Actor and comedian Kevin Hart is known for his infectious humor and famously tiny stature. The media simply can’t resist diving into the debate over his height. But Hart isn’t just playing along; he’s a savvy entertainer who has turned this obsession into a clever part of his brand.
In this piece, we try to separate fact from tall tales and unpick the short comedian’s revelations about his height to determine his size. We also examine how Hart’s career in the spotlight began and how he has used jokes about his height to his advantage.
Highlights
- Kevin Hart's height varies, but he jokes he's 5'2" to 5'5".
- Hart embraces his height, using self-deprecating humor in his comedy.
- Kevin Hart's career began with small gigs, facing early challenges.
Kevin Hart’s Height
Our best estimate is that Kevin Hart measures 5’2” (1 meter 57 centimeters) or just a tiny cut above, but the answer depends on who you ask. Celebheights lists Hart as 5’2.5”, while IMDb lists Hart as 5’3”. When asked directly, Hart seemed reluctant to reveal his actual height.
In June 2019, Kevin Hart hilariously took a polygraph test for Vanity Fair, where he was asked about his stature. When asked if he was 5’2”, he responded, "Absolutely not, 5’4”.” However, after seeing the machine’s needle move, he quickly changed his answer, “5’3”… 5’3”… 5’2.5”… I’m 5’2”. It seems the evidence speaks for itself.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsobD5yTpy0[/embed]
On an appearance on the Graham Norton Show in 2019, Hart confirmed what he said to Vanity Fair. Dwayne Johnson jokingly asked, “What happens if you’re three foot two?” Hart responded, “What are you even talking about? I’m 5’2”, you know that!”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aAZOeftU74[/embed]
While doing an interview alongside Dwayne Johnson in 2021 for LADbible TV, the two hilariously asked each other questions. As usual, the question of how tall Kevin is came up. Amidst laughter, Hart asked Johnson, “According to Google, how tall is Kevin?”
After some thought, Johnson thoughtfully responded, “Legit answer, legit, legit, legit because I know you’re my best friend, uh, 4’2”.” After plenty of laughter, Hart replied, “No, 5’4”.” However, he neither confirmed nor denied if this is his actual height.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYic1W-1ybE[/embed]
During his comedy show Kevin Hart: Reality Check in July 2023, Hart said, “I’ve been 5’5” my whole life. 5’4”, 5’2.5”, my whole f***ing life!”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y18KIr35mQ0[/embed]
Most recently, during an interview with Anderson Cooper in July 2024 for 60 Minutes, one of the first questions asked was about his height. Cooper opened with, “GQ said you’re 5’5”, The LA Times says you’re 5’4”, and some other place said you were 5’2”.”
In classic Hart fashion, he quipped, “Well, that place is bull***t.” He continued and vaguely confirmed one of them was correct, “GQ finally got it right… 5’5”, like, with a shoe on.”
Kevin Hart Isn’t the Only Short Star in Hollywood
Despite the discrepancy in Kevin’s actual size, he is no doubt shorter than the average male in the US. According to the CDC, as of 2021, the average height of men is 5’9”. This would make Hart between four and seven inches shorter than the average man.
While Hart is admittedly short, he’s not alone in Hollywood. Some notably shorter actors include Danny Devito (4’10”), Michael J Fox (5’4.25”), Seth Green (5’4”), Daniel Radcliffe (5’5”), and Jack Black (5’6”), and many others who fall under the average 5’9”.
Kevin Hart on Owning His Height
While other celebrities have gone to great lengths to conceal their height, Hart has embraced his stature and is unafraid to laugh at himself. In fact, he’s successfully incorporated his short stature into his comedy, both on stage and on screen.
In a 2014 interview with Oprah on Oprah Prime, Hart disclosed that he has always been incredibly confident about his height. When asked if he was teased as a child because of it, he responded, “I did it before they did…self-deprecation. I still, until this day, I’m big on self-deprecation.”
Hart explained that he includes jokes about his height in his stand-up routines and movies so that before anyone even thinks of commenting, he cleverly beats them to it. After he has addressed the elephant in the room, the audience drops it and moves on.
