" to just over 6'3" I think.
dietmar said on 14/Oct/14
Graham Norton is pretty much the same height as Rob, and he reaches under John's mouthlevel, so John might be close to 6'5 even today.

Click Here

I dont think John looked shorter than Pietersen, Kevin is closer to the camera here, and they look the same height. That would make John taller.

Click Here
Gaz said on 13/Oct/14
Looked about the same size as 6'4'' Kevin Pietersen.
jessman said on 13/Oct/14
@WAT
I saw the show. Great when Cleese got everybody to stand up but I did not think Pietersen looked taller. If anything, Cleese was at least level and maybe a shade taller. The camera angles were not great. A good guide to Cleese's current height would come from a comparison with Norton, who I reckon is 5'8.
WAT said on 13/Oct/14
Rob!
I saw John Cleese on Graham Norton today. Graham said it was the tallest cast he had. So he made Taylor Swift, Kevin Pietersen, and John Cleese stand up.

John Cleese was shorter than Kevin Pietersen who is listed as 6'4. Taylor Swift who is listed as 5'9.5 was almost as tall as them in heels.

Proof:
Click Here

It's not really obvious here but Kevin Pietersen started slouching a bit when he wrapped his arm arond taylor swift in the close up.
Editor Rob
yes, Graham could be in a future incredible shrinking man episode right there...Kevin is a decent 6ft 4 I think, and didn't look any taller than Kevin.
Arch Stanton said on 12/Oct/14
Rob have you got a Fawlty Towers/Python era photo to add?
Arch Stanton said on 12/Oct/14
It's possible Danimal, he did look near 4 inches taller than Kevin Kline. I certainly think something like 6'5.5" is possible, I think 6'6" barefoot might have been more out of bed. In Fawlty Towers he generally gave a 6'6-6'6.5 in shoes sort of impression so I think 6'5-6'5.5" is more likely barefoot. He didn't look as high as 6'7" in shoes IMO.
Editor Rob
Cleese has also claimed 6ft 4, back in 2006 I believe
Danimal said on 11/Oct/14
Close to 6'6" in his prime. Same height as Tim Robbins was. Both men seem to want to shave an inch off their prime height not to seem/sound too freaky tall for show business.
Arch Stanton said on 10/Oct/14
Don't worry, I think James's eyesight is diminishing LOL.
More chance of 6'6" in Fawlty Towers than 6'4". Clearly always looked too gangly to only be 6'4. He might have been near 6'6" right out of bed peak but I think solid 6'5" barefoot is about right.
Arch Stanton said on 10/Oct/14
Don't worry, I think James's eyesight is diminishing LOL.
More chance of 6'6" in Fawlty Towers and 6'4". He might have been near 6'6" right out of bed peak but I think solid 6'5" barefoot is about right.
Danimal said on 13/Sep/14
dietmar says on 12/Sep/14
There's easily 5in difference with John and Eric. 6'4" is indeed ridiculous for John. Even a blind man can see he's way taller. Im pretty sure John was peak 6'6". That would make Graham Chapman around 6'3".

I agree and I also think Tim Robbins was around that 6'6" mark first think in the morning (same as John Cleese).
dietmar said on 12/Sep/14
There's easily 5in difference with John and Eric. 6'4" is indeed ridiculous for John. Even a blind man can see he's way taller. Im pretty sure John was peak 6'6". That would make Graham Chapman around 6'3".
Mr.V said on 2/Sep/14
I've been recently rewatching most Python stuff and I still think John may have been around 6'6" at peak. He really seems to tower over 6'1" Eric:

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4:22 onwards

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2:23 onwards

Possibly 5 inches there? Now, Eric always looked a legit 6'1" to me. In the movie "Nuns on the Run" he appeared to be at least as tall as 6'1" listed Robbie Coltrane, if not a bit more:

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Also, John doesn't appear to have lost much height these days and still towers over the other Pythons:

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He still appeared to be over a head taller than Terry J. when they did the Albatross sketch in Monty Python Live (Mostly):

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Seriously, how everyone could think John was just 6'4" peak is beyond me. I think that the only person I remember looking taller than him might have been 6'6.5" listed Penn Jillette and, even in that case, there might have been max a one inch difference between them. And Penn claimed 6'7" btw.
Mr.V said on 30/Aug/14
I've been recently rewatching most Python stuff and I still think John may have been around 6'6" at peak. He really seems to tower over 6'1" Eric:

Click Here

4:22 onwards

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2:22 onwards

Possibly 5 inches there? Now, Eric always looked a legit 6'1" to me. In the movie "Nuns on the Run" he appeared to be at least as tall as 6'1" listed Robbie Coltrane, if not a bit more:

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Also, John doesn't appear to have lost much height these days and still towers over the other surviving Pythons:

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He still appeared to be about a head taller than Terry J. when they did the Albatross sketch in Monty Python Live (Mostly):

Click Here

Seriously, how everyone could think John was just 6'4" peak is beyond me. I think that the only person I remember looking taller than him might have been 6'6.5" listed Penn Jillette and, even in that case, there might have been max a one inch difference between them. And Penn claimed 6'7" btw.
James B said on 24/May/14
I'd go as far as saying could look 6'4 in faulty towers
Mr.V said on 2/Apr/14
Angle isn't too good in the first photo (and John has a big hat), but there seems to be quite a difference in the second, I'll give you that. John being closer to 6'6" at peak is a strong possibility. I have a 1988 mag which gives him at that height. When he wasn't paired with him, Graham was usually taller than his co-stars. Taller than 6'2" Boyle and Cook in "Yellowbeard". Here's the video of his failed TV pilot "Out of the Tree". His co-star is actor Roger Brierley:

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Brierley was very tall. His obituary gave him at 6'5" and has also been listed at 6'6" in some places:

Click Here

I have no doubt he was at least 6'5". Later in his life, he still was noticeably taller than 6'3" listed Jonathan Cake in the mini-series "Mosley".

