Here’s How Peter Dinklage Broke Stereotypes To Become One of the Highest Paid Actors

American Actor and Television Producer- Peter Dinklage is the son of an elementary school teacher and a retired insurance salesman. The talented actor was born in June 11, 1969 in Morristown, New Jersey.  Both his parents and older brother are of normal height however Dinklage was the only family member who was affected by dwarfism. Peter Dinklage has Achondroplasia which is a form of dwarfism that affects bone growth. He is 4 feet and 5 inches tall with a normal size face and torso however he has short limbs. His condition affected him emotionally in his growing years. He was often angry, bitter and dejected about his physical condition. He didn’t even fit in school which left him frustrated. Then he realized that he has to accept his condition with a humorous attitude; “that it's not your problem. It's theirs."

He attended Delbarton School, a catholic preparatory school for boys where he developed his acting skills. He then attended Bennington College where he studied drama and finally graduated in 1991.  Along with friend Ian Bell, he decided to move to New York to establish a theatre company. In New York, Dinklage was also part of a ‘Punk Funk rap’ band called Whizzy. While he was playing in the nightclub, he was accidentally injured in the face that left him with a scar from his neck to his eyebrow.

Pinterest

Things never worked in Dinklage’s favour and his dreams of establishing his dream company in New York came crashing down. They had to move out of the apartment as they were not able to pay the rent. He slept on couches in his friend’s apartment. He was forced to do several odd jobs in order to survive in a big city like New York. Eventually, Dinklage had to work for a data processing company for six years before pursuing a career in acting.

His acting journey was imbued with highs and lows. It was very difficult to get the roles he wanted because he was offered only those roles that people with his condition generally took up. Albeit, he didn’t want to fall into that category. He knew his worth and that he was way more capable than playing roles of Elves and Leprechauns.  His debut film ‘Living in Oblivion’ (1995) which even though was low budgeted, was received well by critics. His role was that of a frustrated actor with dwarfism who always complained about the stereotypical roles he was offered.

Dinklage however received his first breakthrough when he was offered the role of Finbar Mcbride in the movie ‘The Station Agent.’ He plays the role of a quiet, withdrawn, unmarried man who had romantic feelings, anger and flaws. This was not the typical stereotypical role that actors with dwarfism were offered and Dinklage was certainly happy with the role. His career skyrocketed from there on, however his character- Tyrion Lannister in the ‘Game of Thrones’ was what captured the public’s attention. Dinklage received widespread praise and appreciation for this role. Further, ‘Game of thrones’ has become a commercial success. The Los Angeles Times wrote "In many ways, ‘Game of Thrones’ belongs to Dinklage. His character has become “one of  the most beloved characters” of the series.

In 2005 he got married to Theatre director Erica Schmidt. They have a daughter who was born in 2011. The couple is now expecting their second child.

Today Peter Dinklage is one of the highest paid actors on television. Peter Dinklage’s story is about willpower and determination. It is also about challenging stereotypes that we so easily fall in tune with. Peter Dinklage was brave enough to break these stereotypes.

Watch this inspiring video in which he says:

“Try again, fail again, fail better

The world is yours.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCnB9lgaCd0