This is evident during interviews, where Hart is usually the first to quip about his height. In a 2022 interview with James Corden, Hart interjected, “Here it comes. 5’4”!” before Corden even asked the question.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqBs1P8afTU[/embed]
Most recently, Hart appeared on Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream in May 2024. The two men compared who was taller. It was a tough call, with both men claiming to be taller than the other.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r4it0Pk0i6k[/embed]
Kevin Hart’s Career Highlights
Hart was born in Philadelphia and raised by a single mother; his father was a drug addict who was not around during his childhood.
These humble beginnings started Hart’s journey to becoming the megastar he is today.
In conversation with All the Smoke, Hart told them that his mother was the biggest inspiration of his career. Her mantra resonated with Hart: "finish what you start and never give up."
When Hart embarked on his comedy career, he built his aspirations incrementally. He never aspired to be the biggest comedian like Eddie Murphy. Instead, he first set his sights on emulating the success of local comedians like Ray Gordon and Keith Robinson.
“I was the guy that saw the opportunities from watching simply what was going on in front of me, but I baby-stepped it… different people served as inspiration at different times,” Hart noted. As he continued to succeed, his inspirations changed.
The make-it-or-break-it point came early in Kevin’s career when he was 19. Hart began doing stand-up at a male strip club called Sweet Cheeks. However, the patrons didn’t want comedy, so one audience member stood up and threw a sauce-covered chicken wing at Hart, hitting him in the face.
He recounts that with such little payment ($20-30 per night), he sat in the car that night and seriously questioned his career path. Fortunately for audiences everywhere, Hart persevered and eventually began doing shows in New York and became more popular within the mainstream comedy scene.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSvrhbf4ipU[/embed]
Hart credits much of what happens next in his career as being down to pure luck and being in the right place at the right time. Damon Dash attended one of Kevin’s stand-up shows, liked what he saw, and asked Hart to star in his upcoming film Paper Soldiers (2002).
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvZjdok7cNE&rco=1[/embed]
At this point, Hart anticipated many opportunities would become available. And, to some extent, they did. Hart had minor roles in Along Came Polly, two films from the Scary Movie franchise, and a few other projects. However, after several failed pilots, Hart returned to stand-up.
After a few years, another case of the right place at the right time found Hart bumping into producer Will Packer at the airport. Packer invited Hart to audition for his upcoming film, Think Like a Man (2012). The film became highly successful, grossing over $96 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo), and helped launch Hart into stardom.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Q64Hqww4Q[/embed]
The rest of the story, as they say, is history. Hart has since starred in several incredibly successful films, such as Get Hard, CIA, and Jumanji.
Following his phenomenal commercial successes, Hart expanded his business ventures. He owns Hartbeat Productions, Laugh Out Loud, and Hartbeat Ventures. He explained to All the Smoke that “all of these things work as [the] ecosystem of my brand…all of those entities that exist are all based off of effort… that’s my priority now, growing and having something that stands crazy, crazy, crazy high.”
Public Perception and Media Coverage
Kevin’s height is an open joke among fans, media, and his peers. During a Comedy Central Roast in 2022, most of his friends and colleagues opened with a joke about Kevin’s short stature; he laughed at every single one.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0toKgiURpc[/embed]
Unsurprisingly, the media predictably brings this topic up during interviews. It’s plausible that Hart encourages this. Even when his height isn’t mentioned, Hart will find a way to comment about it himself.
During a 2019 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Fallon mentioned that Hart looked different. Kevin immediately quipped, “Taller.”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYl8RI6DuoQ[/embed]
Hart himself capitalizes on his self-deprecating jokes about his height. On social media, several posts include references to this, including a few photos in which Hart is the main focus while the taller person’s head is cropped out of the frame.
FAQ
Is Kevin Hart a billionaire?
Despite his lucrative business ventures and successful entertainment career, Kevin’s net worth has not yet reached a billion dollars. His wealth is currently estimated to be at $450 million.
Does Kevin Hart have 12 kids?
Kevin Hart has four children. He shares a daughter, Heaven (19), and a son, Hendrix (17), with his first wife, Torrei Hart. He has two younger children, Kenzo (6) and Kaori (4), with his second wife, Eniko Hart.
Was Kevin Hart in the military?
No, Kevin Hart was never enlisted in the military. The confusion stems from Kelvin Hart, who was in the US Army in the 1970s.