Michael Beck, precisely 5ft 11 (180.3 cm) tall, leveraged his ideal height for commanding screen presence in action-packed roles. As Swan, the resilient gang leader in the cult classic The Warriors (1979), his 5'11" stature embodied the perfect balance of street toughness and agility. In Xanadu (1980), Beck's athletic 180.3 cm frame shone in roller-disco sequences alongside Olivia Newton-John. His height also suited dramatic turns like Hans Helms in the miniseries Holocaust (1978) and the starring role in Houston Knights (1987–1988).