Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Peter Hayden Dinklage is an American actor who’s best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister on the television series Game of Thrones (2011 – 2019).
Before joining the cast of Game of Thrones, Dinklage had already earned himself a place among the world’s most promising actors. He appeared in tons of Hollywood blockbusters, including Elf (2003), Find Me Guilty (2006), Death at a Funeral (2007), and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).
Peter Dinklage has also enjoyed tremendous success in theater. His most popular theatrical works include the stage performances Richard III (2003), A Month in the Country (2015), and Cyrano (2019).
Peter Dinklage Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Peter Hayden Dinklage |
| Popular Name: | Peter Dinklage |
| Nicknames: | N/A |
| Birth Date: | June 11, 1969 |
| Age: | 53 years |
| Parents: | John Carl Dinklage and Diane Dinklage |
| Siblings: | Jonathan Dinklage |
| Birth Place: | Jersey Shore, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality: | United States |
| Ethnicity: | Mixed (German and Irish) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Education: | Delbarton School Preparatory School and Bennington College |
| Marital Status: | Married to theater director Erica Schmidt (since 2005) |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Children: | 2 |
| Net Worth: | USD 25 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Acting, Film & Television Producing, and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 4′ 5″ (1.35 m) |
| Weight: | In kilograms: 50 kg; In pounds: 110 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
Peter Hayden Dinklage was born on June 11, 1969, in Jersey Shore, New Jersey, United States, to John Carl Dinklage and Diane Dinklage. His father was an insurance salesman whereas his mother taught music at an elementary school.
Dinklage attended Delbarton School Preparatory School and later Bennington College, graduating from college in 1991.
Stage Career
Peter Dinklage took an interest in acting at a fairly tender age. He’s noted for putting up a stellar performance in a 5th-grade production of The Velveteen Rabbit.
Dinklage later achieved mainstream stage success by playing the title character in the 2003 stage production Richard III. His other successful stage projects include A Month in the Country (2015) and Cyrano (2019).
Film Career
After graduating from college, Peter Dinklage moved to New York City alongside his friend Ian Bell to establish a theater company. However, their ambitious project failed to take off, forcing the duo to move out of their apartment and look for alternative jobs.
Dinklage worked at a data processing firm to support himself while nurturing his acting ambitions. After six years, he left the company and decided to pursue an acting career full time.
Dinklage accepted several uncredited roles before making his official film debut as Tito in the 1995 movie ‘Living in Oblivion.’ He subsequently appeared in Bullet (1996), Safe Men (1998), Never Again (2001), Human Nature (2001), 13 Moons (2002), and Just a Kiss (2002). Dinklage eventually landed his breakout film role in the 2003 movie ‘The Station Agent,’ portraying a dwarf named Finbar McBride.
Thanks to his exceptional performance in The Station Agent, Peter Dinklage became a household name in Hollywood. He has since appeared in many other blockbusters, including;
• Tiptoes (2003)
• Elf (2003)
• Jail Bait (2004)
• The Baxter (2005)
• Lassie (2005)
• Find Me Guilty (2006)
• Little Fugitive (2006)
• Penelope (2006)
• Death at a Funeral (2007)
• Underdog (2007)
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
• Saint John of Las Vegas (2009)
• Death at a Funeral (2010)
• Pete Smalls Is Dead (2010)
• A Little Bit of Heaven (2011)
• Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012, as a voice actor)
• Knights of Badassdom (2013)
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
• Pixels (2015)
• The Angry Birds Movie (2016, as a voice actor)
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• I Think We’re Alone Now (2018)
• The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019, as a voice actor)
• The Croods: A New Age (2020, as a voice actor)
• Cyrano (2021)
• American Dreamer (2022)
Television Career
Peter Dinklage made his television debut in 2001, portraying a murder victim in an episode of the series ‘Oz.’ The same year, he appeared in an episode of ‘The $treet.’
Dinklage made several television appearances over the next couple of years. He had roles in Third Watch (2002), I’m with Her (2004), and Life As We Know It (2005).
In 2005, Peter Dinklage had his first recurrent television show when he began portraying Arthur Ramsey in ‘Threshold.’ He appeared in 13 episodes of the series until 2006.
Dinklage eventually landed what’s widely considered his breakout television role in 2011 when he began starring as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. He left the series in 2019 after featuring in total of 67 episodes.
Other major television programs that Dinklage has graced to date include Sesame Street (2003), Mini Monsters (2014, as a voice actor), and My Dinner with Hervé (2018).
Other Ventures
Besides acting, Peter Dinklage has also dabbled in film and television production. In 2016, Dinklage founded Estuary Films Production Company, a joint venture with David Ginsburg.
Through Estuary Films, Peter Dinklage produced the 2018 film ‘I Think We’re Alone Now.’ Dinklage also served as a producer in the films Pete Smalls Is Dead (2010) and Knights of Badassdom, as well as the television program My Dinner with Hervé (2018).
Awards and Recognitions
Dinklage is the recipient of one Critics’ Choice Award, one Empire Award, and one Golden Globe Award.
He also has one Online Film Critics Society Award, two Satellite Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Primetime Emmy Awards to his name.
Peter Dinklage’s Net Worth
As at August 1, 2022, Peter Dinklage had a net worth of $25 million. Dinklage has earned his millions from his various roles in successful movies and television shows.
Game of Thrones is Peter Dinklage’s most lucrative television project so far. Dinklage earned $0.5 million per episode for the 20 episodes he featured in seasons 5 and 6. That works out to $10 million total. He then earned $1.1 million per episode during the final two seasons of the show, or $14.3 million for the two seasons.
Dinklage’s total earnings from Game of Thrones is likely upwards of $30 million.
Lessons from Peter Dinklage
1. Great stories can spring from humble beginnings
Peter Dinklage is unarguably one of Hollywood’s most talented actors. But he didn’t become a star overnight. During the earlier days of his acting career, Dinklage even struggled to pay his rent.
2. Keep your private life out of the public limelight
Dinklage and his celebrity wife Erica Schmidt have managed to keep their private life fairly obscured from the public limelight. For instance, not much is known about the family’s two kids.
3. Disability is not inability
Peter Dinklage has a common form of dwarfism called achondroplasia. But despite his stature, Dinklage has leveraged every acting opportunity to give a good account of himself. He also takes advantage of his condition to highlight the social challenges facing dwarfs.
Famous Quotes by Peter Dinklage
• I have a friend who says, ‘The world doesn’t need another angry dwarf!’
• So I won’t say I’m lucky. I’m fortunate enough to find or attract very talented people.
• We, as Americans, at least – I mean, I love my country – but we’re so self-righteous sometimes, in terms of, like, our nationality, our country. But we’re people from somewhere else; the true ‘Americans’ are the original peoples. It’s funny, but we’re a very territorial species.
• We’re not environmentally doing very good things to this planet, and we might not be around too long.
• When people are infected by my charm, they don’t see my size. My piercing deep blue eyes are distracting.
Conclusion
Peter Dinklage may be vertically challenged. But the Jersey-born actor has achieved impressive success despite his dwarfism.
