You've probably seen her. Maybe it was that haunting, intense gaze in HBO’s The Undoing or perhaps you caught her leading the charge in The Law According to Lidia Poët. Matilda De Angelis has this way of owning every frame she’s in, which usually leads to the same question from fans everywhere: how tall is she, really? There’s a specific kind of "screen presence" that makes certain actors look like giants, and Matilda is the perfect example of why the camera is a big fat liar.
Actually, she isn't towering over anyone.
Breaking Down the Matilda De Angelis Height Mystery
Let’s get the hard numbers out of the way first because honestly, the internet is full of conflicting stats. If you check her official performer profiles and casting data, Matilda De Angelis stands at 5 feet 5.5 inches (166 cm).
Some sites will try to tell you she’s 5'4" and others swear she’s 5'7", but the 166 cm mark is the one that shows up in the most reliable industry databases like IMDbPro. It's a very "human" height. It’s that middle-of-the-road stature that allows her to look delicate next to someone like Nicole Kidman but totally commanding when she’s playing a pioneer lawyer in 19th-century Italy.
Why does she look taller on screen?
It’s all about the "Lidia Poët" effect. In that show, she’s often wearing period-accurate boots with a bit of a heel, plus those incredibly structured, high-waisted Victorian silhouettes. It elongates the body. Also, Matilda has what stylists call "great lines"—long limbs and a very upright, athletic posture. When you carry yourself with that much confidence, people just assume you’re hitting the six-foot mark.
The Athlete’s Build: More Than Just Inches
Height is just a number, but Matilda’s physical presence comes from years of literal sweat. Before she was an award-winning actress, she spent twelve years as an artistic gymnast.
If you've ever known a gymnast, you know they are built differently. They have this insane muscle memory and a center of gravity that makes them move with a specific kind of precision.
She recently talked about this when preparing for Citadel: Diana. She did about 90% of her own stunts. She wasn't just standing there looking pretty; she was sliding, changing cartridges, and fighting. She mentioned that her body "retains good muscle memory" from her gymnastics days. It’s that athletic core that makes her look powerful regardless of whether she’s 5'5" or 5'10".
Comparing Her to Co-stars
If you want a real sense of scale, look at her next to her The Undoing co-stars.
- Nicole Kidman: Stands at about 5'11". Next to Nicole, Matilda looks noticeably smaller, which worked perfectly for the power dynamics of that show.
- Hugh Grant: He’s roughly 5'11" too.
- Liev Schreiber: In Across the River and into the Trees, she’s acting opposite a guy who is 6'3".
When she's paired with these Hollywood heavyweights, you can see her actual height more clearly. She’s petite-adjacent but never "small" in terms of energy.
The "Matilda" Origin Story (Fun Fact)
Here is something kinda cool that most people miss. Her name isn't just a random choice. Her mother was pregnant and saw the movie Léon: The Professional. She was so struck by Natalie Portman’s character (Mathilda) that she named her daughter after her.
Fast forward a few decades, and Matilda De Angelis is playing a vampire in Luc Besson’s Dracula: A Love Tale. Luc Besson, of course, is the guy who directed Léon. Talk about a full-circle moment.
Style Secrets for the 5'5" Frame
Matilda is a fashion darling for a reason. She knows how to work her 166 cm height on the red carpet without looking like she’s playing dress-up in her mom’s closet.
- Monochrome is King: She often wears single-color outfits that create a continuous vertical line.
- Tailoring: You will rarely see her in something "oversized" that swallows her. Everything is nipped at the waist to highlight her gymnast's frame.
- The Shoe Choice: She’s a fan of a platform, but she also rocks flat boots with an "I don't care" attitude that actually makes her look taller.
Real Talk on Body Image
Matilda is refreshingly honest. She’s been very open on Instagram about her struggles with acne and the pressure to look "perfect" in an industry that obsessed over measurements. She’s posted raw, unfiltered photos of her skin breakouts, basically telling the world that what you see in the movies is a highly curated version of reality.
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She’s even admitted that she likes playing characters that look nothing like her. For her, the job is about "playing the game," like an eight-year-old would. This groundedness is probably why she doesn't seem obsessed with her height or any other physical metric. She’s more interested in whether she can credibly pull off a scene without a stunt double.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you’re looking at Matilda De Angelis and wondering how she commands so much attention at 5'5.5", here’s the takeaway:
- Posture is everything. Her background in gymnastics gives her a "height" that isn't measured in inches. Stand up straight.
- Embrace your "real" stats. Matilda’s career took off because she felt authentic, not because she fit a specific height requirement for a "leading lady."
- Focus on capability. She got the lead in Citadel: Diana because she could handle the physicality. Being fit and agile is often more important for modern roles than being tall.
To truly understand her presence, go watch the first episode of Citadel: Diana on Prime Video or The Law According to Lidia Poët on Netflix. Pay attention to how she enters a room. She doesn't need to be the tallest person there to be the one everyone is looking at.
Next time you see a "fact" about a celeb's height, remember that lighting, camera angles, and a good pair of Italian boots can add three inches easy—but they can't fake that kind of talent.
Next Steps for You: If you want to emulate her style, look for high-waisted wide-leg trousers that hit just above the floor—it’s her go-to trick for looking taller. Also, check out her music; she was in a band called Rumba de Bodas before she ever hit the big screen.