If you compare him to Graham in the moments where they stand side by side, like at 16.20 or 25.40, there doesn't seem to be a great difference btw them.

In "The Odd Job", Graham appears opposite 6'3" Simon Williams. I don't seem to remember that there are any good shots of the two together, but I have to gave it another look. Btw, can you remind me the titles of the Flying Circus episodes the photos you posted come from? Talking about this got me in the mood for some rewatching!
Dietmar said on 2/Apr/14
Here's another pic, 3in difference there as well.

Click Here
Dietmar said on 2/Apr/14
John is not closer to the camera, he is talking to Graham in that shot. Here's another shot where John and Graham are side by side, the difference is still the same, 3 inches.

Click Here

You cant judge anybodys height just by looking at still pics. There are many pics where Graham is taller than John, which is not true, of course. Graham may have been 6'3, but i think John must been closer to 6'6 then.
Mr.V said on 1/Apr/14
The angle gives John an advantage in that photo, as he's closer to the camera.

In this one for ex., they look the same height (Graham's closer to the camera):
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Here there doesn't seem to be such a big difference btw them:

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Btw, John's daughter is around 6'2". I'm sure he should know if Graham was taller than than that.
Dietmar said on 1/Apr/14
The difference is easily 3 inches when John stands straight. He loses loads of his height when he is not standing correctly.

Click Here
Mr.V said on 31/Mar/14
The height difference looks indeed substantial in the "Sit on My Face" video, but Graham appears to be bending more than John does. The difference looks smaller when they leave the stage, both standing straight.
Mr.V said on 31/Mar/14
Cleese and Chapman:

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Mr.Hilter sketch: 3:35 onwards

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3-4 inches difference is definitely too much.
Dietmar said on 31/Mar/14
If Chapman really was 6'3, then Cleese must have been 6'6. As John stated Chapman reached about his eyelevel, as we can see it in "Sit on my face" video also. There are many clips in youtube where they stand side by side and the difference is allways about 3-4 inches.
Mr.V said on 28/Mar/14
During a stage performance I saw, Cleese that Chapman was 6'4" and indicated Graham's height by putting his hand at his eye level, implying that he was a little taller than that himself. Chapman's driving license also said 6'4". That may be too much, but I think 6'3" is likelier than 6'2". If you compare him to 6'2" Actors such as Peter Boyle and Peter Cook in "Yellowbeard", he was definitely taller.

Here's a couple photos:

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One thing for sure, Chapman always had Idle by more than one inch in every Python sketch. Cleese may have been closer to 6'6" at peak.
JoJo said on 25/Mar/14
I had the pleasure of meeting John Cleese at a restaurant a few years ago in London. He was nice and a little wacky. He did look very tall. I would guess at around 6'4", maybe a shade more. Mind you, he was probably in his late 60s, so maybe he's lost an inch, but he seems to have lost less than most older guys. I'm a pretty flat 188, he had a good two inches on me. Having said that, he looks no more than 195 in Faulty Towers, but his lousy gangly posture could be the reason for that.
Dietmar said on 23/Mar/14
I dont think Graham Chapman was quite 6'3, he was moore like 6'2. Look at the difference with Cleese.

Click Here
Editor Rob
yeah 6ft 2 is probably a good shout for him there.
Anon said on 14/Mar/14
Yes, that looks about right.
Anon said on 11/Mar/14
Rob, what do you reckon for Graham Chapman? He looked pretty near in height to John Cleese.
Editor Rob
6ft 3?
avi said on 13/Jan/14
@[Editor Rob: he may have lost a cm, but I think in his heydey he was a good example of a 6ft 5 man, enhanced by his thinner frame, he might have even looked taller in person to people.]

If you have seen Fawlty Towers Cleese can look 6'4.5 -6'6 . Michael Gwynn does look 6'3.5-6'4 . Cleese seemed an inch taller than him. 6'5 and now weak 6'4 seems right. I think the 6'6 is too much.

@Jessica
Good point. British doorframes, especially 20-50 years ago were 6'6ish. If cleese stood tall by the doors in Fawlty Towers he'd be lucky to scrape it indicating he's around 6'6 in shoes and 6'5 barefoot.
TripMcneal said on 2/Jan/14
Met him at a Barnes and Noble about 9 years ago. Looked closer to 6'4 then 6'5
avi said on 3/Dec/13
@daddy cool says on 26/Nov/13
no like 1 inch tops and lets say Lithgow is 6'3.75 at worst cleese is a weak 6'5 probably 6'5.25 peak.
Arch Stanton said on 30/Nov/13
I think Lithgow has lost height though, more height than Cleese.
Arch Stanton said on 30/Nov/13
Looks easily 6'6" in Silverado in cowboy boots and looks 2-3 inches taller than Danny Glover!!
daddy cool said on 26/Nov/13
There's a good chance John was 6'6" at peak. He was cleary taller than legit 6'4" John Lithgow. Maybe 2in difference there?

