How tall was Walter Matthau
David Wilson
Updated on March 17, 2026
American actor best remembered for his roles in Grumpy Old Men, The Odd Couple, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Charade, A Face in the Crowd, Fail Safe, The Fortune Cookie, Dennis the Menace, Charley Varrick and The Bad News Bears. In an interview he talked about his height: "WM: Yeah. Joseph Maher said to me--he plays one of the professors in the movie--and Joe said [in Maher's precise English accent] 'Can you play Einstein a little shorter?' Because Einstein was about six inches shorter than I am.
KD: So what did you do?
WM: Played him shorter. Somehow Einstein being six foot two is not right. But the story is really about Meg Ryan."
On another occasion in a 1974 conversation he said "I'm six foot three, but I never weighed more than a hundred and fifty pounds."
KD: So what did you do?
WM: Played him shorter. Somehow Einstein being six foot two is not right. But the story is really about Meg Ryan."
On another occasion in a 1974 conversation he said "I'm six foot three, but I never weighed more than a hundred and fifty pounds."
I especially liked [Tim] when he was doing scenes with Stephen Fry because both of them are 6-6, and they would help me become Einstein because Einstein was 5-7, and in reality, I'm 6-foot-2.
-- Walter Matthau
