Shawnee Smith Measurements: Height, Weight and Bio

Shawnee Smith is generally listed at about 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) tall with a slim build, as of 2026. Born on July 3, 1969, she is 57 years old.

No official weight is on record, so this profile keeps to height, general look and the long career behind the name.

Quick facts

Height and build

Profiles list Smith at about 5 ft 5 in, around average for an American woman. She has generally been described as slim, and across decades of film and television her look has shifted with the part: wholesome teen in the 1980s, then gritty and haunted in her horror work.

Starting young

Smith was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and began acting as a teenager. Her first screen credits came in the mid-1980s, including a role in the comedy Summer School (1987).

The breakout years

She earned attention as Meg in the 1988 horror remake The Blob, a role that made her a familiar face for genre fans. In the 1990s and 2000s she appeared in television and film, including a long run on the CBS sitcom Becker opposite Ted Danson, where she played Linda, the diner’s quick-witted employee.

The Saw franchise

Her most iconic horror role is Amanda Young in the Saw films, beginning with the 2004 original. The character became one of the central figures in the series, and Smith returned for several sequels, including a late-franchise appearance in Saw X (2023). That return was a treat for longtime fans.

Music and other projects

Smith has also worked as a singer and was a member of the rock group Smith & Pyle. She has taken guest roles in various television series, and she is outspoken about the pleasure of working in both comedy and horror.

Personal life

Smith keeps most of her private life out of the press. Interviews tend to concentrate on her career and her love of music.

Amanda Young and the Saw legacy

When the first Saw arrived in 2004, it was a low-budget horror film made by James Wan and Leigh Whannell that became a surprise hit and launched a franchise of sequels. Smith played Amanda Young, a former addict who survives one of the Jigsaw killer’s traps and is later drawn into his work. Amanda’s story spreads across the series, and Smith’s work gave the character a vulnerable, conflicted core that made her one of the franchise’s most discussed figures. The sequels leaned heavily on flashbacks, which meant Smith kept appearing in later films even after her character’s story had seemingly ended.

Her return in Saw X (2023) was widely welcomed by long-time fans, who saw it as a nod to the series’ earlier years. The film is set between the first and second instalments, which let the production bring back familiar faces.

From teen roles to cult favourite

Her early work covers a lot of ground. Summer School (1987) was a teen comedy, The Blob (1988) a gory remake that has gained a cult following, and she also appeared in the 1994 miniseries of Stephen King’s The Stand, which put her in front of a large television audience. It’s a mix that suggests an actor happy to move between comedy, horror and television drama without worrying about a single image.

Becker and the sitcom years

As Linda on Becker (1998 to 2004), Smith worked opposite Ted Danson in a sitcom set around a cranky doctor and the Bronx neighbourhood he serves. Linda worked at the diner, kept the banter sharp and gave the show a counterweight to Danson’s grumbling. The series ran for six seasons on CBS and gave Smith a steady comic platform at the same time she was building her horror credits.

Music

Alongside acting, Smith has pursued music. She sings, writes and has performed with bands, including the group Smith & Pyle. Interviews often return to her love of live music and how it differs from acting: no second takes, and a crowd that tells you straight away how it’s going.

What fans ask

Readers frequently ask whether Smith is the same actor across The Blob, Becker and Saw, since the roles are so different. She is, and that range is the point. They also ask how tall she is, which is usually raised by horror fans trying to picture the Amanda character. The listed height of about 5 ft 5 in is average and, as ever, approximate.

Frequently asked questions