Ever looked at a photo of Marilyn Monroe and thought she looked like a towering giant? Or maybe you've heard those rumors that she was actually "plus-sized"? Honestly, the internet is full of weird myths about her body. Some people swear she was a tiny 5'2" pixie, while others claim she was a broad-shouldered powerhouse. It’s wild how much we still argue about the physical stats of a woman who’s been gone since 1962.
Basically, if you want the real answer to how tall is Marilyn Monroe, you have to look past the studio PR and dive into her actual medical and legal records.
The short answer? She wasn't nearly as tall as she looked in those 4-inch Ferragamo stilettos. But she wasn't a "short" woman for her era either.
The Official Verdict on Her Height
When she was first starting out at the Blue Book Modeling Agency back in 1945, they clocked her at 5 feet 6 inches. But you've gotta take that with a grain of salt because modeling agencies love to add an inch or two to make their girls seem more "statuesque."
Later on, more reliable documents give us a slightly different story. Her 1954 Department of Defense ID card—issued for her USO trip to Korea—listed her at 5'5.5".
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Then there’s the grim but definitive data from the Los Angeles County Coroner’s report. After her death in 1962, the medical examiner recorded her height as 5 feet 5.5 inches. That’s roughly 166 centimeters.
For the 1950s, this was actually above average. The average American woman back then was only about 5'3" or 5'4". So when Marilyn walked into a room, she probably felt a bit taller than most of the women around her.
Why Did She Look Different in Movies?
Hollywood is basically a giant hall of mirrors. You've probably noticed that in films like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she looks incredibly long-limbed. A lot of that comes down to her shoes. Marilyn was famous for wearing 4-inch heels. She even had a favorite shoemaker, Salvatore Ferragamo, who patented a special heel made of wood and steel just so it could support her while she did that famous "wiggle" walk.
When she put on those 4-inch heels, she was pushing 5'9" or 5'10".
The Illusion of "Plus-Size"
There's this massive misconception that Marilyn was a size 12 or 16. People use it all the time to talk about body positivity. It’s a nice sentiment, but it’s actually factually wrong if you’re looking at modern sizes.
Back in the 50s, a "size 12" was roughly equivalent to a modern size 4 or 6.
- Waist: Usually around 22 to 24 inches.
- Bust: About 35 to 37 inches.
- Weight: Mostly hovered between 115 and 120 pounds.
Her dressmaker often cited her measurements as 35-22-35. That's a classic hourglass. Because she was only about 5'5.5", that much "curve" on a medium-height frame made her look more "voluptuous" than the stick-thin models we see today. But "fat"? Not even close. Elizabeth Hurley once caught flak for calling her "fat" after seeing her clothes in an exhibition, but most curators who handle her actual wardrobe—like her famous "Happy Birthday Mr. President" dress—remark on how incredibly tiny the garments are.
Comparing Her to Other Golden Age Stars
It’s funny to see her standing next to her co-stars. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she starred alongside Jane Russell.
Jane Russell was a solid 5'7". When they stood next to each other, the height difference was obvious, even though they both wore massive heels. Marilyn was the "shorter" one in that duo.
On the flip side, she was taller than some of her famous peers. Elizabeth Taylor was famously petite at just 5'2". Audrey Hepburn was taller at 5'7". Marilyn sat right in that comfortable middle ground.
The Mystery of the Medical Records
Interestingly, some medical files from her plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael Gurdin, turned up years later. They were filed under the alias "Joan Newman." Those records also listed her at 5'6".
Why the half-inch discrepancy?
It could be as simple as her posture or the time of day she was measured. Or maybe she just liked the sound of "five-six" better. Humans are like that. We round up.
Final Insights on the Monroe Mythos
So, if someone asks you how tall she really was, you can confidently tell them she was 5'5.5".
She wasn't a giant. She wasn't tiny. She was a woman of average-to-above-average height who knew exactly how to use lighting, camera angles, and very expensive Italian shoes to make herself look like a goddess.
If you're trying to replicate her look or just curious about vintage proportions, keep these details in mind:
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- Don't trust the "Size 16" myth. Look at the actual inches (22-24 inch waist).
- Check the shoes. Most of her iconic "tall" looks involved a 4-inch stiletto.
- Note the weight. At 117-120 lbs and 5'5.5", her BMI was actually quite low by modern standards.
If you're researching her for a costume or a biography, always look at the primary sources like the coroner's report or her ID cards rather than studio puff pieces. The reality is usually more interesting than the legend anyway.
Next Steps for Researching Marilyn’s Style
To get a better sense of how her height and proportions worked in person, you can look up the archived catalogs from the Julien’s Auctions Marilyn Monroe collections. They often list the exact dimensions of her personal clothing, which gives a much more accurate picture than any Hollywood biography. You might also want to search for the 1954 Department of Defense ID card photos to see the official government record of her stats.