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Blaze said on 28/Sep/13
he grew way too fast. apparently he's been 6'5 since 13. at 13 I was 6'1.5. I'm 15 3/4 and im 6'5 now... but I was also 6ft at 12, he must have had a huge growth spurt that only lasted 1 year. idk, 2 months ago I was 6'4.5 so....
The Exorcist said on 18/Sep/13
Looked incredibly tall when he stretched his long legs out in that silly walk. It wouldn't surprise me if he was 6'6" in his prime. He lookeed like a 6'6"er.
avi said on 11/Sep/13
@Rob
Ajax says on 17/Dec/12
Hey Rob, he was listed as 6'4.75". Do you think that was fan made?
[Editor Rob: possibly he said almost 6ft 5 one time, I'm not sure though ]

Rob the quote is in his autobiography apparently. Pythons:autobiography. Also its been stated he was 6'4 3/4 since 13 already 6'0 at 12.
Scott five eleven said on 7/Sep/13
I agree with Trent below, he did seem around 6'5 and the con man character 'lord melbury' was fairly tall too. Anybody else notice that the American in the unforgettable 'waldorf salad' episode was also quite tall when he squares up to 'basil'. He seemed 6'2.5 if Cleese was 6'5 in his prime. I'd say 6'5 in his prime.
avi said on 6/Aug/13
I don't think he was 6'5 6'4.5 or so is note accurate maybe out if bed 6'5.5 and shrunk to a weak 6'4.75 ta guys lose a bit by noontime. Nowadays he's 6'4 flat of lucky.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 11/Jul/13
Rob, how tall was Graham Chapman?
Cameron murray said on 3/Jul/13
I agree easily 6ft 5 - 6ft 5 1/2 but nowadays 6'4 - 6'4.5 which is still very tall
Brad said on 25/May/13
Legitimately 6'5" for the most of his career. Anything less than that is a joke, but nowadays probably 6'4"-6'4.5".
Michael Moon said on 13/May/13
John Cleese in fawlty towers nearly has to duck under a 6'6 standard door frame so 6'5 i spot on.and as Rob has said in the morning he could easily be almost 6'6 by far.he is one big guy
Anonymous said on 28/Mar/13
6'5.5 peak.
Arch Stanton said on 28/Dec/12
Rob, how tall do you think a peak Cleese could have measured barefoot out of bed?
Editor Rob
possibly close to 6ft 6 on the nose after a good night's rest
Arch Stanton said on 26/Dec/12
Watching Basil the Rat now and he looks a solid 6'5", 6'5.5" (197 cm) is believable. Anything under a legit 6'5" is a joke for his peak.
Ajax said on 17/Dec/12
Hey Rob, he was listed as 6'4.75". Do you think that was fan made?
Editor Rob
possibly he said almost 6ft 5 one time, I'm not sure though
Trent said on 14/Nov/12
I think he did look exceptionally tall in Fawlty Towers actually. Fawlty did indeed Tower. I've wondered if that was am intended pun. In dress shoes he actually had to tip his head slightly going through most of the doorways and the only person close to his height we ever saw on the show was that conman in the first episode, who I would place at 6'2 or so.
Trent said on 5/Nov/12
He did get described as 6'4 and 3/4--a description so specific I assume he gave it in old magazine article. See here: Click Here

""Once one realizes that nobody knows anything, the world becomes much more interesting!" says the six-foot, four-and-three-quarter inch comedian."
Halb said on 22/Oct/12
On the 2009 Monty Python documentary, Cleese refers to himself as 6'4 back in the days when he became famous.
Halb said on 20/Oct/12
I watched episode 3 of the 2009 Monty Python documentary last night. Cleese was referencing to his early Python days about being noticed. He said he was 6'4.
Thunderbolt said on 31/Aug/12
I do not think John cleese was 6'6 even in his peak ( faulty towers) he did not look 6'7 in shoes next to 6'6 door frames, I think the highest he could have been in his peak was 6'5.5, he looks closer to 6'4 today though
Shaun said on 25/Aug/12
Na when you're as tall as Cleese and Robbins its easy to think they're taller, same with Challenger #15 and think they're 6'6"-6'7" range. If you watch Fawlty Towers 6 ft 7 for Cleese in shes walking about doesn't look accurate. He doesn't look quite that tall and there are also photos of Robbins where he doesn't look more than 6'4.5" like with Benicio del Torro.
Danimal said on 7/Aug/12
Cleese claimed 6'5" (like Tim Robbins). Both men closer to 6'6" in reality and probably that height fresh out of bed in their respective primes.
jessica said on 4/Aug/12
rob is it possible that john could have been 66 in his prime. he looks that height on faulty towers. he looked taller than stephen fry in a old fry and laurie clip who was 6`5
Editor Rob
his slim appearance might have made him look it, but I'm not convinced he'd measure 6ft6 barefoot
james said on 3/Aug/12
he has shrunk now as he is over 70but he only looked 6`2when i met him he might only have 6`3 in peak. there is evidence that john is not 6`4
jessica said on 2/Aug/12
i agree with shaun john was not 6`7in shoes on faulty towers he looks the same heights as door frames so 6`6in shoes barefoot 6`5. not quite 6`6 in shoes
Shaun said on 1/Aug/12
6'6" in shoes I'd say Chris, 6'7" in shoes in Fawlty towers is definitely pushing it. Yes, you would estimate him to be 6'6" in his prime but if you look at him next to door frames I'd say 6'6" in shoes.
Shaun said on 1/Aug/12
Click Here

Cleese still looks at least 6'4". I saw him on Loose Women a year or two ago. I doubt he would measure anything under 6'4 even at his age now.

