Peter Dinklage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Dinklage
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Dinklage in 2023
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| Born |
Peter Hayden Dinklage
June 11, 1969 Jersey Shore, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Bennington College |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Height | 4 ft 5 in (1.35 m) |
| Spouse(s) |
Erica Schmidt
(m. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Peter Hayden Dinklage (born June 11, 1969) is an American actor famous for his many roles in movies and television. He is best known for playing Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2019. This role won him a record four Primetime Emmy Awards.
Dinklage has a common form of dwarfism called achondroplasia and is 4 feet 5 inches tall. He has used his fame to speak out against stereotypes about people with dwarfism.
Besides Game of Thrones, he has appeared in many popular films. You might know him from movies like Elf (2003), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). He also starred in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) and voiced characters in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) and Wicked (2024).
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Early Life and Education
Peter Hayden Dinklage was born on June 11, 1969, in New Jersey. His father, John, was an insurance salesman, and his mother, Diane, was a music teacher. He grew up in Mendham Township with his parents and older brother, Jonathan. Peter is the only person in his family with achondroplasia.
As a kid, Peter and his brother loved to put on puppet shows for their neighbors. He said his brother, a talented violinist, was "the real performer of the family."
Dinklage discovered his love for acting in a fifth-grade play, The Velveteen Rabbit. He loved hearing the audience's reaction. He continued acting in high school and decided to make it his career after seeing a play called True West.
He went to Bennington College and studied drama, graduating in 1991. After college, he moved to New York City to start a theater company with a friend. For a while, he worked at a data-processing company before he could become a full-time actor.
Acting Career
Early Roles
At the start of his career, Dinklage found it hard to get work. He refused to take roles that made fun of his height, like playing elves or leprechauns. His first movie was Living in Oblivion (1995), where he played a frustrated actor who was tired of stereotypical roles.
His friend, actor Steve Buscemi, recommended him for a part in the comedy 13 Moons (2002). When asked what his dream role was, Dinklage said he wanted to play "the romantic lead and get the girl."
Breakthrough Success
Dinklage's big break came in 2003 with the movie The Station Agent. He played Finbar McBride, a quiet man who loves trains and tries to live by himself. The role was written just for him. Dinklage liked the character because he was complex and had real feelings, unlike the simple, one-dimensional roles often offered to actors with dwarfism. His performance earned him several award nominations.
After this, he appeared in many other films. He played a grumpy children's author in the Christmas movie Elf (2003) and a tabloid reporter in the romantic comedy Penelope (2006). He also played the dwarf Trumpkin in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).
Game of Thrones and Stardom
From 2011 to 2019, Dinklage played Tyrion Lannister in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. The show is a fantasy drama about noble families fighting for power. Tyrion is a member of the rich and powerful Lannister family. He is known for being smart and witty, and he uses his intelligence to overcome the prejudice he faces.
The show's creators, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, said Dinklage was their first and only choice for the role. Dinklage was happy to play a character who was a "real human being" and not a stereotype.
His performance was highly praised by critics and fans. He won four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award for playing Tyrion. He became one of the highest-paid actors on television.
Major Film Roles
While working on Game of Thrones, Dinklage also starred in many big movies. He voiced Captain Gutt in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012).
In 2014, he played the villain Bolivar Trask in the superhero movie X-Men: Days of Future Past. That same year, he voiced the character Ghost in the video game Destiny.
He later appeared in other major films, including:
- Pixels (2015) as a former arcade champion.
- The Angry Birds Movie (2016) as the voice of The Mighty Eagle.
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in a supporting role.
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018) as Eitri, the king of the dwarves who forges Thor's new weapon.
- My Dinner with Hervé (2018), a film he also produced.
- I Care a Lot (2020) as a mobster named Roman Lunyov.
- Cyrano (2021), a musical film where he played the lead role.
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) as the voice of the main villain, Scourge.
- The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) as Casca Highbottom, the Dean of the Academy.
- Wicked (2024) as the voice of Dr. Dillamond.
Personal Life
In 2005, Dinklage married Erica Schmidt, a theater director. They have two children, a daughter born in 2011 and a son born in 2017. The family lives mainly in New York City.
Dinklage has a scar that runs from his neck to his eyebrow. He got it in the early 1990s while performing with his band, Whizzy, at the famous club CBGB. He was accidentally kneed in the face but kept performing.
He became a vegetarian when he was 16. He now eats fish and chicken but does not eat red meat. He supports animal rights and has worked with groups like Farm Sanctuary and PETA.
Living with Dwarfism
Dinklage has a condition called achondroplasia, which is a common cause of dwarfism. It affects how bones grow, resulting in a shorter height with shorter limbs. He said that growing up with the condition was sometimes hard, but he learned to have a sense of humor about it.
He is seen as a role model, but he says that everyone's experience is different. "Every person my size has a different life, a different history," he said in an interview.
In 2012, at the Golden Globe Awards, he used his acceptance speech to bring attention to Martin Henderson, a man with dwarfism who was seriously injured in an attack. This helped raise awareness about the dangers of "dwarf-tossing" and the harm it causes.
In 2022, Dinklage criticized Disney for its portrayal of the Seven Dwarfs in the live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He said that while it was good they cast a Latina actress for Snow White, they were still using what he felt were old and damaging stereotypes about dwarfs. Disney responded by saying they were working with members of the dwarfism community to create the characters differently.
Works and Awards
Peter Dinklage has received many awards for his acting. For his role in Game of Thrones, he won four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He is the only cast member from the show to win an Emmy.
Some of his most critically acclaimed films include Living in Oblivion (1995), The Station Agent (2003), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
Discography
| Year | Title | Album |
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| 2024 | "Something Bad" (featuring Cynthia Erivo) | Wicked: The Soundtrack |
See also
In Spanish: Peter Dinklage para niños
