Lived in an apartment with rats and no heating and had no one to believe in him: how 135 cm tall Peter Dinklage conquered Hollywood

Millions dream of becoming a Hollywood star, but only a few succeed. Peter Dinklage was born with achondroplasia, a disease that leads to dwarfism. When his height stopped at 135 centimeters, he realized that he had almost no chance in the movies. However, this "almost" did not mean that Dinklage was going to give up on his dream.

The actor boasts a number of prestigious awards, such as Emmy and Golden Globe. He has dozens of mega-popular projects in his filmography. He also has a multimillion-dollar army of fans, a loving wife, and two children. OBOZ.UA decided to tell the story of a 135 cm tall star who overcame a thorny path to recognition and eventually achieved what he wanted.

Childhood, bullying and the desire to become an actor

Dinklage was born to a music teacher and an unemployed insurance agent. He also has a brother who plays the cello. Everyone in the celebrity's family is of normal height and only he was born with the disease.

As a teenager, Peter faced severe bullying because of his disability. He would later call bullying "an epidemic no one is safe from." However, it was during this period that the unusual boy realized that he wanted to pursue acting. He was reclusive and insecure, but he revealed himself on the stage of the drama club, where he became an actor until he graduated from high school.

"When I was younger, I was angry with the world around me, so I built a wall of cynicism around it. But the older you get, the more clearly you realize that you need to approach everything with a joke. As a result, I realized that this disease is not my problem, it's the problem of those around me," the actor said in an interview.

No gnomes, elves, or leprechauns

Turning his "disadvantage" into an advantage and a unique trump card was the challenge Dinklage faced when he realized he wanted to act in movies. Nevertheless, the actor promised himself not to play gnomes, elves, or leprechauns. But, as expected, these were the roles he was offered.

Due to the lack of work, the ambitious actor's life was plagued by debts. Peter had to live in an apartment with rats and no heating. Eventually, Dinklage achieved his goal and made his film debut in 1995 in the comedy Living in Oblivion, where he played himself, as one might say, which was an actor with dwarfism who complains about stereotypical roles.

In 2003, the movie The Station Agent was released, which brought Dinklage the first prestigious Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. In 2004, the actor fulfilled a long-held dream: he played Richard III in Shakespeare's play of the same name at the New York Public Theater.

However, the actor did go against his principles and accepted the role of a dwarf. In this character, he appears in the iconic Chronicles of Narnia. And although all the films in this franchise are considered legendary, Peter himself eventually regretted betraying his own beliefs.

One of the latest films featuring Dinklage is a prequel to the equally iconic Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the actor played the dean of the Academy, Casca Highbottom, who is one of the main enemies of the young Coriolanus Snow.

Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones

There's no arguing that the most significant role in the actor's career was his role in the iconic TV series Game of Thrones. The author of the novels, George Martin, said that Dinklage was the only one of the entire cast who did not go through any auditions or casting calls as he was the only candidate for the role of Tyrion Lannister.

When Peter was officially approved, he said, "No fake beards! No slippers with bent noses! I want to play a personality!"

The fact that Dinklage has done a great job is evidenced by the numerous awards for his work in Game of Thrones.

These include three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.

In addition to recognition, Dinklage also received considerable fees. For an actor who had to live in an apartment with rats, earning more than $2 million for one episode of the series was a truly unprecedented upward leap. Peter is currently the richest actor in Game of Thrones, with a net worth of over $10 million.

Family happiness

However, the greatest reward and achievement for the actor is his loving wife and children. The movie star has been married to theater director Erica Schmidt since 2005. The woman is of average height and admits that she doesn't feel any difference with her beloved because he is a real man, a talented actor and a wonderful father.

By the way, the couple became parents for the first time in 2011. They had a daughter, who was named Zelig, which means "blessing" in German. In 2017, their family became bigger with the addition of a son.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about how the actors from Game of Thrones have changed. Not everyone can be recognized in the photo with a difference of 12 years. See them here.

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