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Rob, pause at 2:08. The Lord Melbury looks 189cm range maybe? I initially thought 6'3" but in seeing that again maybe more 6'2". But he is quite thin so makes him look taller. In the scene where he walks out of the antique shop he looks at least 6'3" I thought, he reminds me of Arsene Wenger in build.
Editor Rob
he could be in the middle of 6ft 2-3
Chris said on 27/Jul/12
John has lost height as he is over 70, but under 6ft now is crazy he still looks at least 6'4, but I believe he was around 6'6 in faulty towers
Vegas said on 26/Jul/12
ramon says on 25/Jul/12
i know john cleese is old around 72 so lost height. but i doubt he was any near 6ft5 in his peak. i met him at his tour in cambridge in may 2011 i am 5`11 with my shoes on and was eye to eye with him john is not even 6ft
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not even 6ft, well thats late 2009 and cleese has about 8 inches on terry jones there Click Here 5'8.25 barefoot rob and jones Click Here
ramon said on 25/Jul/12
i know john cleese is old around 72 so lost height. but i doubt he was any near 6ft5 in his peak. i met him at his tour in cambridge in may 2011 i am 5`11 with my shoes on and was eye to eye with him john is not even 6ft
Shaun said on 7/Feb/12
6'4" ish today I think he's lost a bit but he did still look 6'5" next to 6'1.25" Brosnan ten years ago didn't he.
Shaun said on 7/Feb/12
You're forgetting shoes Andy. Cleese definitely looked 6'6" range in shoes in Fawlty Towers. Barefoot 6'5" is about right. 6'3.5" peak is hilarious!! There were a couple of 6'3" range looking guys who appeared in the series including the Lord Melbury in the first episode who I think would have been around 6'3.5" and the guy who wants his duck in the Gourmet episode and Cleese looked 6'5".
Andy said on 6/Feb/12
Roger John was more than 6'3.5 in peak, in his peak height in faulty towers and Monty python he was 6'6 for sure, his head was touching the door. he was about 6'6 in peak nowadays is 6'4.5.
Roger said on 1/Feb/12
John was never 6ft 5 tall, I will prove it, I met him in July 2003 when I was 21 I was 6ft 5 then,and still are I was about 2 inches bigger than him. 6ft 3 today 6ft3.5 in peak
Ras said on 22/Jan/12
6ft5 peak 6ft4 nowadays. He's lucky,my grandpa was 5'9.25 when he was young, by the time he was about 82-84 years old he was 5'7.75 and nowadays that he's a bit over 88 and half years old he's about a weak 5'6er/5'5.75 (those heights are confirmed cause he was measured BTW). He's around my height (5'6.5-5'7), thus it's interesting how a tall guy like John Cleese hasn't shrunk 2 inches already considering men over 6'3 (and women over 5'10-5'11) tend to shrink faster than shorter people, I wonder what his secret is?
Clive said on 11/Jan/12
I know John was a exceptionally tall man for his time, towering over python members in the 1970s. But I saw a clip with him around 2007 with Martin Clunes, clunes is 191cm ( 6ft 3) but he was only half a inch taller, I do not think he was much over 6ft 4 at peak, definitively not 6 feet 5
stephen said on 29/Dec/11
I think John was 6ft 6 in prime and around 6ft 4.5 today, he was 6ft 6 in the 1970s- 1980s
James said on 29/Dec/11
he looked 198cm 6'6 in faulty towers, definitely 6'6 in peak But nowadays I would put him about 6'4.5 because he is over 70 and has clearly lost height.
guyfrommars said on 27/Dec/11
He is among the few people who stand as tall as ever in their older days. He is truly 6'5" and is still towering over most people, including his ex-Monty Python colleagues, who seem to have shrunk by these days: Click Here
Shaun said on 21/Dec/11
Solid 6'5" next to Pierce Brosnan I thought.
Shaun said on 21/Dec/11
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To be honest I'd have estimated him more at 197-198cm. He looked 6'5.5"-6'6" range in Fawlty Towers.
avi said on 8/Dec/11
No i think he was strong 6'4 now weak 6'4. Never ever over 6'4.4
richard said on 30/Nov/11
his website the John cleese says that at 13 he was fully grown and was 6 feet 4 3/4 tall ( 195cm) at peak I think he was over 195cm I would not put 6ft 5.5 ( 197cm) in faulty towers out of the equation, he certainly in peak was an inch bigger than 6ft 4.5 fry, I think under 6ft 5 nowdays at 72, but I think he was over 6ft 5 at peak maybe 197cm
James said on 19/Nov/11
RAS, I met john about 25 years ago at a show and I am about 6ft 6 tall ( 198cm), John was about 1.5 inches shorter, He was a bit over 6ft 4 ( 193cm) according to most websites he was 6ft 4 3/4 195cm
Ras said on 16/Nov/11
I think he was 6'4" peak IMO if what James is saying is true then that makes sense that he's 6'3" now. Perhaps he was a bit taller? because taller people tend to shrink more than shorter people as they age.
LAN Jiao said on 1/Nov/11
obviously hes a tad bit over 6'4 now and right at 6'5(195.58) straight to say at peak he is fraction over 195cm.
Joe said on 30/Oct/11
6ft 4 3/4 195cm peak noways only 6ft 4 not lost much if little
James said on 27/Oct/11
James I said I am 6ft 6 tall, I did not take my photo with John is was just a brief encounter at the end of the show, he was only 6ft 3 tall now so I said he could not have been much higher than 6ft 4 in peak
jake, 1.82 m said on 27/Oct/11
James you really need to proof-read your comments, either that or you confuse the words short and tall.
James said on 25/Oct/11
I met John at his recent tour in May. I am 6 feet 6 tall, John was about three inches taller so no more than 6ft 3 in 2011, I doubt he was 6ft 5 in peak only 6ft 4 at the most.
alex said on 22/Oct/11
6ft 4 3/4 195cm in peak now 6ft 4 has not lost much he could have been 196cm that would have been is top peak height. 6ft 4.75 195cm peak now at 72 6ft 4 193cm
LAN Jiao said on 11/Oct/11
At peak 195cm , nowadays 193.75cm. Lost 1/2inch only at 71.
Megan said on 9/Oct/11
Saw a clip from a television show around 1985 with John cleese in and he said I am 195cm tall and he would have been mid forties then so he just would have been in his peak. 195cm is 6 feet 4.77 just under 6 feet 5 and that was right for John
James said on 3/Oct/11
he's has not lost that much considering how tall he was.

