Geena Davis recalls having a 'really tough time' in school as she was bullied over her height
Geena Davis says she had a "really tough" time as a child because of her height.
Geena Davis had a "really tough" time as a child because of her height.
The 69-year-old actress stands at a height of six feet and admitted that her stature was such an issue to her as a child because the "last thing [she] wanted to do" was be noticed, but she would garner comparisons to a seven-foot-tall NBA player when she was at school.
Speaking on 'The View, she explained: "I was tall from minute one … I was very self-conscious and shy, and the last thing I wanted to do was stand out, and yet, every minute, I stood out.
"I was tall from minute one … I was very self-conscious and shy, and the last thing I wanted to do was stand out, and yet, every minute, I stood out.
"So, it was really tough growing up. The boys' nickname for me in high school was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which, you know, is so charming."
The 'Thelma Louise' star - who has penned the children's book 'The Girl Who Was Too Big For The Page' - explained that she eventually became "very comfortable and happy" with her height, and it eventually benefitted her caeer.
She said: "This has always been a part of my life, but once I stopped growing, I became very comfortable with it and happy, and got cast in 'Tootsie', because it was funny to look at me and Dustin Hoffman together.
"[Then] I realized that it's okay to take up this much space. And so that's kind of the message of the book."
Geena previously explained that she only learned to be "unapologetically" herself when she reached adulthood.
She told People: "I've always been tall - I was a tall baby. As a kid, my fondest wish was to take up less space in the world. It was only as an adult I realized I could be all of who I was, unapologetically.
"So I wrote this book for all of the ‘too big’ children — including children with big personalities and big dreams — who need reassurance that they can be their true selves and make their own space in the world.
"It was a joy to write, and so wonderful to be able to illustrate my own words to bring my characters to life. I can’t wait to have it out in the world."
