"I was the tallest guy in the school, and I was very conscious of being larger than anybody - classmates and teachers."
~ James Arness
American actor James Arness is perhaps best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the TV series Gunsmoke.
He was also known for being big.
James Arness was a big man -- practically a giant of his time. He was reported to be anywhere from 6'6" to 6'7" throughout his career.
After seeing James Arness standing next to people like Buddy Baer (6'6½"), John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood (both of them close to 6'4"), we think he would have been close to 6'7" in his prime, though later in his career he must have started losing height. Because he was so tall, and taller people lose height faster than the shorter ones.
The height of James Arness was
6'6½" or 199 cm
 |
| James Arness, a man who makes 6-feet-4 inches tall men like Clint Eastwood, and John Wayne look small. |
For reference, here is the average human height around the world.
| Country | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 5'4" | 4'11" |
| India | 5'5½" | 5'½" |
| Mexico | 5'6½" | 5'1½" |
| China | 5'6½" | 5'1½" |
| Japan | 5'7½" | 5'2½" |
| Brazil | 5'8" | 5'3" |
| Russia | 5'9" | 5'3¾" |
| France | 5'9" | 5'3¾" |
| United States | 5'9¼" | 5'4" |
| United Kingdom | 5'9½" | 5'4¼" |
| Canada | 5'10" | 5'4½" |
| Australia | 5'10" | 5'4½" |
| Germany | 5'10½" | 5'5" |
| Netherlands | 5'11½" | 5'6" |
| Dinka people of South Sudan | 6" | 5'7" |
Data was collected more or less from Wikipedia and some other sources. Expect a slight discrepancy from real life. A more detailed chart can be found here.
"I've got a little arthritis that I have to deal with. I was 6 feet 7 when I started, and I've shrunk up a little bit. I'm probably 6-5 or so now. But up here at 82, I feel pretty good. I'm sticking in there."
~ James Arness