Myha’la vs Marisa Abela: How Do They Compare?
They met on the set of HBO’s Industry back in 2019 as two unknowns playing graduate recruits at a cutthroat London investment bank. Five years later, both are leading films. Myha’la went from Harper Stern to headlining Netflix’s Leave the World Behind opposite Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke. Marisa Abela played Amy Winehouse in Back to Black and did her own singing.
They’re also born the same year, four months apart, and they’re both on the petite side — which is why fans keep searching for who’s taller. Here’s the breakdown.
Image: LucaFazPhoto / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Myha’la (full name Myha’la Herrold) was born August 17, 1996, in San Jose, California. She trained at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama, graduating in 2018, then toured nationally with The Book of Mormon as Nabulungi before Industry landed. She’s a trained dancer and singer, which shows in how she carries herself — compact frame, strong posture, a lot of upper-back definition for someone her size.
Image: JaceMerlyn / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Marisa Abela was born December 20, 1996, in Brighton, England, to actress Caroline Gruber and producer Angelo Abela. She trained at RADA and booked Industry before she’d even graduated. She’s slightly taller and slimmer through the shoulders, with the kind of lean, narrow build that costume designers on Industry leaned into hard with all those tailored Yasmin outfits.
Side-by-Side Stats
| Stat | Myha’la | Marisa Abela |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Weight | Approx. 115 lbs (52 kg) | Approx. 119 lbs (54 kg) |
| Age | 29 | 28 |
| Date of Birth | August 17, 1996 | December 20, 1996 |
| Build | Petite, athletic, dancer’s frame | Slim, lean, narrow-shouldered |
| Eye Color | Dark brown | Hazel |
| Hair Color | Dark brown/black | Dark brown |
| Net Worth (est.) | $1.5 million | $1.5 million |
| Nationality | American | British |
Weights are estimates based on public appearances — neither actress has publicly stated a number, and we’re not going to invent one.
Height Comparison
Marisa has about two inches on Myha’la. Stand them side by side flat-footed and Myha’la’s eyeline lands somewhere around Marisa’s cheekbone — noticeable, but not dramatic. On Industry press tours the gap often disappears entirely because Myha’la tends to go for a chunkier heel while Marisa frequently shows up in flats or a lower block heel.
Context: the average American woman is about 5 ft 4 in, and the average British woman is about 5 ft 3 in. So Myha’la sits an inch under the US average, and Marisa sits a couple of inches above the UK average. Both are well below the Hollywood leading-lady norm, which is part of why they read so differently on screen — Harper Stern’s physical smallness against a trading floor full of men is a deliberate visual choice the show uses constantly.
Career Comparison
Myha’la: After Industry premiered in November 2020, she moved fast. Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) for A24, Dumb Money (2023) alongside Paul Dano and Seth Rogen, then Leave the World Behind (December 2023), which became one of Netflix’s most-watched films of that year. She returned as Harper in Industry season 3 in August 2024 after her character’s firing closed out season 2. She also dropped the “Herrold” from her professional credit in 2023.
Marisa: She had a small part in Barbie (2023) and starred in the indie two-hander She Is Love opposite Sam Riley. Then came Back to Black, released April 2024, where she played Amy Winehouse and performed all the vocals herself rather than lip-syncing to Winehouse’s recordings. She also appeared in the BBC’s SAS Rogue Heroes as Eve Mansour. In 2025 she joined Steven Soderbergh’s spy sequel work and other high-profile projects.
Fitness and Body Approach
Myha’la’s physical base is dance. She grew up in musical theater and spent years in dance training before acting took over, which explains the posture, the shoulder definition and the way she holds weight low and tight. She’s spoken about needing physical outlets to manage the mental load of playing Harper — a character who is, by her own description, exhausting to live inside. Her off-season look tends to stay consistent: no big fluctuations, no visible bulking or cutting between projects.
Marisa’s most documented body work came with Back to Black. She spent months preparing — vocal training to hit Winehouse’s contralto range, plus guitar and movement coaching. On the weight question, she’s been openly critical of the expectation that she drastically slim down to play Winehouse in her later years. She’s said she worked with professionals and refused to crash-diet for the part, and she’s pushed back hard in interviews on the idea that an actress should wreck her health for a role. That’s a rare public stance, and worth respecting.
Neither one has an Instagram-documented gym routine with a named celebrity trainer. Both keep that side of their lives quiet, which — for two actresses this famous — is genuinely unusual in 2025.
Key Differences
- Height: Marisa is about 2 inches taller at 5 ft 5 in versus Myha’la’s 5 ft 3 in.
- Build: Myha’la has the denser, more athletic frame from years of dance; Marisa is leaner and longer through the limbs.
- Eyes: Dark brown (Myha’la) vs hazel (Marisa).
- Training background: Carnegie Mellon drama and musical theater for Myha’la; RADA for Marisa.
- Nationality: American (California) vs British (Brighton) — and both use the opposite accent on Industry at various points.
- Body-prep history: Marisa has done documented transformation work for a biopic role; Myha’la’s physique has stayed essentially unchanged across every project she’s done.
- Age: Myha’la is the older of the two by four months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is taller, Myha’la or Marisa Abela?
Marisa Abela is taller at 5 ft 5 in (165 cm), compared with Myha’la at 5 ft 3 in (160 cm).
What is the height difference between Myha’la and Marisa Abela?
The gap is about 2 inches (5 cm). Side by side, Myha’la’s eyeline sits around Marisa’s cheekbone.
Who is older, Myha’la or Marisa Abela?
Myha’la is older by four months. She was born August 17, 1996 (age 29), while Marisa Abela was born December 20, 1996 (age 28).
Who weighs more, Myha’la or Marisa Abela?
Marisa Abela is estimated at around 119 lbs (54 kg) and Myha’la at about 115 lbs (52 kg). Neither actress has publicly confirmed a weight, so these are estimates.
Who is richer, Myha’la or Marisa Abela?
They are essentially level, with both estimated at around $1.5 million in net worth.
How do their body types differ?
Myha’la has a petite, athletic dancer’s frame built from years of dance and musical theatre training, while Marisa Abela has a slim, lean build with narrower shoulders.
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Last Updated: October 17, 2026 | Source: Healthy Celeb
