Peter Dinklage

Born in 1969, actor Peter Dinklage grew up in Morristown, New Jersey. He moved to New York City in 1991 to work in theater. In 1995, Dinklage made his film debut in "Living in Oblivion." His next major career breakthrough came with 2003's "The Station Agent." Dinklage continued to win over critics with his performance in the television series "Game of Thrones," which began in 2011.

Actor Peter Dinklage has captivated film, television and theater audiences with his expressive blue eyes, powerful presence, wit and charm. The Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner discovered a passion for performing at a young age growing up in Morristown, New Jersey.

Born to average-sized parents, Dinklage learned early on that he had achondroplasia, a genetic condition that effects bone growth. A person with this form of dwarfism usually has a normal-sized head and torso but short limbs. While he has come to accept his condition, Dinklage found it challenging sometimes while growing up. “As an adolescent, I was bitter and angry, and I definitely put up these walls," he told MSNBC. "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."

While he had only a small part, Dinklage made an impressive debut in the 1995 parody of the independent film world "Living in Oblivion." He played a dwarf hired for a dream sequence who goes off on the film's director. The following year, Dinklage landed a role in an off-Broadway play, "The Killing Act," written by Tom McCarthy. He played an "over-the-top" Tom Thumb in the show.

Dinklage and McCarthy reunited for the hit independent drama "The Station Agent." In the film, he played a lonely, train-obsessed man who inherits a rundown train depot. In 2004, Dinklage played one of his dream roles—Shakespeare's "Richard III"—at the Public Theater. He also appeared in the London production of Charlie Kaufman's "Theater of the New Ear" with Meryl Streep and Hope Davis the following year.

Dinklage's most significant television work came in 2011 with the premiere of "Game of Thrones." In the series based on George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy novels, he plays Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf of noble birth. His character must survive by his wits, not his brawn, in a land torn apart by competing dynasties seeking power over the kingdoms of Westeros.

For his portrayal of Lannister, Dinklage won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2019, as well as a Golden Globe in 2012 for Best Supporting Actor.