i think maybe 6'4 (193cm) today?
george555 said on 28/Sep/11
john cleese has certainly lost height, because he is getting older-i would say 6'4-6'4.5 max now.
James said on 28/Sep/11
taller than 195cm next too Stephen Fry
Adam said on 27/Sep/11
I met him back in 1985 cannot remember where had a autograph he was a fraction taller than me I am 6ft 4.5 so he was 6ft 4 3/4 and I am guessing he was in his peak then so 6ft 4 3/4 in peak nowadays 6ft 3 3/4
James said on 25/Sep/11
Well he could look 6'5.5-6'6 next too 6'4-6'5 Stephen Fry decades back.

i don't think he was that tall though.

Only 6'4 peak? Forget about it.
Megan said on 23/Sep/11
He claims he was 6 feet 4.75 195cm in peak maybe 196cm, I doubt he was that tall, as he is nearly 72 years of age he could have lost about a inch, in a 2008 picture with his youngest daughter who is 6 feet 1.5 he was no more than an inch and half bigger so I do not think he was any more than 6ft 4 in his peak
Andrew said on 13/Sep/11
He was never over 6 feet 5, he was 6 feet 5 at his peak , he is about 6 feet 4.5 today, definitely 6ft 5 in peak
Helen Redpath said on 13/Sep/11
I do not think John was ever 6ft 6 I agree with the listing on here 6ft 5 her he always looked that height, seen several pictures this year and he has lost height, so 6ft 4 today 6ft 5 in peak
James said on 12/Sep/11
John cleese according to most sites is 6 feet 4.75 or 195cm Maybe 196cm in peak but now I think he is only 6 feet 4, he was never over 6 feet 5 that is an exaggeration. 6feet 4.75 in peak nowadays 6 feet 4 flat
megan said on 12/Sep/11
I have read on internet sites he was 6 feet 4 3/4 which he reached at 13, I think he appears to have lost very little. 6 feet 4 3/4 in prime today 6 feet 4 1/2
megan said on 9/Sep/11
John was 6 feet 4/3/4 maybe 6 feet 5 in peak no more but I agree that he is no more than 6 feet 4 today very tall still for someone born in 1939
george555 said on 1/Sep/11
he used to be over 6'5 for sure in his prime
James said on 29/Aug/11
defo 6'4 now
george555 said on 25/Aug/11
i think he is about 6'4 nowadays.
James said on 23/Aug/11
John cleese was 6ft 5 or 196cm, I met him at some pallivon in Norfolk when I finished my A levels in 2003, I think 6ft 4 is the right height for now.
James said on 18/Aug/11
the old fashioned average height used too be 5'8 so 6'5 (196cm) would have been very/giant or borderline giant sized. these days 6'5 is just considered very tall. 6'5 1/2 would have been considered the start off a giant in the old days and cleese was not quite that tall.
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 16/Aug/11
For his generation, he would definitely have been considered a giant. Nowadays he looks closer to 6ft4.

196cm peak
193-194cm today
James said on 9/Aug/11
Cleese is very tall but he's not a giant. Brad Garrett now he is a giant.
Vegas said on 8/Aug/11
watching silverado (1985) over the weekend looked like a giant in that movie, fair bit taller than danny glover in one scene, didn't share a scene with jeff goldblum in that movie but certainly gave off a taller look than goldblum
James said on 7/Aug/11
Looks 6'6 with Alan Light if you count Alans hair. john cleese eye leve is well over the top of alans head.
terryman said on 27/Jul/11
1,95-6 m Click Here
James said on 26/Jun/11
6'5 in peak and 6'4.5 today. he never looked 6'6 not even in Faulty towers or Monty python. He was shorter than 6'6 Penn on that show.
GUY said on 26/Jun/11
Looking at old clips in Monty python and faulty towers he did look 6'5, 6'4/3/4 seems to be listed. Recently still looks 6'5 appears to lost very little. I think john always looked taller because he has great posture
Helen said on 24/Jun/11
I heard he was 196cm or 6'5 in peak but he certainly looks in the 6'4 range today. so 196cm in peak in faulty towers and 193cm today
Danimal said on 16/Jun/11
6'4 3/4" peak and 6'3.5" today.
James said on 12/Jun/11
6'5 (196cm) peak
6'4 (193cm) today

he's got good posture but i think he has lost 1 inch in height. 3cm height loss at age 70 is not bad for someone who is so tall like john cleese. at least compared to someone like clint eastwood who has lost 3.5-4 inches from his peak.
Blaine said on 5/Jun/11
I think John cleese is still 6'5. He is still taller then Stephen Fry who is 6'4.5 I think. He is 6'6 in shoes as on faulty towers his head touches the door. 6'5 barefoot is right
Blaine said on 4/Jun/11
6ft 5 is listed on most sites, could look 6'6 with good posture. On his new tour still looks 6'5
James said on 31/May/11
I met john once i am 6 ft 6 or 198cm) i think he was about 6ft 5 in peak, probably 6 feet 4 now. did look 6ft 6 on that 1979 dick cravett interview
Rampage(-_-_-)Clover said on 17/May/11
6"4 flat today....
Vegas said on 8/May/11
james i would be surprised if he was 6'3 range today, rob has a photo with terry jones where jones looks 5'8 and cleeses heads is minimum 9.5 inches i would suspect Click Here

