As stated in one of previous posts I think the greatest acting challenge in Game of Thrones is going to fall to Peter Dinklage. Tyrion Lannister is probably the most central characters to the story as it continues beyond the Pilot, and being a frank having a dwarf taker a central lead, in a serious fantasy TV series is groundbreaking ( that doesn’t mean im against it in any way, I am just aware the people will not be familiar or comfortable with the arrangement. ).

I am also looking forward to it, Peter comes as an actor with pedigree who for the most part has not acted towards the stereotypes that short people often do ( Prince Caspian excluded.)

Dinklage was born, the son of a retired insurance salesman, and an elementary school music teacher, He grew up in Mendham Township, New Jersey. Dinklage is a 1987 graduate of Delbarton School in Morristown, where he first began acting, and a 1991 graduate of Bennington College.

He height is a result of achondroplasia, which caused dwarfism, he stands at 4 foot 5 inches. And says about his height “When I was younger, definitely, I let it get to me. As an adolescent, I was bitter and angry and I definitely put up these walls. But the older you get, you realize you just have to have a sense of humor. You just know that it’s not your problem. It’s theirs.”. Both his parents and his brother are more regular heights.

Peter is noted as being a vegetarian, and he is married to Erica Schmidt, a theatre director, they tied the knot in 2004.

Peter Dinklage and wife Erica

For his education Peter attended Bennington College in Vermont, graduating in 1991 with a degree in drama. His Performances there included “Heartpiece”, “The Author’s Voice”, “Landscape of the Body” and “Video Priests”.

Peter most acclaimed film to date is 200’3 The station agent. For which he received Independent Spirit and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Actor.  In which he plays a man withdrawing from society due to rejection, who is brought back into the fold by the friendship of new found friends (surprisingly without having sex with any of them). By all accounts a great film that is now on my must see list.

His screen debut came in the arthouse film Living in Oblivion in 1995, and much of the time between 1995 and 2003 was spent in off broad-way productions.

Since 2003 he has performed numerous roles and his part in Find me Guilty won him more acclaim. He starred in elf but pleas don’t expect me to say anything nice about anything which starred Will Ferrell.

Other projects were a role in CBS Sci Fi series threshold, a role as a wedding planner in The Baxter, and appearing in a number of episodes of nip and tuck. He also stars in the 2007 British hit dark comedy Death at a Funeral.

His most clichéd and probably most widely known role is that of Trumpkin in Prince Caspain, which film critic Bill Gibron stated “cutesy stereotype [Dinklage] has tried to avoid.”.

With this pedigree and history I cannot think of another actor more suited to the role Of Tyrion Lannister, look forward to seeing him perform and wish him every success within the venture.

Peter Dinklage Filmography

• Living in Oblivion (1995)
• Safe Men (1998)
• Pigeonholed (1999)
• Never Again (2001)
• Human Nature (2001)
• Fortunes (2002)
• Just a Kiss (2002)
• 13 Moons (2002)
• Elf (2003)
• Tiptoes (2003)
• The Station Agent (2003)
• Surviving Eden (2004)
• Jail Bait (Short Film) (2004)
• Life as We Know It (2005)
• The Baxter (2005)
• Lassie (2005)
• Find Me Guilty (2006)
• Threshold (TV) (2006)
• Nip/Tuck (TV) (2006)
• Death at a Funeral (2007)
• Underdog (2007)
• Penelope (2008)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
• 30 Rock (TV) (2009)