Michelle Monaghan Puts Her Foot Down on Being Taller Than Male Co-Stars

Michelle Monaghan reveals she will no longer be removing her stilettos to avoid appearing taller than her male co-stars.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter promoting the release of her new film, The Family Plan 2, the 5′10″ actress stated that she previously took off her heels to avoid towering over male colleagues.

She recalled a moment while filming Somewhere, the 2010 film directed by Sofia Coppola, when co-star Stephen Dorff stood on an apple box because he would otherwise appear shorter than her. “It’s that classic Hollywood moment of, ‘This is an issue. You’re going to have to take off your heels,” she said.

The White Lotus star claims that there was a period in her career “where that was expected of actresses,” noting that “now I think they just know better.”

“I don’t do that anymore...I’m not going to take my shoes off for anybody,” she said.

Monaghan, 49, has enjoyed a diverse acting career, appearing in the Mission: Impossible film franchise, the romantic comedy Made of Honour, and the critically acclaimed first season of True Detective. In many of her roles, she stood taller than or at the same height as her male counterparts, including Tom Cruise (5′7″), Patrick Dempsey (5′9″), and Woody Harrelson (5′10″). Arnas Fedaravičius, the Lithuanian actor who co-starred with Monaghan on The White Lotus, is one of the few taller than the actress, at 5′11″.

The actress has been outspoken about negative experiences she’s had in the entertainment industry. In March 2025, Monaghan spoke out on the Reign With Josh Smith podcast about an unnamed Hollywood producer threatening to end her career as a young actress. “[The producer] wanted me to do some publicity that I wasn’t comfortable doing for all the right reasons,” she said.

Monaghan alleged that the producer told her, “You’re never going to work again…I’m going to make sure this happens.” Despite the threats, she said she “followed [her] instincts.”

Fans can expect Monaghan to appear alongside Mark Wahlberg in the streaming hit The Family Plan 2 as husband-and-wife duo Dan and Jessica from the original action-comedy. The Family Plan 2 is now streaming on Apple TV.