Big heads

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The late Dan Cracchiolo, the hot shot get-around who worked as Joel Silver's top guy in the mid to late '90s and a little beyond, once told me about a conversation he and Silver had about the size of the craniums of big movie stars. He said that Silver told him, "Dan, all big stars have really big heads." Physically, he meant.

I've spoken to a fair number of big-name actors and can testify that this is frequently the case. Mel Gibson has a big head; ditto Kirk Douglas and Kevin Costner. (I once wrote that Costner "has a head the size of a bison's.") Warren Beatty has a fairly sizable head. So does Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I don't recall Tom Cruise's head being all large, however.

I would say that Clive Owen, to judge by the above photo from Shoot 'Em Up, certainly qualifies.

There's obviously something about having a big head that gives a person presence, power...a sense of dominance. Full disclosure: I have a big head myself.

Big movie-star heads are a very consistent visual factor in day-to-day Hollywood life, and yet people who don't mix it up with talent would never, ever learn of this from mainstream interviewers and columnists. I'm just saying...

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 26, 2007 at 11:26 AM

comment #1

count.olaf says ...

I think it's a big screen factor as well. Seeing someone on video and in real life is a different occurrence altogether. Perhaps the camera adds 10 pounds to the waist and removes from the head?

Posted by count.olaf at April 26, 2007 11:48 AM

comment #2

Hopscotch says ...

You can Travolta to that list, I sweat to god his head is the size of a watermelon.

Bigger heads in proportions to bodies photograph better, they draw more attention.

Posted by Hopscotch at April 26, 2007 11:54 AM

comment #3

tholl-yung says ...

Alec Baldwin's head looks monstrous. Does this apply to the ladies as well? None come to mind.

Posted by tholl-yung at April 26, 2007 12:07 PM

comment #4

thevisceral says ...

Charlie Brown has a giant head.

Posted by thevisceral at April 26, 2007 12:08 PM

comment #5

T. S. Idiot says ...

That Kong chap.

Posted by T. S. Idiot at April 26, 2007 12:21 PM

comment #6

VedaPierce says ...

I once saw Nicole Kidman up close at a play in NY and was startled at the massive size of her head. Granted, she's a twig so it may be that the rest of her is unnaturally small. Still, it was quite disturbing.

Posted by VedaPierce at April 26, 2007 12:28 PM

comment #7

Bilge says ...

This is a well-known fact among people who work on film sets. I've worked with numerous hair and makeup people, all of whom have told me that nearly all big stars -- especially male ones -- have giant heads. It's a combination of things -- not just the size of the head itself but often also the proportion of the head to the body, which on many stars is fairly slender and short.

They also tend to have fairly big eyes. Even the ones with sleepy eyes (Robert Mitchum) have big eyes when they bother to open them.

Posted by Bilge at April 26, 2007 12:30 PM

comment #8

tholl-yung says ...

Christie Brinkley -- big head -- just noticed in the LX.TV video.

Posted by tholl-yung at April 26, 2007 12:32 PM

comment #9

Ju-osh says ...

They make a reference to this theory on the first episode of Entourage, too.

Posted by Ju-osh at April 26, 2007 12:42 PM

comment #10

nemo says ...

I obviously missed my calling in life as a movie star. My hat size is 7 3/4, up in the XXL range. I can never find a hat that fits me.

"All I gotta do is act naturally ..."

Posted by nemo at April 26, 2007 1:43 PM

comment #11

Rich S. says ...

He's not a movie star, but you'd have to look long and hard to find someone with a bigger head than Pat Sajak. As Mike Myers might say, "that boy has a virtual planetoid."

Posted by Rich S. at April 26, 2007 1:53 PM

comment #12

Joshua Mooney says ...

It's actually the head-to-neck ratio that does it. Their heads only APPEAR larger because of the thinness of their necks. (Same phenomenon that makes the moon appear to be larger when it's lower on the horizon; i.e., it's an illusion). Once they get fat, and their necks swell, it's to the small screen with the lot of them. Witness: Alec Baldwin, James Spader. Oh, also Dan Blocker.

Posted by Joshua Mooney at April 26, 2007 2:23 PM

comment #13

ArchiveGuy says ...

Hooray! Hope springs eternal for my wife (Mrs. Pumpkin Head)

Posted by ArchiveGuy at April 26, 2007 2:50 PM

comment #14

Mgmax, le Corbeau says ...

I also heard it described this way: the average human has about a 1 to 6 head to body ratio, in other words, if you're 6 feet tall, a foot of that will be head. Movie stars tend closer to 1 to 5. That's why they tend to be both short and big headed, as well as big eyed. It's a wonder they don't also have four fingers and three lines painted on the back of each hand.

Posted by Mgmax, le Corbeau at April 26, 2007 2:56 PM

comment #15

Craptastic says ...

Is that Monica Bellucci? She needs to be in more American movies. Its amazing to me that she never skyrocketed

Posted by Craptastic at April 26, 2007 2:57 PM

comment #16

Craptastic says ...

Is that Monica Bellucci? She needs to be in more American movies. Its amazing to me that she never skyrocketed

Posted by Craptastic at April 26, 2007 2:57 PM

comment #17

Craptastic says ...

Is that Monica Bellucci? She needs to be in more American movies. Its amazing to me that she never skyrocketed

Posted by Craptastic at April 26, 2007 3:03 PM

comment #18

Geoff says ...

HUGH JACKMAN. He actually admitted to having a small head on some late night show, stating that actors usually have big heads.

Posted by Geoff at April 26, 2007 3:27 PM

comment #19

Chris D. says ...

Have you ever seen Al Pacino in person? His head is huge.

Posted by Chris D. at April 26, 2007 3:48 PM

comment #20

Hopscotch says ...

Big heads = big eyes (usually) another well-known fact, falling in love with people with big eyes.

Posted by Hopscotch at April 26, 2007 4:13 PM

comment #21

The Winchester says ...

But Chris D, Pacino's body is so tiny, so it's all about proportion.

Posted by The Winchester at April 26, 2007 11:01 PM

comment #22

Thrudvangar says ...

I believe it was Merv Griffin who said that Vanna White had a large head and that's why she/Wheel was popular/successful.

Posted by Thrudvangar at April 27, 2007 3:37 AM

comment #23

FresnoBob says ...

Phil Hartman had the largest head I've ever seen on a human being.

http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/h/Phil%20Hartman/Phil%20and%20Brynne.JPG

Posted by FresnoBob at April 27, 2007 8:54 AM

comment #24

SpinDozer says ...

1st saw this demonstrated on one of the Siskel & Ebert shows. Example was one of the Dirty Harry flix when politicians/police brass are having a press conference or similar on steps of city hall & Clint is in 2nd row but his head is the same size as those in front row despite being 12" further away from camera.

This might be the scene where Clint offers up his badge as a 5 point suppository ;)

Posted by SpinDozer at April 27, 2007 6:11 PM

comment #25

MathewM says ...

Here's a good example of Eastwood's "big head": http://www.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/5632/Events/5632/12228775_400.jpg.html?hint=nm0000142

Posted by MathewM at April 27, 2007 10:12 PM

comment #26

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I believe it was Merv Griffin who said that Vanna White had a large head and that's why she/Wheel was popular/successful.

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comment #28

dd says ...

Example was one of the Dirty Harry flix when politicians/police brass are having a press conference or similar on steps of city hall & Clint is in 2nd row but his head is the same size as those in front row despite being 12" further away from camera.

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