In the film industry, certain people are often cast in roles that fit certain demographics and for dwarves, they are either expected to play humourous characters that solely serve the function of comedy. But not Peter Dinklage, who played the role of Tyrion Lannister in the critically acclaimed, Game of Thrones. Before getting cast on the show, Dinklage already had a long history in acting and if you wish to learn more about this actor, keep reading.
Peter Dinklage Background Details
This actor was born Peter Hayden Dinklage on the 11th of June in 1969, in Morristown, New Jersey. All of his childhood was spent in New Jersey along with his older brother Jonathan. He is the second child of his parents John and Diane, a family of descendants of people of German and Irish heritage. Peter, who is 4 feet 4 inches tall, is the only member of his family who suffers from Dwarfism.
As a child the two Dinklage children would put on puppet shows for the other children in the neighbourhood and during this period in the actor’s, life he showed an interest in the performing arts. Peter Dinklage credits his brother for sparking his interest in performance as the latter is a violinist who had a strong passion for playing the violin.
Dinklage’s first performance in acting was when he was in the fifth grade and he was part of his school’s production of The Velveteen Rabbit where he played the lead role, the reaction he got for his performance was all the encouragement he needed to pursue a career in acting. For his university education, Peter Dinklage studied Drama at Bennington College where he graduated from in 1991.
The start of his career in the film industry was not an easy one, as he could barely get any roles he was comfortable with and he had difficulty finding an agent as no one was willing to work with him or were comfortable with the standards the actor had set for himself. The first credited role he got in a film was in 1995, four years after he graduated from the university and it was to play Tito in the film, Living in Oblivion.
Peter Dinklage did not get a major role in a film until 2003 when he played Fin McBride in the comedy-drama, The Station Agent. His performance earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award recognition and respect in the industry. It was on this that he built the career he has today.
But in the years since he started his career, Dinklage’s biggest role is that of Tyrion Lannister in GoT where fans of the show saw him transition from a drunk womanizer to one of the most revered people in all of Westeros. For his work on Game Thrones he won three Emmys and a Golden Globe.
In 2005, he got married to a woman called Erica Schmidt who works as a theater director. The couple has two children together, the first is a girl. Not much is known of his children as he protects their identities.
Facts about the actor that plays Tyrion Lannister in GoT
- While Peter Dinklage was still at Bennington College he was part of a band, Whizzy. The band played punk, rap, and funk music. The actor has a scar from his eyebrow to his neck and he got it from an injury he survived while playing with his band at a nightclub. The band has long separated.
- Before he decided to completely focus on acting, Dinklage worked in a data processing company for six years. He had this job while trying to build a career as an actor.
- As previously mentioned, Dinklage had certain expectations of himself as an actor and the most significant one was to not perform in any stereotypical roles that are known to feature dwarves. This decision made it difficult for him to get jobs as an actor as he wanted to play roles that featured wholesome characters.
- Peter Dinklage is a staunch vegetarian and has practiced this way of life since he was sixteen. He is also known for his vocal activism for animal rights.
- Game of Thrones had a cast full of people who are predominantly from the European continent except for Dinklage. He’s the only American person who was part of the cast.