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Geena Davis admitted it was “really tough growing up” as the tallest kid in school as she spoke about her debut children’s book, The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page, on The View on Wednesday, April 30
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“The boys’ nickname for me in high school was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which, you know, is so charming,” the Thelma and Louise actress told the hosts of kids comparing her to the former Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks basketball star who is 7-foot-2
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“Once I stopped growing, I became very comfortable with it,” Davis said of her height
Geena Davis has learned to embrace her height over the years, but she’s admitted it wasn’t always easy being the tallest kid in school.
During an appearance on the Wednesday, April 30 episode of The View, the Thelma and Louise actress, 69, spoke about her debut children’s book, The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page, which stems from real experiences she had as a child, and the self-confidence she later learned.
Davis shared, “I was tall from minute one … I was very self-conscious and shy, and the last thing I wanted to do was stand out, and yet, every minute, I stood out.”
“So, it was really tough growing up. The boys’ nickname for me in high school was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which, you know, is so charming,” she added of kids comparing her to the former Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks basketball player who is 7-foot-2.
Related: Geena Davis’ 3 Children: All About Alizeh, Kaiis and Kian
Davis’ book focuses on Sheila, a young girl who lives inside a book she knows people are reading. But as she grows older, she realizes that she’s growing so quickly that she no longer fits on the page, and the Beetlejuice star said that she could relate.
“This has always been a part of my life, but once I stopped growing, I became very comfortable with it and happy, and got cast in Tootsie, because it was funny to look at me and Dustin Hoffman together,” she said referencing the 1982 flick, in which she made her feature film debut as April Page alongside Hoffman’s Michael Dorsey.
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Philomel Books
A photo of the cover of Geena Davis’ children’s book ‘The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page’
Davis — who also illustrated the book, which is from Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers — also stopped by CBS Mornings on Wednesday for a chat about the release.
She noted that she finally accepted her height as an adult. “[Then] I realized that it’s okay to take up this much space. And so that’s kind of the message of the book.”
Related: Tim Burton Explains Why Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis Aren’t in the Beetlejuice Sequel (Exclusive)
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Geena Davis
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Davis shared the book’s release with PEOPLE exclusively in December, saying, “I’ve always been tall – I was a tall baby. As a kid, my fondest wish was to take up less space in the world. It was only as an adult I realized I could be all of who I was, unapologetically.”
“So I wrote this book for all of the ‘too big’ children — including children with big personalities and big dreams — who need reassurance that they can be their true selves and make their own space in the world.”
“It was a joy to write, and so wonderful to be able to illustrate my own words to bring my characters to life. I can’t wait to have it out in the world,” Davis concluded.
The Girl Who Was Too Big for the Page is now available wherever books are sold.
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