cleese has terrific posture too for a man his age
Ejel Khan said on 23/Apr/11
In a recent appearance on the Paul O'Grady show, was introduced as being 6'6". Something which he didn't refute ... strange?
James said on 28/Mar/11
6'3.75 (192cm)today
6'4.75 peak (195cm) peak
James said on 15/Feb/11
never looked 6'6 in Fawlty Towers. 6'5 tops more like
5'8 said on 28/Jan/11
He does look 6'5 even today, most door frames have a standard height of 6'6-6'7 and Cleese looks barely 1.5" shorter than that when passing trought one.
Lenad said on 14/Jan/11
Probably more in the 6'4 range today
Shaun said on 12/Jan/11
Click Here

Pause at 1:34 and 3:19. At 1:34 he is barefoot and looks every bit of 6'5". At 3'19 he walks through the door and looks 6'6" in shoes. Definately 6'5" range barefoot peak.
Shaun said on 12/Jan/11
Every bit of 6'5". And yes Jon he did look 6'6" in Fawlty Towers. 6'4.75" barefoot was his minimum peak height.
Vegas said on 7/Jan/11
photo from last year, if anything its the other who seem to have lost height Click Here
James said on 26/Nov/10
in this artile recently it still says he is 6'5?

Maybe 6'4 today 6'4.5-6'5 at his peak
Click Here
Dean said on 26/Nov/10
Really? Ok hes tall but 6'5? He didnt look that much taller than Andrew sachs in FT. I would have thought about8 inch...aperantly if sachs is 5'3 and cleese is 6'5 theres 14? no way lol!
thekiddd said on 20/Jun/09
No. Rob has Barkley at 6'4 3/4".
Big King said on 15/Jun/09
Well, Cleese was a weak 6'5" in his prime. I really think that 6'4.75" was fair enough for Cleese. Maybe Rob has infladted his height for an extra 1/4 inch.
James S said on 15/Jun/09
In a "Batteries not included" epesode he stated he was 6ft 4.5
Hugh 190cm said on 10/Jun/09
6ft5 peak and and now 6ft4.5.
yoyo said on 24/May/09
Mr J. Greenstein thanks for your picture. but at atual fact people clearly see you as 1.5cm taller than john cleese. he cant be 6ft6 and i believe he have a little bigger heels on.
yoyo said on 24/May/09
old cleese nowadays might be 195..196 at peak.
James said on 16/May/09
Greenstein, if your still posting on the site can you provide proof that your the heightyou claim?

Didn't look over 6'5 in Fawltey Towers
john said on 29/Apr/09
towered over 6ft 1 keanu reeves by a good 4 inches in the day the earth stood still
Doug said on 11/Apr/09
He is a legit 6'4.5-6'5" barefoot. A likely 195cm. He often looks 6'6" as he did in Fawlty Towers. Extremely tall man. towered even Pierce Brosnan.
Alex said on 31/Mar/09
Oh, just one more thing.

"He is in the 6ft4 to 5 range as he can almost reach the top of an standard door frame (6ft6) in his shoes. You can see this in faulty towers. I think 6ft4.5"

That would make him shorter than that, which he clearly isn't. If you're 6'5" you don't "almost" reach 6'6" in shoes. You do reach it, minnimum. "Almost reaching" 6'6 would make him less than 6'4.5. I for one think he is a bit more than 6'5".
Big King said on 28/Mar/09
Well, I know that John's a big ass but I wouldn't give him a legit 6'5". He looks very close to 6'5", so I would list him at 6'4.5" or slighty over it.
Alex said on 26/Mar/09
Well, my door frame at home is just under 6'9.
Vegas said on 20/Mar/09
6'6 no because he was shorter than penn jillette
Yaspaa said on 20/Mar/09
Alex,standard door frame in the UK is 6'6.
Alex said on 14/Mar/09
Cleese is probably dead on 6'5", dead on. I've heard 6'4" but he clearly looks taller than that. Maybe 6'5.5" but certainly not 6'6".

