Laura Dern, 59, Shares How Being Tall Made Hollywood Turn Her Down

Laura Dern has never been shy about speaking her mind, and recently she opened up about one of the biggest challenges in her career: her height. In an interview with The Independent, the 59-year-old actress shared how standing at 5’11” and having what she calls a radically tall torso has shaped her life in Hollywood.

She recalled that by the time she was twelve, she had already reached her full height and was looking for work. “I’ve probably been rejected roughly 150 times because casting directors didn’t know what to do with me,” Dern said, reflecting on the struggles that came with being statuesque in a world built for shorter actresses.

Filming her new movie, Is This Thing On?, was a rare break from that pattern. Starring alongside Will Arnett, who is 6’2″, Dern found herself on a set where height wasn’t an issue. “It was crazy and wonderful to finally be in a scene where we could look each other in the eyes without camera tricks or adjustments,” she shared.

When seated, she said, they are actually the same height, which made the experience feel refreshing after years of feeling like the odd one out. While Hollywood has often made her height a problem, the fashion world has been more welcoming.

Dern made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week last October, opening the Gabriela Hearst show in a romantic floral dress. “It felt amazing to finally walk the runway and be celebrated for the very features that used to hold me back,” she noted.

This year is already shaping up to be a big one for Dern. She recently won Best Actress at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards for her performance as Tess in Is This Thing On?, which follows a couple navigating the end of their marriage while the husband, played by Arnett, tries to make it as a stand-up comedian in New York.

Beyond acting, Dern is using her platform for a deeply personal cause. After the passing of her mother, Diane Ladd, she became the face of the Beyond the Scars health campaign, raising awareness about pulmonary fibrosis. She has been sharing her family’s experiences to encourage people to talk about their health before it’s too late.

Fans can also catch Dern in a new Xfinity Super Bowl commercial, reuniting with her original Jurassic Park co-stars Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum.

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