Peter Dinklage

Between 2011 and 2019, Dinklage played the character Tyrion Lannister in HBO's fantasy series Game of Thrones, a TV adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels.


The show unfolds on the made-up continents of Westeros and Essos, chronicling the power struggles among noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Tyrion, a member of House Lannister, one of the most affluent families in Westeros, leverages his Lannister status to counteract the marginalization and mockery he faces throughout his life.

In May 2009, he became the inaugural actor cast in the series. Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss chose Dinklage, citing his humor, intelligence, and wit as key factors. They believed Dinklage's essential humanity, concealed beneath a layer of sardonic dry wit, aligned well with the character.


Despite being unfamiliar with the source material, Dinklage approached the role cautiously, specifying his reluctance to portray elves or leprechauns and being selective about genre roles. Benioff and Weiss assured him that Tyrion was a "different kind of fantasy little person," described by Dinklage as a "romantic, real human being." Dinklage agreed to portray Tyrion, partly influenced by the character's popularity.


Martin expressed relief at Dinklage's acceptance, acknowledging uncertainty about an alternative choice. The series achieved commercial success, receiving renewals for multiple seasons and concluding with its eighth season in May 2019. Dinklage garnered extensive critical acclaim for his portrayal, with Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe praising his charming, morally ambiguous, and self-aware performance.


Dan Kois from The New York Times highlighted that Dinklage's acting contributed to the character's increased popularity, and The Los Angeles Times asserted that Game of Thrones essentially belonged to Dinklage.


HuffPost dubbed Tyrion the "most quotable" and "one of the most beloved characters" in the series. Dinklage's performance earned him accolades, including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2011, 2015, 2018, and 2019) and the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Due to his exceptional performance and expanded screen time, Dinklage received top billing from the second season onward.


In 2014, he humorously mentioned on The Late Show with David Letterman that attempting to read the books on which the show is based proved confusing, jesting about the author, George Martin, possibly killing his character for the comment.


By 2014, Dinklage and four Game of Thrones co-stars became some of the highest-paid actors on television, although reports vary on their per-episode salaries. In 2015, Dinklage lent his voice to the video game Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series, reprising the role of Tyrion.


In 2012, Dinklage lent his voice to the character Captain Gutt in Ice Age: Continental Drift. Preparing for his inaugural voice acting role, he emphasized vocal rest before recording sessions and expressed a preference for unexplored roles. After a 2013 appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live, Dinklage hosted an episode in April 2016, showcasing diverse sketches, including one featuring him and Gwen Stefani performing a new song titled "Galactic Trousers." His performance received acclaim.


The year 2014 saw Dinklage in the comedy horror film Knights of Badassdom, portraying a character in a live-action Dungeons & Dragons role play gone awry. Simultaneously, he played the antagonist Bolivar Trask in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Dinklage approached Trask not as a typical villain but as someone who believes in the righteousness of his actions. In the video game Destiny, he voiced the AI Ghost until being replaced by Nolan North in 2015 due to scheduling conflicts arising from Dinklage's other acting commitments.


Dinklage's 2015 endeavors included starring in the science fiction comedy film Pixels as Eddie Plant, a former arcade champion. Though the film received critical disapproval, The Guardian acknowledged Dinklage's performance in an otherwise lackluster narrative.


In 2016, Dinklage voiced The Mighty Eagle in The Angry Birds Movie and contributed to the musical's soundtrack. The independent film Rememory (2017), where he played Sam Bloom, received mixed reviews, with some critics praising his performance amid disappointment with the overall film. The same year, he supported in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a drama-dark comedy, and had a role in Three Christs, both showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival. Three Billboards earned widespread critical acclaim.


2018 brought Dinklage to the Marvel Studios film Avengers: Infinity War, where he portrayed Eitri, a giant dwarf. Collaborating with Sacha Gervasi, Dinklage produced and starred in My Dinner with Hervé (2018), a film exploring the final days of actor Hervé Villechaize. He co-starred alongside Jamie Dornan in this HBO-approved project.


Establishing Estuary Films with manager David Ginsburg in 2016, Dinklage produced and starred in I Think We're Alone Now (2018), a post-apocalyptic drama. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and had a theatrical release in September 2018.In 2020, Dinklage took on the role of the fearsome pirate Fannybaws in the music video of the same name from Scottish power metal band Alestorm.


In the crime thriller I Care a Lot (2021), Dinklage portrayed mobster Roman Lunyov, earning praise for his performance. Moving to 2023, he voiced Terrorcon Scourge, the primary antagonist in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Additionally, he starred in the romantic comedy-drama She Came to Me and played Casca Highbottom in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

Dwarfism

Dinklage, standing at 4 feet 5 inches (1.35 m) tall due to achondroplasia, a genetic disorder affecting bone growth, has an average-sized head and torso but shorter limbs. While he has come to embrace his condition, growing up presented challenges for him. In 2003, he admitted to harboring anger and bitterness during his youth, but as he matured, he recognized the importance of humor, stating that understanding it's not his problem but others' was crucial.


Addressing the notion of being a spokesperson for the rights of little people in 2012, Dinklage emphasized the diversity of experiences among individuals of his size. He refrained from prescribing a universal approach, acknowledging the varied histories and coping mechanisms. Despite this, he has been regarded as a role model for those sharing his condition.


During the 2012 Golden Globe ceremony, upon winning the award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Television Film, Dinklage mentioned Martin Henderson, a man with dwarfism from Somerset, England. Encouraging the audience to Google Henderson's name, Dinklage shed light on the issue of dwarf-tossing after Henderson suffered severe injuries in a bar incident involving a rugby fan.

References

1.  Maron, Marc (January 24, 2022). "Episode 1299 - Peter Dinklage". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved January 25, 2022. Time stamp 18:31: 'I was born at the [ Jersey Shore ] and the school system in the 60's wasn't very good back then. My mom moved us north.'
2. a b Guthmann, Edward (October 12, 2003). "'Station' actor draws big attention / Peter Dinklage a Sundance hit in first-ever lead role for a dwarf". SF Gate. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
3. a b Dawson, Tom (October 28, 2014). "BBC - Films - Peter Dinklage". BBC. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
4. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (September 23, 2019). "Emmys: Peter Dinklage Sets Record With Supporting Actor Win for 'Game of Thrones'". Variety. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
5. ^ Britannica 2017 Book of the Year, p. 21. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2017.ISBN 9781625135308. Accessed February 3, 2023. "Dinklage, Peter (b. June 11, 1969, Morristown, N.J.)"
6. ^ Doyle, Bill. "‘Game of Thrones’ actor Peter Dinklage is a Jersey guy", WKXW, June 11, 2019. Accessed February 2, 2023. "Peter Dinklage, who played Tyrion Lannister, was born June 11th, 1969 in Morristown."
7. ^ "The Garden State at Sundance", The Record, January 18, 2018. Accessed February 2, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones, was born in Morristown and grew up in Brookside."