A promotional photograph of Harold Lloyd and John Aasen (Giant Colosso) from Why Worry 1923

John Aasen (born March 5, 1890 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States - died August 1, 1938 in Mendocino, California, United States) was one of the tallest actors in history. His mother, Kristi Danielsen, was an extremely tall Norwegian lady of around 2.20 m (almost 7 ft 3 inches) in height. It is not certain who his father was, because his mother kept it a secret for her entire life. According to some sources, his father was Nils Janson Bokke, a Swedish man of around 2.44 m (8 feet) tall. When he was ten years old, John and his mother moved from Ridgeway, Iowa to Sheyenne, North Dakota with his two younger siblings.

When in Sheyenne, John's mother operated a restaurant. John attended school and helped out in the family business. In 1902 John Aasen's mother passed away. He was taken in to many homes and families . When a family he was staying with started to operate a hotel in Leeds, North Dakota, he moved with them there.

John's growth started slowly. When he was confirmed in the Lutheran faith in Grandfield Lutheran Church near Sheyenne, North Dakota, he was the shortest in his class. According to some sources, John was around 2.73 m (which, if true, would make him taller than even Robert Wadlow).