Gwendoline Christie's height in real life and 11 other surprising facts about her
Gwendoline Christie's height of 6 feet 3 inches has made her a towering figure both onscreen and in real life. Her stature was rarely seen in Hollywood before the 2000s, and early discouragement almost made her quit the industry. She told Vogue in 2015:
I never really gave too much stock to what the realities were... nothing interesting got done if you accepted the limitations other people put on you.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Gwendoline Christie's profile summary
- 11 facts about Gwendoline Christie
- 1. Gwendoline hails from Sussex
- 2. A younger Gwendoline Christie was bullied due to her towering height
- 3. Gwendoline trained as a gymnast
- 4. She is in a long-term relationship with Giles Deacon
- 5. Gwendoline is Madonna’s lifelong fan
- 6. She considered becoming a nun
- 7. She is a classically trained actress
- 8. Christie debuted her onscreen acting career in her late 20s
- 9. Christie has extensive work in theatre
- 10. She is a Star Wars superfan
- 11. Gwendoline Christie has built an impressive net worth
- Final word
Key takeaways
- Gwendoline was turned away by casting directors at the beginning of her career because of her towering height.
- She often portrays strong, complex women in mega franchises, including Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Hunger Games.
- Christie has extensive work in films, television, and theatre.
Gwendoline Christie's profile summary
| Full name | Gwendoline Tracey Philippa Christie |
| Date of birth | October 28, 1978 |
| Age | 46 years old (as of August 2025) |
| Place of birth | Worthing, Sussex, England, United Kingdom |
| Current residence | London, England |
| Weight | Approx. 84 kg (185 pounds) |
| Partner | Giles Deacon (2013 to date) |
| Social media |
11 facts about Gwendoline Christie
Christie’s ability to command attention on screen has made her a fan favourite in projects like Game of Thrones, which catapulted her to fame. The 6-foot-3 actress often portrays strong and independent women and talked about playing roles that challenge gender stereotypes and societal expectations.
1. Gwendoline hails from Sussex
The Star Wars actress was born in Worthing, West Sussex, England, and grew up near the South Downs in southern England. Her mother was a housewife, while her late father worked in sales and marketing.
Gwendoline has two older half-brothers who live out of the spotlight. She left home at 18 to volunteer at Central Saint Martins in London.
Source: Original
2. A younger Gwendoline Christie was bullied due to her towering height
A blue-eyed Gwendoline had already reached 6 feet tall by age 14 while going to school in the South Downs. She told The Guardian in April 2019 that she tried to fit in and would constantly be asked questions like ‘how is the weather up there?’ She finds the subject about her height rather dull but acknowledges that it ‘tends to inform a lot of her life.’
3. Gwendoline trained as a gymnast
The Game of Thrones actress was interested in rhythmic gymnastics and ballet as a child. Dancing allowed her to be free to express herself. She chose a different path at age 11 after getting a back injury, and because she was growing up too fast.
4. She is in a long-term relationship with Giles Deacon
The Hunger Games star and British fashion designer Giles Deacon have been dating since 2013 after meeting through mutual friends. They tend to keep their relationship private, but the actress has worn several of Deacon’s designs on the red carpet. Gwendoline has never been married.
Source: Getty Images
5. Gwendoline is Madonna’s lifelong fan
The Star Wars actress is a big fan of superstar Madonna, whom she has loved since childhood and used to dress up as the pop singer. The stars have met several times. In 2016, Madonna invited Christie onstage during her Rebel Heart tour in Sydney, and in 2020, the actress was spotted sitting in the front row of the singer's Madame X residency at the London Palladium.
6. She considered becoming a nun
Christie was told by her tutors she would never succeed in acting due to her unconventional looks. She shared with Stylist magazine in 2017 that when she started looking for gigs, she was told she was too tall, and the constant rejection made her consider becoming a nun.
You don't need to worry about wardrobe options in the morning; you don't need to worry about make-up — All they ask for is a dedication to God.
Watching Tilda Swinton’s role in Orlando gave her hope that there was space for unconventional characters. She also told Vogue in January 2023 that she stopped trying to model herself to societal standards and told herself, “No, I’m not gonna make any effort to fit in.”
Source: Getty Images
7. She is a classically trained actress
Gwendoline enrolled at the Drama Centre London in her early 20s and graduated in 2005. The infamous school has produced notable alumni like her fellow GoT star Emilia Clarke, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, and Colin Firth. Christie’s mentor since drama school has been English actor and author Simon Callow.
8. Christie debuted her onscreen acting career in her late 20s
Gwendoline's first onscreen role was in the 2007 short film, The Time Surgeon, when she was 28. She got her first major film role about two years later, in 2009, in Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' alongside Heath Ledger and Christopher Plummer.
Other notable Gwendoline Christie movies include The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 as Commander Lyme and Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi as Captain Phasma. She has been in major TV shows like Game of Thrones as Brienne of Tarth, Wednesday as Principal Larissa Weems, and The Sandman as Lucifer.
Source: Getty Images
9. Christie has extensive work in theatre
Gwendoline began her career in theatre. She made her debut in 2005 in the production of Great Expectations at the Royal Shakespeare Company and got her breakthrough in 2007 when she played a Shakespearean queen in Cymbeline. She has had other roles in British productions like Breakfast at Tiffany’s as Mag Wildwood, Doctor Faustus as Lucifer, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Titania.
10. She is a Star Wars superfan
Christie watched Star Wars when she was six years old and has stated that getting the role of Captain Phasma is a fangirl’s dream. She told Entertainment Weekly in October 2015 that Princess Leia was her favourite character.
It's one of the first Christmases I remember, and A New Hope was on television. I really just fell in love with it. I remember very distinctly adoring Princess Leia, because even in my infant mind, I thought, 'Gosh, that's a woman with strength.'
Captain Phasma was originally intended to be male, but the casting directors did a gender swap during the casting process after being impressed by her audition. Phasma is Star Wars’ first female Stormtrooper.
11. Gwendoline Christie has built an impressive net worth
The Sandman actress has an estimated net worth of $4 million in 2025. Apart from acting, she owns the London-based performing arts company, Christie Ventures Ltd, which she established in 2012.
Source: Getty Images
Final word
Gwendoline Christie’s height made her the tallest woman in Game of Thrones and several other projects she has done in both Hollywood and the UK. Her stature and impressive acting skills continue to define her screen presence.
READ MORE: 15 facts about Alanis Morissette: height, children, net worth, and trivia
Briefly.co.za published interesting facts about Alanis Morissette’s life and career. The Canadian-born singer-songwriter rose to global fame in the mid-1990s with her breakthrough album Jagged Little Pill.
Alanis became a naturalised American citizen in 2005. She dated Ryan Reynolds in the early 2000s before she met and married her current husband, rapper Souleye, in 2010.
Source: Briefly News