On another note, isn't the standard door frame more than 6'6"? I certainly think the door frames in Fawlty Towers appear shorter than average. I've always found the average door frame is around 6'9".
Anonymous said on 10/Mar/09
Yeah, he must be 6'5, he towers everyone in most films Ive seen him in, and the closest people Ive seen close to him are Pierce Brosnan, but even Cleese has 3-4 inches over 6'1 Brosnan. In Fawlty Towers his head was barely under the door frame (6'6 standard).. 6'5 in his prime, maybe 6'4 now?
Max said on 2/Mar/09
Cleese is easily 5 inches taller than the 5'11" Steve Martian
yoyo said on 2/Mar/09
hes still a strong 1.96m pass years ago. nowadays at least a 1.95m frame for him.
marioo said on 11/Feb/09
he looks 6'4 next to 6'1 /5 pearce brosnan
Tom said on 5/Feb/09
He said on Jimmy Kimmell that his daughter is 6'2". She probably got the Cleese gene
mickser said on 29/Jan/09
i am 6'6 and had the pleasure of meeting him last year in dublin ireland and yes i was a bout two inches taller than him. we had a joke about my height. a very nice man
TJ said on 25/Jan/09
Kalralahr, if you're 6ft and he's a head taller than you, he must be 6'8 - 6'9, which he clearly isn't. This is a case of you judging him from your eye level, rather than thinking about where the top of your head reaches.
Ffejy said on 24/Jan/09
I talked to him today for half a second at Planet Hollywood casino. He is like a tree and I am 5'10". In fact he was so tall I had to find out on the 'net and found this site. lol
Kalralahr said on 19/Jan/09
I was standing next to him at Sundance. I'm 6ft and he's a head taller than me.
Anonymous said on 6/Jan/09
He looked 6'4 3/4 in the series fawlty towers. but these days, looks 6'4.
adam said on 25/Nov/08
In JUNGLE BOOK (1994, not a very good film) he towers over everyone. He looks A LOT taller than Sam Neil. Definitely 6-5 peak
Hugh said on 19/Nov/08
195-196cm peak. 193-194cm now.
Ian said on 17/Nov/08
He is in the 6ft4 to 5 range as he can almost reach the top of an standard door frame (6ft6) in his shoes. You can see this in faulty towers. I think 6ft4.5
Darkfalz said on 24/Oct/08
Why is there no page for Graham Chapman? I think Cleese was 6'4" and Chapman 6'2"
George H. said on 14/Oct/08
Cleese is easily 6'5" in his prime. Because he was thin, he reminded me a lot of my two sons, before they started filling out a bit, both 6'5" and over. Same gangly thing, all arms and legs.
matt lopez said on 6/Oct/08
he looked a 6-3 in 'die another day' and was a couple of inches taller than pierce brosnan

.....pierce brosnan is 6 foot 2!
Mister Lennon said on 3/Oct/08
Maybe a 6'5 at peak and now an strong 6'4???
Mister Lennon said on 30/Sep/08
His monty phiton dude Graham Chapman was almost as tall as him, and he was close to 6'3. I really think that Cleese is 6'4.
Big King said on 8/Sep/08
That's a scene where I think that Rob is a bit optimistic to give Cleese 6'5" although Cleese is 6'4 3/4" on the most websites. I also think that he's at 6'5" maximum.
Hugh said on 4/Sep/08
kobby boy says on 19/sep/06

image from ForensicNYC i was think that kevin kline was more 182~183cm.

Were you born yesterday. Kevin was at least 6ft2 at his peak.
Fred Ennis said on 29/Jul/08
I myself stand 6'5"
Daii said on 25/Jul/08
from fawlty towers, i can see him an easy 6'4 or 6'5
PW said on 14/Jul/08
Take away Penns heels and they would be the same height . Cleese even said himself once, that he was 6.6.
Anonymous KinG said on 29/Mar/08
beside 6ft1 kevin kline he looks 6ft6.. by atual fact kline is more like 6ft0.5 and cleese is at least 195cm as above mention he might lost a cm nowadays..
Anonymous said on 3/Mar/08
I remember watching the Cleese sketch with Penn and Teller and being surprised the guy was taller than Cleese. Even allowing for shoes there would still be a difference I think. Cleese has always looked about 6'5'' and Penn is 6'6' so it makes sense.
Big Show said on 2/Dec/07
Vegas says on 26/Jul/07
Cleese was about 1-1.5" shorter than 6'6 Penn Jillette Click Here in the early 1990s

Look at the huge heels Penn is wearing there. That might be 2" heels there, while John is wearing regular dressing shoes. The 1-1.5" Penn has on Cleese, certainly gets eliminated when they would have had equal shoes.
robbie h said on 12/Oct/07
he looked a 6-3 in 'die another day' and was a couple of inches taller than pierce brosnan
Tom said on 23/Sep/07
Graham Chapman was about 6'2"
Maya said on 24/Aug/07
So how tall was Graham Chapman then? 6'4" or 6'6"?
Editor Rob said on 22/Aug/07
1988 playboy said "I'm 6'5" and weigh 210 pounds"
Vegas said on 26/Jul/07
Cleese was about 1-1.5" shorter than 6'6 Penn Jillette Click Here in the early 1990s
guy said on 26/Jul/07
I think he is what he says he is. He certainly doesn't need to be taller so he wouldn't exaggerate. Some people might not realize they've shrunk if it is gradual over many years and others might choose to ignore it and give their youth height always. I know an elderly man who claims to have been 6-1.5 as a young man but clearly has lost 2 inches if that was the case. When I asked him what his height is now he responded ,6-1.5! Interestingly Graham Chapman's biography has a photo of his American drivers license which states he is 6-4. Though in virtually every skit Cleese appears 1-2 inches taller there is one where Chapman towers over everyone. The mountaineering expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro skit from the film And Now for Something Completly Different Chapman towers over everyone including Cleese.
S.J said on 15/Jun/07
this guy looked big in like monthy Python
and i thought he was now adays like 6,4 1/2 but i was him in this movie (Man about town ,or something) with Ben affleck and they were like the same height maybe cleese was a bit taller but affleck is like 6,2.5 so maybe cleese could be like 6,3.5 nowadays or 6,4
Stretch said on 15/May/07
He was once in a 90's television comedy skit opposite David Hasselhoff and Cleese was surprisingly an inch taller than The Hoff. I would estimate Cleese is 6' 5.5"- a little over 6'5".
George H. said on 10/Apr/07
Yeah, easily a solid 6'5" guy. Great comedian.
Dave said on 20/Oct/06
yeh he was just about the same height as a six-six doorway in fawlty towers with shoes so yeah. a bit of a 'stick insect' as sybil fawlty liked to describe him. a legend of comedy by any means
thelasttiger said on 6/Oct/06
Nah, he's 6'5". He just said 6'4 3/4" but its hard to notice a quater inch anyway.
connie girL said on 21/Sep/06
i agree he may not be 196tall anymore.. but i think 194.5cm barefoot accuracy will be right..
kobby boy said on 19/Sep/06
image from ForensicNYC i was think that kevin kline looks more like 182~183cm.. he nv looks a real 6ft1 all the while i see his movie..
but i think cleese might be lost 1~2cm nowadys..he looks a solid 194cm recently seen..
ForensicNYC said on 27/May/06
6'5" John Cleese with 7'9" Sean Astin and 7'8" Peter Jackson of LOTR...
Click Here
John with 5'7" Jamie Lee Curtis and 6'1" Kevin Kline...
Click Here
As "Q" with 6'1" Pierce Brosnan 007...
Click Here
Mr. X said on 3/Apr/06
I think he just wanted to be creative. I think he was 6'5" all of the time.
Link said on 2/Apr/06
Officially he is 6'4 3/4"

