Linda Hunt’s Small Stature Didn’t Stop Her From Achieving Huge Success In Hollywood

Jan 19, 2023

Linda Hunt is an established actress both on stage and on the big and small screens. She has appeared in a variety of productions, films, and television shows over the years as she's shared the spotlight with her brilliant co-stars and shown her talent to the world. Her filmography is impressive and shows off her stunning range as a performer — she's lent her voice to animated films and shows, as well as shown just how far she can push herself in more serious roles, too.

Growing up in Connecticut, Hunt was a big fan of the arts. Her father, Raymond, was the vice president of Harper Fuel Oil, while her mother, Elsie, was a piano teacher. They were very encouraging of their daughter’s ambitions. Hunt was persistent with her passion for the arts but still remained practical about the potential to make a real career for herself as an aspiring actress.

While Hunt has appeared in many productions throughout her lifetime, one of her most notable and recognizable roles is as Hetty Lange on the television show “NCIS: Los Angeles.” She has appeared on the show for 12 seasons and even made a guest appearance later on. Fans grew to not only love the character but also love Hunt as an actress.

However, Hunt’s road to success was, in fact, a bumpy ride as she had to do more than she actually had to because of her congenital disability. But despite this, she has braved every hardship, obstacle, and setback that she has faced just so she could persevere her way to the top and become one of the most celebrated and well-loved actresses in the industry. 

Read on to learn more about Hunt, her disability, and her very commendable success in her career.

Born on Apr. 2, 1945, in Morristown, New Jersey, Hunt was raised in Westport, Connecticut. She is one of two children in her family and grew up enjoying the arts and participating in them. In a leap of faith, Hunt went forward and pursued her passion for acting, and it’s safe to say that all of her hard work and dedication have truly paid off.

Hunt became completely mesmerized by the idea of becoming an actress after she saw a stage performance of “Peter Pan” during her childhood, according to Britannica. She was so determined to make her dreams come true that she began pursuing her passion by implementing it into her studies. 

She was diagnosed with hypopituitary dwarfism in her youth and, in adulthood, has a short height, standing at 4 feet 9 inches tall. Since she was not conventionally beautiful as deemed by Hollywood, her appearance was something that sadly held her back.

According to Mayo Clinic, Hypopituitarism or hypopituitary dwarfism is a rare disorder in which your pituitary gland fails to produce one or more hormones or doesn't produce enough hormones. The lack of hormones could vary from person to person; this could include chronic fatigue, sexual dysfunction, inability to produce breast milk, or growth impairment, like what happened to Hunt. 

A Very Well Health article says that the cause of hypopituitarism may be something that a person is born with or direct damage to the pituitary gland that could be caused by trauma, infection, or even a tumor. 

At first, Hunt tried all the medications and treatments possible, but despite all of these, nothing worked. 

When she was in school, her love for the arts and acting grew fonder, but she realized that her disability might be an obstacle for her as she aspired to dream bigger. 

“Everybody either wanted to take care of me or push me around, you know?” Hunt admitted to CBS Sunday Mornings. “I was teased a lot, sure I was, of course. Fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, everybody was taking their spurts except me. I was not growing up.”

But despite the fact that she was “totally alienated” in school, her supportive family kept pushing her to dream big. Hunt’s parents sent her to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, as well as the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, so she could enhance her skills. 

But while she was there, she was encouraged to pursue directing since many believed that it would be difficult for her to get a career in front of the camera because of her stature. 

“I was very young and very lost. I didn’t even attempt to act professionally. That would have getting an agent and going on auditions. I wasn’t capable of doing any of that. It was truly emotionally beyond me,” she told The Bulletin in 1991.

But thankfully, Hunt gracefully surpassed all those difficulties and emerged as one of the most decorated actresses in television, film, and stage. 

Hunt won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Billy Kwan in “The Year of Living Dangerously,” becoming the first person to win an Oscar for portraying a character of the opposite sex. She also received a Tony nomination for her work in the play “End of the World” and received two Obie Awards for “Top Girls” and “A Metamorphosis in Miniature.” 

Isn’t Linda Hunt’s story inspiring? What do you think about her incredible journey? Do you think people with disabilities should be given a chance to shine despite their impairment? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other loved ones!