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Kiran Shah
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Kiran Shah

Kiran Shah is one of the movie industry's premiere stunt doubles for children and small people. According to the current edition of the Guiness Book of World Records, he is the world's shortest stuntman in the entertainment business. The diminutive (4'1") Kenyan native, who lived in India before relocating to London during his teen years, began his performing career in London in 1973 after winning an audition with the Red Buddha Theatre Company.

After three years in experimental theatre, Shah won his first film role, as a stand-in for a child actress on Candleshoe. Spotted by the film's stunt coordinator, Shah served as the actress' stunt double, thus launching his new career in front of the cameras. He next won a small role in the film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's adventure story, The People that Time Forgot, and has since appeared in such big-screen projects as Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark and the sequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Ridley Scott's Legend, James Cameron's Titanic and Aliens, and, most recently, Peter Jackson's landmark trilogy, Lord of the Rings, in which he doubled for Elijah Wood's Frodo and appeared as a Hobbit. Other motion picture credits include Hugh Hudson's Greystoke: Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, Richard Donner's Superman, two Jim Henson productions, The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal, George Lucas' Return of the Jedi (playing an Ewok), Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning Braveheart and Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Shah is also a published poet in both Britain and the U.S. Kiran has gone behind the cameras and has just directed with his nephew Chaitan (Kit) his first featurelength film. It is called Weekend Lovers, a comedy farce set in the U.K.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2005.

Kiran Shah Facts

OccupationActor
BirthdaySeptember 28, 1956 (67)
SignLibra
BirthplaceNairobi, Kenya
Height4' 1" (1m24)  How tall is Kiran Shah compared to you?

Selected Filmography

Not available.