Rod Steiger, precisely 5ft 9 ¾ (177.2 cm) tall, commanded screens with his intense physical presence, enhancing his portrayals of volatile, offbeat characters in iconic films.
His stature contributed to the raw power in roles like the boxer in On the Waterfront, the racist sheriff in Oscar-winning In the Heat of the Night, Komarovsky in Dr. Zhivago, and Sol Nazerman in The Pawnbroker, among highlights like Waterloo and Oklahoma!.