In the TV show fawlty towers its rare to see him walking through doorways (6'6") totally straight, he hunched a lot and dipped his head as a second nature kind of way,he was wearing shows though, and doorframes have 1/4-1/2" cut off from the architrave below the main frame, so if he has to duck in shoes (1 inch roughly as they were smart shoes and they raise a good inch mostly) we come to the conclusion he is 6'4 1/2"+

Cleese is a big man, definitely no less than 6'4 1/2"
Id say he was 6'5" in his younger days and 6'4 3/4" now

He was 6ft aged 12
and went to his apparent 6'4 3/4" (maybe 6'5") aged 13 and stopped entirely, now thats scary lol.
Gonzalo said on 31/Mar/06
Cleese was very big, near 6`5. He towered Kevin Kline in A fish called Wanda. I also remeber a Cheers episode and he was clearly taller than Ted Danson, maybe three inches.
Kline is at least 6`1 and Danson 6`2, so Cleese has to be over 6`4.
Rut said on 16/Jan/06
A tall and funny man, definitely one of my all time heroes, are you going to list the other Pythons also, Rob..?

Editor Rob
yeah I'll add Palin now.
D said on 14/Jan/06
i think he does downplay his height. he says on the holy grail dvd commentry that hes 6'4", but in any python film or show he always looked a good 3" taller that 6'2" graham chapman
Mikex said on 5/Jan/06
I seem to remember Cleese being on a show some years ago with the magicians Penn and Teller. I was surprised to see he looked a litlle shorter than the big one of the pair but I think that guy is truly huge, build as well as height. Cleese looks approx 6'5'' although I think he's officially 6'4 3/4'' as stated below. He was fully grown at 12 or 13 apparently. Now that's something.
Joshie said on 8/Dec/05
shook his hand a couple of weeks ago - he's huge. i'm 5'7 and maybe reached his chin. certainly no less than 6'5
Jason said on 4/Dec/05
Cleese is barely taller than 6'4'' John Lithgow, Mario.

Editor Rob
they squared up a few times, I think the one I remember is in the classroom where Cleese looked a tad taller
Mario Nariano said on 4/Dec/05
Well just saw some pictures on gettyimages, but Brosnan is in all those pictures closer to the camera and Cleese isn't even full straight. Really Brett if your hero is really 6 ft 2, Cleese must be 6 ft 6 or more.
Mario Nariano said on 4/Dec/05
In wich picture does Brosnan comes close to his height?
Because in the movies and the few that pictures that I have watched of the two Brosnan comes barely to his eyes.
Brett said on 3/Dec/05
Theres no way that guy is under 6'5", he would down play his height for sure, as it limits his career, Imagine him next to dustin hoffman, it would be a joke. Hes just like Josh Duhamel, and hugh jackman ( several years ago when he claimed to be 6ft ) , Big people in hollywood seem to be unliked, no 5'8" star wants to be dwarfed by his 6'3" plus costar.
Jason said on 26/Nov/05
A search reveals John Cleese is mostly listed at 6'4 3/4'' - and it's said that was his full adult height. Sorry, Brett ... the man towers over Brosnan. Easily 4 inches taller.
Brett said on 25/Nov/05
I think Cleese is easy 196cm, I mean he could be more, my closest friend Clark is 199cm tall, and his eyeline is about the same height as the top of my head, maybe more, and Cleese seems to be similar to this with brosnan , maybe not quite, as in some pics brosnan does look close to his height, but I think he would be 196cm minimum, and the guys claiming his only 193 or so, I think are dreaming
Cleese said on 19/Nov/05
John Cleese towers over Brosnan
http://www.filmfanzine.com/data/images/cb7f94d690d859a0a2f1773a862676be.jpg
http://www.hot.ee/bond007jamesbond2/Q_Cleese+Brosnan.JPG
http://web.wireimage.com/images/thumbnail/3765674.jpg
http://web.wireimage.com/images/thumbnail/3765672.jpg
and looks about the same height or slightly taller than John Lithgow
http://web.wireimage.com/images/thumbnail/890848.jpg
http://www.detnews.com/pix/2001/04/25/d05thirdrock.jpg
Gotxo said on 9/Oct/05
A human tower, but a thing is to note. The inches & foot are pretty unnacurate beside more precise cm. Does anyone belive when some one hovers 6'5" is always 196cm instead 195cm or 197cn. Do the tall guys always bang on the aim.
CelebHeights Editor said on 8/Oct/05
His resume gives him 196cm.
British Guy said on 28/Jun/05
I Agree Completly,

In Fawlty Towers He Was By Far The Biggest,

For Such A Big Guy He Was So Flexible, Amazing

Your Height I Believe Is 100% Accurate Here Rob, Well Done.

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.

Celebrity Fan Photos and Agency Pictures of stars are © to their respective owners.