Tom Atkins, precisely 5ft 9 (175.3 cm) tall, embodied a rugged, everyman toughness in his memorable roles across horror and action cinema, where his solid stature amplified his gritty screen presence.
- Starred as the no-nonsense Captain in John Carpenter's The Fog (1980), his height lending authenticity to the battle-hardened survivor.
- Played the tough cop Michael Hazard in Escape from New York (1981), leveraging his 5ft 9 frame for a compact, formidable intensity.
- Delivered iconic performances in Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Maniac Cop (1988), and Night of the Creeps (1986), with his exact height enhancing the relatable heroism of his characters.
- Appeared alongside Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon (1987) and in Dario Argento's Two Evil Eyes (1990), showcasing how his stature grounded his versatile tough-guy archetype.